Treatment for autism is usually a very intensive, comprehensive undertaking that involves the child’s entire family and a team of professionals.
Pharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy continues to be an important component of a comprehensive treatment program for autism spectrum disorders.
Six major drug categories which are regularly used for symptomatic treatment are as follows –
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Anti-psychotic drugs help in the treatment of behavioural disorders by controlling the intensity of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain.
- Recent studies have developed newer anti-psychotic drugs which have proven effective in the treatment of aggression and self-injury among autistic children with fewer side effects.
- Anticonvulsants are drugs that control seizures. Since one in every four autistic patients has seizures, the use of anticonvulsants sometimes becomes imperative in managing symptoms.
- Stimulants are drugs that are used for the treatment of autism symptoms to control and treat the autistic tendencies of inattention and hyperactivity.
- Lithium is used for children who are occasionally aggressive and may become more stable when using these medicines, although monitoring the level of the drug in the body through regularly scheduled blood tests is required.
The effectiveness of these medicines varies by individual. Side effects are possible and should be discussed with your doctor.
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
ABA Therapy is effective for improving children’s outcomes, especially their cognitive and language abilities. ABA methods use the following three-step process to teach:
- An antecedent, which is a verbal or physical stimulus such as a command or request. This may come from the environment or from another person, or be internal to the subject.
- A resulting behaviour, which is the child’s response or lack of response to the antecedent.
- A consequence, which depends on the behaviour. The consequence can include positive reinforcement of the desired behaviour or no reaction for incorrect responses.
ABA targets the learning of skills and the reduction of challenging behaviours. Most ABA programs are highly-structured. Each skill is broken down into small steps, and taught using prompts, which are gradually eliminated as the steps are mastered. The child is given repeated opportunities to learn and practice each step in a variety of settings. Each time the child achieves the desired result, he receives positive reinforcement, such as verbal praise, or something else that the child finds to be highly motivating. Facilitated play with peers is often part of the intervention.
Social Skill Development
Improving social skills like eye contact, using appropriate greetings, developing listening, increasing understanding of social cues, etc.
Occupational Therapy
The Occupational Therapy strategies include:
- Physical activities, such as stringing beads or doing puzzles, to help a child develop coordination and body awareness.
- Use simple language with visual prompts
- Play activities to help with social skills, interaction and communication
- Developmental activities, such as brushing teeth and combing hair
- Adaptive strategies, including coping with transitions
- Fine motor skills required for holding objects while handwriting or cutting with scissors
- Gross motor skills used for walking, climbing stairs
- Perceptual skills, such as telling the differences between colours, shapes, and sizes
- Awareness of his or her body and its relation to others
- Visual skills for reading and writing
