Autism is a developmental disability that affects the brain functions, specifically those areas of the brain that control communication and social interaction skills.
Children with autism have difficulty in both verbal and nonverbal communication. They exhibit difficulty in relating to the outside world and may show unusual reactions to the people around them. They are often inflexible, even obsessive in their behaviors and interests and may demonstrate aggressive behavior that might cause injury to themselves or others.
These children may have trouble processing things they hear, see, smell, touch or taste. They may also have poor eye contact, be withdrawn or socially inept. They often start talking late and have difficulty with speech and language and display repetition of same actions or movements over and over again, such as flapping hands, rocking, or twirling (known as self-stimulatory behavior). In autism, an early diagnosis can make a huge difference on the impact of treatment and it is imperative for parents to recognize the warning signs as early as possible in their child.
Early intervention is the most effective way to enhance child’s development and overcome the challenges. An autistic child may be benefitted by
Sensory Integration Therapy helps
- Reduce /eliminate defensive/ aversive responses to sensory experiences viz. sound, smell, touch or light
- Improve ability to maintain appropriate level of alertness & arousal for learning in a classroom setting
- Improve ability to filter and discriminate sound
- Calm themselves & relax
Occupational Therapy helps improve
- Attention span
- Reduce Hyperactivity/ Restlessness
- Gross motor skills – climbing stairs, jumping skills & body balancing
- Fine motor skills and hand functioning skills
- Handwriting skills
- Spatial awareness, visual perception & visual motor functioning
- Social skills training
- Play skills
- Help & learn activities of daily living – brushing, dressing etc.
Special Education or Individualized Education Plan helps improve
- Learning concepts
- Academic skills
- Socialization skills
- Self-help skills
Psychotherapy
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Play Therapy
- Social Skills Building
- Social Stories
- Improving Life skills
Speech Therapy
- Pre-linguistic skills
- Language skills
- Social interaction skills
- Communication skills
Nonverbal persons with autism will benefit from
- Augmentative and Alternative Communicative devices & methods (AAC)
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)