Treatment

Treating autism is often a trial-and-error process. Be patient, observant, and understanding. Voice your concerns to your medical provider about any treatment response.

Advocacy is important when supporting someone with autism. Often, he or she cannot describe feelings, struggles with “black and white” definitions, and is unclear about details and timelines.

Not all therapy and interventions may be covered under your DMBA plan. Please reach out to customer service or visit www.dmba.com to learn more.

Conventional treatments

• Medical management: Medications may improve some symptoms of autism. A prescribed medication relates to an area of struggle, e.g., hyperactivity, anxiety, mood swings, repetitive behavior, sleep disturbances, or anger. Common medication classes include antipsychotics, antidepressants, and alpha-2 antagonists.
• Applied behavior analysis (ABA): This therapy seeks to modify behavior, helping with emotional and social conduct.

Complementary treatments

• Occupational therapy: This systematic approach assists with developing skills needed in everyday life, including issues with communication, behavior, and social integration.
• Sensory integration: This therapy exposes the person to different stimuli, allowing the body and brain to adapt and react more efficiently when processing sensory information.
• Psychological interventions: This vital treatment identifies therapeutic interventions for diagnosing and symptom management amidst the continual changes of ASD.
• Speech therapy: A speech pathologist can enhance speech skills and help the person with autism better understand verbal and nonverbal cues.

Alternative treatments

• Diet and nutrition: Someone with difficulty processing sensory stimuli struggles to maintain a nutritious diet. There are also foods that improve behavior in a person with autism. A dietician can identify and implement a plan that evolves with an autistic person.
• Art-based therapy: This therapy with few limitations in a nurturing environment focuses on creating art to channel and express autistic behaviors.
• Animal-assisted therapy: This therapy helps an autistic person develop companionship and connections without requiring social skills.
• Aquatic therapy: This physical therapy improves function, balance coordination, agility, flexibility, gait, body mechanics, and postural stabilization in a safe and fun environment. It is often viewed as “play” and may be better received than traditional physical therapy.
• Physical therapy: Traditional physical therapy treats limitations with motor planning, posture, and coordination.
• Yoga therapy: Yoga strengthens the heart, lungs, muscles, and nervous system. It also improves balance, coordination, digestion, blood flow, and oxygen delivery. This therapy promotes psychological wellbeing and helps with identifying and processing sensory information.
• Play therapy: This therapy helps build social skills for interacting and communicating with peers who don’t have cognitive and sensory limitations.

Services

Individuals with ASD may need help when developmental or behavioral concerns affect their success in social and educational settings. There may be developmental delays while ASD is identified and diagnosed, so set up services as soon as possible. Your state has free programs to support your ASD child, including early intervention (ages 0–3) and special education services (ages 3–22).

Unsure whom to contact? The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center can help.

Advocacy

Someone who cannot speak for him- or herself or who struggles with communication needs an advocate. This can be any trusted individual who has the autistic person’s best interests in mind and speaks for their care and treatment. Being an advocate for someone with autism gives him or her a voice and models behavior for eventual self-advocacy.

Preparation goes a long way in advocacy. Have a doctor’s note about allowances that need to be made for your child and understand your rights and the support available for your child.

Support for caregivers

Throughout an autistic person’s life there will be many joys, but also many challenges. Lean on support from a community of others who understand and can help. Whether you have an autistic parent, sibling, or child, there are many tools to combat and successfully navigate all the ups and downs of life.

Consider joining support groups through social networking sites, community groups, or online groups. Support groups prevent parents from feeling isolated and depressed. They allow parents to vent frustrations without judgment, obtain expert advice, and learn strategies for situations that will come up.

Resources