The autism spectrum is a disorder that mostly affects young children. Most children are born with the condition. It affects the nervous system rendering some of the functions intricate, including communication, interactions, interests, and repetitive behaviors. Children living with autism often have a difficult start and need to be assisted as much as possible.
One way of helping these children is by giving them the required therapies. This article will discuss some of the customized autism treatment options you may consider for your child. Please note that these therapies don’t work for all. If one fails to fit your child, try the other. Here is the list.
1. Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is an available therapy that helps children with autism get better in their everyday duties. It helps to teach these children to be self-dependent on several tasks they do. Such include holding a fork, eating using a spoon, buttoning and unbuttoning a shirt, dressing, and much more. These therapies mostly get done by parents and guardians of the child who help them achieve their goals and needs. Other things included in this therapy include school routines, daily work routines, and play routines.
2. Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy on children living with autism is to help children develop their speech. It assists children with speaking, interacting, and communicating with other children. The therapy consists of non-verbal training, which involves talking in turns, using gestures, making eye contact, and other verbal communication methods. This kind of activity is mostly administered by therapists, whom you need to go to their website and access their services. The kids will also learn how to express themselves using signs, symbols, language, and computers. The therapists will also work with parents in helping the children adapt to these skills easily, even when they are out of the facilities.
3. Applied Behavior Analysis – ABA
The applied behavior analysis teaches the children positive behaviors and new skills, which get rewarded afterward. It is mostly done by parents and guardians, who get trained to offer this therapy to children living with autism. They get prepared to provide moment-to-moment feedback to the kids. This therapy’s goals are customized, depending on the child’s condition, including social skills, communication, school work, and general personal care. Children who start this program early tend to gain more from it than those who begin it late. This therapy comes in four phases: Discrete Trial Training, Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention, Pivotal Response Treatment, and Verbal Behavior Intervention. A therapist will guide you on what your child needs from the list.
4. Social Skills
This type of therapy can be at home, in school, or by the community in general. It doesn’t need much training, and it’s to instill social skills in children living with autism. The therapy is to train the child to bond with others and socialize with the people around them.
A lead therapist will guide the close individuals on carrying out this therapy since the child has to learn about role-playing with the people around them. The parents are pivotal in this therapy since they spend most of the time with the kid, and it’s them who the kids know most in their daily life.
5. Therapeutic Horseback Riding
Therapeutic Horseback Riding, also referred to as ‘hippotherapy’ by doctors, enables children to ride a horse with a therapist’s help. Why is this therapy? Therapeutic Horseback Riding is an essential therapy because it helps children living with autism adapt to situations. The movement of the horse and position change makes the child learn how to be independent. The child reacts and adjusts to the actions of the horse. According to Autism research, this activity also helps children, especially those who range between 5 to 16 years, develop their social habits and communication skills. It also helps to reduce being hyperactive and irritated.
6. Picture Exchange Communication System – PECS
This last therapy on our list, Picture Exchange Communication System, helps children living with autism trade pictures for different activities or items. To whom is it essential? This therapy is vital to children who can’t speak and those who fail to or have difficulties in understanding things.
The treatment might fail to work for uninterested children and children who don’t try to communicate. It helps them improve their communication skills but has less effect on speech. Having a child living with Autism requires full commitment from the parents, teachers, and the community. Through therapies, these children can improve their communication, socializing, and everyday living of their lives. Please do it right, depending on your child’s condition. We hope this article has enlightened you, especially as a parent having a child living with autism.