Treatments For Autism

The critical importance of early intervention programme for children with autism. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) / Lovaas / Discrete Trial Training Method has been proven to be successful. Catherine Maurice’s book “Let Me Hear Your Voice” recounted how the Lovaas method helped her two children to recover from autism.
The TEACCH programme in North Carolina provides intensive intervention programme by improving an individual’s skills in a structured educational environment. E.g. visual aids or cues are used to help those with autism to understand schedules, transitions and expectations better.
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) especially for non-verbal autistic individuals

Sensory integration therapy involves brushing and massaging the whole body and certain exercises. It helps to make the child less hyperactive. It improves attention span, motor coordination and balancing.

B6/ Magnesium Supplements developed by Dr. Bernard Rimland , Director of Autism Research Institute
An effective treatment for some individuals.

Use of anti-fungal drugs and herbal formulas such as garlic, caprylic acid and elimination of sugar, yeast and other foods that the yeast/candida feeds on.

Includes a total of 10 hours of listening to modulated music over a 10-20 day period to improve auditory processing and reductions in sound sensitivity and behavioral problems.

Originated from The Option Institute.
Was developed by Barry Neil and Samahria Kaufman in the early 1970’s. Their son, Raun who was diagnosed as severely retarded and autistic fully recovered from autism after three years of using an intensive, one-to-one approach based on unconditional love and acceptance. Today, Raun is a graduate with the I.Q of a genius.

Tips For Parents

For non-verbal child, use Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).
Talk or read to the child even if the child is non-verbal or his/her speech is not clear.
Build up vocabulary in child by using flash cards to teach him/her.
Teach the child to do mouth excercises such as blowing balloons, blowing soap bubbles, licking ice-cream on the lips with tongue, and blowing bubbles with chewing gums.

For hyperactive child with poor attention span, do Sensory Integration (S.I.) techniques of brushing and massaging of the whole body and certain S.I. exercises daily at home. This will calm the child down and improve his/her attention span.
When the child is calm and attentive, teach him/her to read, write, draw, colour, count, etc.
Teach the child some hobbies so that the child knows what to do with his/her time. Teach some hobbies that can improve his/her attention span such as picture puzzles, lego, word search, card games, and interactive educational computer games.

Engage child to help in house chores, such as preparing dining table before meals, washing, drying and storing disher and crockery after meals, helping in preparing vegetables for cooking, brushing clothes and using laundry machine, folding dried clothes and linen and storing them, sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning window panes and fans, washing care, and watering plants in the garden.

Parents and siblings must spend time interacting with child - playing outdoor and indoor games and table games.
Use social modeling technique to teach child the proper way of interacting with others - what to say and how to respond to others.
Teach child to interact with others in various social settings.
Bring child to public places such as parks, shopping complexes, shops, eating places, worship places so that the child gets use to public places.
Control child's awkward behaviours in public places (and also at home).
Do not feel embarrassed by your child's awkward behaviours in public places and by the stares of others. You and your child have every right to be in public places.

If your child is hyperactive, hold tightly onto him/her so that he/she does not suddenly run onto the street or run away and get lost in a crowd or in a big building or jump into a fountain or a pond/pool or get lost in a lift. Remember autistic child often does not know danger.

Do toilet training. Your child must be toilet-trained to be ready to go to kindergarten later.

Discipline your autistic child like you discipline normal child. If he/she uses his/her head to knock others or if he/she pinches others, punish him/her immediately, to teach him/her not to do that again.
Control his/her temper tantrum by finding out what causes it.
Don't hurt him severely. Don't hit his/her head or face.
An effective method is to use rubber band to cause light pain for purpose of discipline.

Control the child's dietary habits. Avoid sweets or sweet things which will cause hyperactivity.
Sit the child at dining table to eat at meal time. Don't allow child to walk about at meal time. If he/she doesn't obey your instruction, omit that meal for him/her.
Train child to eat all sorts of food and fruits (not to be choosy) and to drink all sorts of drinks (not to be choosy), except if the child is noticed to be allergic to certain types of food (evident by itchy skin rash, swelling of eyelids and lips, or diarrhea).