Choosing Treatments

There are over 20 different treatment options for ASD, leaving many parents can feel overwhelmed and confused about which option might be the best for them.  And while there are treatment options that have been proven to show benefits, there is no one treatment works for everyone.  Scientists are continuing researching the possibility that there may be different types of autism and/or different causes, as well as the effectiveness of the different treatment options.

Because each child is different, treatments and goals need to be tailored to your child’s needs after the child has had a thorough evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses observed in the child.   Evaluations should be conducted in each of the developmental areas:

• Academic
• Behavior
• Communication (understanding language, expressing language,
• Fine Motor (grasping small items, holding a pencil)
• Gross Motor (walking, hopping, running, throwing, catching)
• Self-help Skills (eating, toileting, dressing)
• Sensory Processing (motor planning, modulation, over/under responsiveness of sensory stimuli – touch, taste, hearing, vision, smell, sense of balance, body awareness)
• Social/Emotional (friendship skills, coping skills, play skills, etc)
• Biomedical (food allergies, bowel issues, etc)

Treatment should be re-evaluated on a regular basis. Intervention may help to lessen disruptive behaviors, and education can teach self-help skills that allow for greater independence. An effective treatment program will build on the child's interests, offer a predictable schedule, teach tasks as a series of simple steps, actively engage the child's attention in highly structured activities, and provide regular reinforcement of behavior. Parental involvement has emerged as a major factor in treatment success. Parents work with teachers and therapists to identify the behaviors to be changed and the skills to be taught.

Guidelines used by the Autism Society of America include the following questions parents can ask about potential treatments:

• Will the treatment result in harm to my child?
• How will failure of the treatment affect my child and family?
• Has the treatment been validated scientifically?
• Are there assessment procedures specified?
• How will the treatment be integrated into my child's current program? Do not become so infatuated with a given treatment that functional curriculum, vocational life, and social skills are ignored.

The National Institute of Mental Health suggests a list of questions parents can ask when planning for their child:

• How successful has the program been for other children?
• How many children have gone on to placement in a regular school and how have they performed?
• Do staff members have training and experience in working with children and adolescents with autism?
• How are activities planned and organized?
• Are there predictable daily schedules and routines?
• How much individual attention will my child receive?
• How is progress measured? Will my child's behavior be closely observed and recorded?
• Will my child be given tasks and rewards that are personally motivating?
• Is the environment designed to minimize distractions?
• Will the program prepare me to continue the therapy at home?
• What are the cost, time commitment, and location of the program?

Treatment Options

The purpose of this section is to provide a general overview of a variety of available approaches, not specific treatment recommendations.  The following lists some of the most common approaches for treating autism. 

All of these are treatment options and should be done with the consultation of a physician.  There are risks that must be weighed.  This information is not an endorsement of any treatment, but is provided for informational purposes only.

Explanation of Different Therapies

Autism Society of America – Provides an overview of different therapies

Autism Research Institute – Detailed information on a variety of treatments, especially biomedical treatments.

Healing Thresholds  has extensive information on different therapies and includes information on scientific research being done.  Offers a weekly Autism Therapy eBrief.

Generation Rescue – Another page with detailed information about biomedical approaches

The Good and Bad of Autism

There are a lot of hot topics in the autism world, and whether autism is a gift or a curse is one of them.  There have been many successful people who are thought to have had an ASD including Albert Einstein, Temple Grandin, Thomas Jefferson, and actor Dan Aykroyd.

For a list of famous people who have thought to have Asperger's visit:

•   Famous People with Asperger's Syndrome 

• Famous People with Autism
• The book, "Asperger's and Self-Esteem: Insight and Hope through Famous Role Models" by Norm Ledgin.

The important thing is not to give up hope and find support and services for the life that your child deserves.