Autism Interventions for Treatment

As far as autism interventions are concerned, it's essential to keep in mind that every person with autism is still an individual, and therefore some treatments and interventions might work better than others.

Sometimes, it's a case of trial and error, and it will certainly take a great deal of patience on your part.

One of the most popular interventions is the applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions. ABA can oftentimes help control and reduce the disruptive behaviors that can be seen in children that have been diagnosed with autism. Some forms of the ABA interventions have been proven to enhance global functioning when it comes to pre-school aged children with autism.

Dietary interventions are also used for this condition. Some children are put on diets that are casein and gluten free. Gluten is basically the protein in wheat that helps hold dough together. Casein, on the other hand, can be found in milk and dairy products and is also a protein.

Some people claim that a casein and gluten free diet can help improve social interactions, communication, sleeping, and even digestive problems in children that have autism. However, no final research has been conducted on this area yet.

Feeding therapy has also been utilized as an autism intervention, although it is not pleasant. A lot of autistic children have oral sensitivities that lead them to having problems when it comes to eating. Certain tastes or textures might bother the child and, as a result, the child might end up with a very limited diet that consists of only a few kinds of food. Malnutrition can then develop, and the need for a feeding tube might occur.

For that reason, many parents try feeding therapy, which helps children with autism gradually get used to tastes and textures that they would normally reject, so that they can have a healthier diet.

Other types of therapies that have been used as autism interventions include occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physical therapy. These are non-invasive therapies and do not require the use of any medications or other chemically enhanced products. Instead, they focus on providing communication development and improving motor skills.

There are also some alternative forms of autism interventions that are gaining more notice these days. Music therapy is just one of these. In music therapy, children are encouraged to use music to communicate with others and to express their thoughts and feelings.

Animal-assisted therapy is another alternative therapy that uses a horse or a dog as part of the person's treatment plan. A study in 2007 did show that animal-assisted therapy is conducive to assisting children with autism. However, there is still some controversy regarding whether or not therapies that utilize dolphins are effective.

Some parents choose to give their children vitamin and mineral supplements as part of their autism intervention. Some people claim that using vitamin B6 and magnesium can help with some of the milder symptoms of autism, such as verbal IQ. However, high doses of magnesium should be avoided, since they can lead to weakened reflexes and a reduced heart rate.

Vitamin C has also been used, although in high doses it could cause stomach upsets such as diarrhea.

More and more attention has been given to probiotics lately, and the use of probiotics could decrease yeast overgrowth that occurs in the colon.

Omega 3 fatty acids are also utilized in autism interventions as well.

Lastly, melatonin is sometimes used to treat sleep disorders, such as insomnia, in people that have certain developmental disorders.

Chelation therapy might be one of the most controversial autism interventions. Alternative medicine practitioners sometimes provide detoxification treatments using chelation therapy in an attempt to remove the heavy metals from the body which could be the cause of autism. However, it can be a dangerous practice and, in 2005, a mistake was made regarding the form of EDTA that was used and a 5 year old boy with autism suffered from cardiac arrest.

Do you wish to learn about other remedies and treatments for autism? You can do so by also reading the other related autism articles and pages on this website.

Read More: More on Autism | Natural Health Remedies for Various Ailments and Conditions | Home Page | Site Search

Click here for access to the Essential Guide to Autism, where you can learn vital information about this condition.

Click here for natural, herbal and homeopathic remedies for autism.

	Get Quality Natural Health Supplements at Reasonable Prices. $5 or $10 discount for new customers
Get natural, herbal and homeopathic remedies for hundreds of health conditions and ailments. GO.

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read. Leave a comment in the box below.

Some Related Autism Pages

Click here for more pages and articles on Autism.