How to Treat Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are developmental disabilities that cause considerable impairments in social interplay and communication and the existence of atypical behavior and preoccupation. An ASD begins before the age of 3 and lasts a person's lifetime. Those who suffer from ASDs respond differently to stimulus, and have very dissimilar ways of learning. The reasoning and comprehension abilities of people with ASDs can vary from gifted to severely challenged. Autism is included in this group of disorders. This article will provide information to assist you in the treatment of autism.

Steps

1. Seek professional help. There is no medical examination for ASDs. Health care providers rely on behavioral symptoms of a child during routine checkups. There are screening tests that can also be done during these visits. If your child's doctor does not regularly screen your child, ask that he/she do so.
2. Understand that every child with autism is different. Appropriate treatment should meet with individual needs.
3. Be aware that some parents may use regimens not commonly advocated by their child's doctor to assist the symptoms of autism. These treatments are called complementary and alternative treatments. The following is a list of treatments that fit this category and examples of what they may involve:
   
   • Energy therapy - reiki, acupuncture, Therapeutic Touch
   • Alternative medical systems - aromatherapy, homeopathy
   • Manipulative and body-based method - deep pressure, acupressure, hydro massage
   • Mind-body intervention - auditory integration, meditation, dance therapy
   • Biologically based therapy - using herbs, special diet, and vitamins
4. Know that there is no magic elixir that will cure autism. There are medicines that can help in the treatment of autism symptoms. The following is a list of symptoms that can be helped with medication:
   
   • Severe outburst of anger
   • Aggression
   • Elevated energy level
   • Self-injurious behavior
   • Inability to concentrate
   • Depression
   • Seizures
5. Consult with your health care provider to ensure your child is receiving the proper treatments for his/her individual needs.

Video

Michael Davis, MD, pediatrician, talks about autism in children, as well as autism treatments.

Tips

• Some parents feel a change in their child’s diet will improve how the child feels or behaves.
• ASDs can be detected as early as 18 months.
• ASDs include autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder (including atypical autism), and Asperger syndrome. These conditions have similar symptoms, but are dissimilar in terms of when the symptoms begin, their severity, and the exact causes of the symptoms.
• Early detection of developmental delays and beginning intervention services quickly can better outcomes and assist a child in attaining his/her possibility for achievement.
• Always maintain a close and open communication with your child's pediatrician.
• Remember that ASDs cannot usually be cured, and will remain with child for their lifetimes. Also remember that just because the child has an ASD, it makes them no less aware of what is happening, and does not make them physically different in any way. Try to treat them like normal people, help them when they need it, and never let them look at it as a disorder, until they are old enough to undertsand this. Instead, show them it can be as much of an advantage as a disadvantage
• Keep in mind that many brilliant, famous people have Autistic Spectrum Disorders, including Albert Einstien and Thomas Edison.
• It may be beneficial to try to introduce them to acting, and to other Autistic people. Acting will help work on their social skills, and meeting others with similar difficulties may help them to perceive the world in a brighter way, or give them a coping method.
• ASD children often have extremely bad tempers from a young age, so if your child has temper issues, or you are worried your child has an ASD, start teaching them coping methods from a young age.

Warnings

• Children with ASDs may also have epilepsy or mental retardation.
• Some children with ASDs have psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression.
• Some children with ASDs may have attention deficits, sensory concerns, sleep difficulties, and gastrointestinal upset.
• Support neurodiversity. Do not completely treat autism - keep the rare gifts that they have. It is much better to accept an autistic person than to cure them completely.

Related wikiHows

• How to Help a Family Member Who Has Autism or Asperger Syndrome
• How to Handle Your Child's Temper Tantrum
• How to Enhance Learning for an Autistic Child

Sources and Citations

• http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.htm
• http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/overview.htm
• http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/faq.htm

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