Bubble blowing is often successful, as are toys that move, squeak, vibrate, and otherwise DO something. Over time, therapists will work with the child to build reciprocal skills (sharing, turn-taking), imaginative skills (pretending to feed a toy animal, cook pretend skills) and even abstract thinking skills.
Behavioral approaches have the most evidence for treating symptoms of ASD. They have become widely accepted among educators and healthcare professionals and are used in many schools and treatment clinics. A notable behavioral treatment for people with ASD is called Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
Behavioral Therapy
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and related therapies are usually considered to be the "gold standard" of autism-specific treatment. Many districts offer ABA classrooms or provide ABA therapists as part of the school's disability program.
JB2 is a new therapeutic drug developed and tested by Northwestern researchers that could treat Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a subtype of autism. A new therapy could treat Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a rare subtype of autism spectrum disorder, according to a December study by a group of Northwestern researchers.
Level 3 is the most severe level of autism. People with level 3 autism have limited ability to speak clearly. Difficulty with both verbal and nonverbal communication makes it challenging to interact with others. This level of autism requires a higher level of support throughout life.
Play therapy helps children with autism to engage in play activities of their interest, express themselves in comfortable ways, and change their self-expression from unwanted behavior to more non-injurious expressive behavior.
According to the Center for Autism, ABA helps autistic children improve social interactions, learn new skills, and reduce challenging behaviors. ABA is currently the most well-researched and effective treatment for reducing severe challenging behavior like kicking, hitting, and self-injurious behavior.
Best and Worst States for Autism
Colorado, New York, Maryland, and Connecticut typically rank high as the states providing the most benefits to autistic people in all age groups.
Two major U.S. studies have found that 4 to 13 percent of children lose their autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, but that doesn't always mean a complete "recovery" from developmental problems.
Autistic children are often strong in areas like visual, rule-based and interest-based thinking. A developmental assessment or an IQ test can identify autistic children's thinking and learning strengths. You can develop autistic children's skills by working with their strengths.
Use Visual Cues
The majority of children with autism are visual learners, meaning they learn best when material is presented visually instead of just presented verbally or through another method. Visual cues can be a way to help kids with autism learn and retain skills and to aid with communication.
Calmly redirect your child to a different method of communication. For example, if your child usually hits you to get your attention, you can instead instruct them to tap you on the arm and say “excuse me”. Only give your child direct acknowledgment (eye contact, etc.) when they engage in the appropriate behavior.
Bubble blowing is often successful, as are toys that move, squeak, vibrate, and otherwise DO something. Over time, therapists will work with the child to build reciprocal skills (sharing, turn-taking), imaginative skills (pretending to feed a toy animal, cook pretend skills) and even abstract thinking skills.
Play therapy interventions are most effective in children and adolescents ages 3 to 12 years old. However, even older adolescents may also benefit from various play therapy techniques.
By letting your child play with a child on the autism spectrum, you could very well be helping them build life skills that they will carry with them forever. And, finally, consider the impact that something as simple as a play date can have, not only on the autistic child, but on their family as well.
ASD Level 1 – Level 1 ASD is currently the lowest classification. Those on this level will require some support to help with issues like inhibited social interaction and lack of organization and planning skills.
There are five major types of autism which include Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Kanner's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified.