Autism Treatment Modalities

The opportunity to screen and evaluate children with autism is no longer partial to the bigger cities and communities across the United States. Instead, small communities are now better able to address autism in their community and offer valuable early treatment to help give children the best start. The Wisconsin Early Autism Project suggests employing intensive skill developing treatment in children younger than 5 years old for maximum benefits. Generally, this treatment consists of 35 to 40 hours of hands-on activity per week.

Modified Curriculum

Autistic children as young as 2 qualify for an individualized education program that details a modified curriculum. Easter Seals of Metropolitan Chicago recommends extended year programs, adaptive living skills, and programming that includes an integration of speech, language, occupational, social work, nursing, art and music. Overall, early interventions should support the needs of each child specifically tailored to their strengths and weaknesses. The role of the teacher then supports with an understanding of sensory integration and tactile concerns in order to be successful.

Skills Mastery

Autistic children benefit the most from programming that introduces new materials as quickly as the child's patience and attention span will allow. Pictures may be employed in order to visually show children the action or explanation for a word. Autism Society of America states that with so many new approaches cropping up, misinformation and misguidance is possible. Parents are advised to weigh through the hefty evidence and find a program that suits not only the needs of the child and his family, but defends an existing belief system similar to your own.

Social Skills

Integration of fundamental social skills from a very early age is important. Social Skill Builder's "Development of Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder–ASD" suggests that the most successful programs have used learning appropriate to age level, employ the appropriate use of language, interactive play, conversational skills, have a focus on learning nonverbal communication skills with the study of facial cues and body language and suggests positive interaction among peers.

Applied Behavioral Analysis

Applied behavioral analysis is a method that teaches children new skills for adapting to their environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that this process is successful in using positive reinforcements with consistency in redirecting negative behaviors that can otherwise impede learning success. Examples of applied behavioral analysis include: Discrete trial training or the basic learning levels minus corrections; early intensive behavioral intervention, corrective behavioral interventions for children under 5 years; pivotal response training, used to increase motivation, encourage students to control their behaviors and promote verbal communication skills; and verbal behavioral intervention that focuses on teaching children appropriate verbal communication only.

References:

Wisconsin Early Autism Project; Early Treatment is Best; 2010

http://www.wiautism.com/earlytreatment.php

Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago; Autism Therapeutic School Waukegan; 2010

http://chicago.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ILCH_New_School

Autism Society of America; Treatment Options; 2010

http://www.autism-society.org/living-with-autism/

Social Skill Builder; “Development of Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Jacobs, J MSC; 2010

http://www.socialskillbuilder.com/articles/socialskillsASDchildren.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Treatment Autism Spectrum Disorders-NCBDDD; May 2010

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/treatment.html