While there is no established cure for autism, there are many therapies that can help. Some help manage symptoms, other teach social and behavioral skills, and still others are intended to cure autism altogether. Find out what's out there, what seems to work for whom, and how to figure out whether a treatment is working well for you or your child.
Before you plunge into selecting an autism treatment (or several treatments!), it's important to know what your options are, and how to evaluate whether a treatment is working. These articles will give you an introduction to both topics.
There are many theories regarding the causes and "core deficits" of autism. As a result, there are many different types of therapies and treatments developed specifically to alleviate symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. On the upside, that means you have a range of options to try. On the downside, it means you never know whether you've tried the most effective option for you or your child.
Because there are so many choices -- and no "one best choice" -- most families try at least a few types of treatment. And most find that some combination of treatments make a real difference.
Plenty of therapies are designed specifically to treat autism. But older, more traditional therapies are also helpful for treating symptoms of autism. Sometimes, these therapies are "tweaked" to support specific symptoms -- but basically, these are tried-and-true techniques that have been researched over many years.
These treatments aren't offered by schools or regional autism centers, but they're often creative, fun, engaging and effective.
The autism world is filled with new and alternative treatments -- some of which seem to hold some promise, and many of which are simply expensive. Here are a few of the more prominent new/alternative treatments available, along with some tips for selecting such treatments and ensuring your ability to decide whether they're effective.
At last count, some 500 treatments wer available for autism. Some are proven; some are promising; some are experimental -- and many are pure snake oil. Add to this confusion the reality that treatments that work well for one person may do nothing for another. How do you know which treatments to choose -- and how do you tell which treatments are working for you or your child?
It costs HOW much to provide my child with therapy? You may have heard that autism therapy costs an incredible amount of money -- and that many families have gone bankrupt trying to pay the bills. But the truth is many resources are available that are affordable even for families of modest means.
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Treatments for Autism - About.com Autism Spectrum Disorders