Autism Therapies and Solutions – The Ultimate Guide

Finding the best method for treating autism is often a challenge for the loved ones of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Because no two people with ASD are exactly the same, it’s vital to choose a method of treatment and therapy and an intervention plan that is tailored to address specific needs.

 Help! I am going to be starting Applied Behavior Analysis for my son who has autism. Can you tell me things to ask and what to look for in an ABA provider?

Dr. Stephen Shore once said “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”  As many of you know, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reports that there are now 1 in 68 children living with autism in the United States.  What this means for each child and his/her family is unique to him/her.  Luckily however, there is a treatment that has been shown time and time again to improve the quality of life for children with autism and his/her family.  The treatment I am referring to is one that is based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).  A well-designed treatment that is based on ABA would assess a child with autism to find out his/her unique strengths and areas of need.  A program would build upon those strengths and teach the skills that he/she may need to learn.  The ultimate goal is to improve quality of life with an emphasis on socially significant skills.  Things like social skills, life skills, communication skills and other skills that would make it easier for him/her to navigate the real world.  All of this programming is designed using cutting edge research, includes tracking systems to monitor how the student is doing, and is implemented by well-trained therapists.  Because it is the gold standard in treatment for children with autism, ABA  is in high demand and it may be difficult to make a decision as to which provider you should ultimately choose for your very precious child.  The purpose of this article is to help parents in the process of selecting an appropriate ABA provider for his/her child.

Invented by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, the family owned LEGO® Group was founded in 1932, much to the delight of millions of children and adults throughout the world. What we recognize as the modern day LEGO® brick was introduced in 19581.  LEGO® combines two Danish words. “leg godt,” which means play well1. The fundamental premise of LEGO® Therapy is to do just that. So, let’s get our bricks on and talk about LEGO® Therapy through the lens of occupational therapy.

I learned almost 30 years ago that my extremely fussy baby grew calmer when cocooned tightly inside my arms as we swayed side to side. Back then, I had not yet heard about his neurologically-based disorder known as Asperger’s syndrome (part of the autism spectrum), which is associated with sensory sensitivities and social and communication challenges. However, as an occupational therapist, I already understood how atypical responses to sensations impacted learning and motor development, specifically fine-motor abilities to touch, grasp, and manipulate objects.

How often have we heard parents around the world use this phrase, or at least something like it?  And what do parents mean exactly when they say this to their children?  I remember not quite understanding the meaning of these words when I was in the pre-parenting phase of my life.  You know what I’m talking about…that time when we still know everything about parenting.  Now, with three kids under my belt, while I finally realize how little about parenting I actually know, I’ve come to understand the meaning of that particular phrase perfectly.  When parents use those words with their children, they are essentially saying this: “Communicate with me!”

How do you handle high anxiety of a child on the spectrum? My son is 12 years old and where we live there is a hurricane coming soon. Everyone is talking about it and he is terrified. He gets upset when it rains and he cries because he’s scared. With others he appears angry and asks the same questions over and over about the hurricane. He is obsessing about this storm! I assured him I would make sure he is safe and even told him we can drive away when the storm comes, but he is still upset. I just wanted to know if there are any other ways to help him.

A: In Living Gluten Free for Dummies by Danna Korn, “Gluten is a mixture of proteins in wheat, rye, and barley. Oats don’t have gluten but may be contaminated, so they’re forbidden on a strict gluten-free diet, too.”

Recently, a mom was crying to me that her son has autism. I know that “I just got soccer punched in the gut” feeling after the doc says my children are “on the spectrum.”  I listened to all her heart’s concerns and comments with the autism diagnosis. When she was finished I said to her, “Girl, if it wasn’t for autism, your son would never be able to fulfill all that God has for him in this lifetime. He is perfect just the way he is. My sons see the world differently and that’s part of their brilliance. Their “disability” is what makes them genius. Teachers thought Einstein had a learning disability and many other famous people have autism: Dan Aykroyd, Gary Numan, and Liane Holliday Willey. They are the ones who changed the world and they are in the history books.  Flame your son’s greatness; don’t cry over it.” Throughout our conversation, I noticed her medium-sized yellow Lab would place his head on her lap and she would pet him. When she was done petting, he would either lay down near her or interact with her son.

Recently, a mom was crying to me that her son has autism. I know that “I just got soccer punched in the gut” feeling after the doc says my children are “on the spectrum.”  I listened to all her heart’s concerns and comments with the autism diagnosis. When she was finished I said to her, “Girl, if it wasn’t for autism, your son would never be able to fulfill all that God has for him in this lifetime. He is perfect just the way he is. My sons see the world differently and that’s part of their brilliance. Their “disability” is what makes them genius. Teachers thought Einstein had a learning disability and many other famous people have autism: Dan Aykroyd, Gary Numan, and Liane Holliday Willey. They are the ones who changed the world and they are in the history books.  Flame your son’s greatness; don’t cry over it.” Throughout our conversation, I noticed her medium-sized yellow Lab would place his head on her lap and she would pet him. When she was done petting, he would either lay down near her or interact with her son.