For example, one autistic person may have excellent self-care skills and above-average school performance, but need sensory integration therapy and social skills training. Another might be highly social but unable to care for herself and in need of counseling for depression.
Anxiety Elevated energy level Self-injurious behavior Inability to concentrate Depression Seizures Severe outburst of anger or aggression
A sensory diet is a set of activities to do at home, like climbing trees, finger painting, swinging, blowing bubbles, et cetera. It can help meet the autistic person’s needs and acclimate them to various stimuli. It can also be a lot of fun. The therapist can also help redirect harmful stims (e. g. hitting one’s head) towards ones that fulfill the same need without causing harm (e. g. hitting a pillow, applying deep pressure to the head).
Energy therapy - reiki, acupuncture, Therapeutic Touch Alternative medical systems - aromatherapy, homeopathy Manipulative and body-based method - deep pressure, acupressure, hydro massage Mind-body intervention - auditory integration, meditation, dance therapy Biologically based therapy - using herbs, special diet, and vitamins Always consult a doctor before making a major change to your own or a loved one’s diet or lifestyle. Some alternative therapies, such as chelation therapy or MMS, are potentially deadly. [9] X Research source [10] X Research source If the autistic person is upset by the therapy, or fails to improve, find a new therapy.
Therapy should not be extremely painful or distressing. A therapist should take the patient’s unhappiness seriously. 40 hours per week of therapy is as intense as a full-time job. This can be overwhelming. Small children do not have adult attention spans. Your child will be fine with 1-2 hours per day or less, and there’s no rush. [11] X Research source [12] X Research source Transparency is a reasonable request. Therapists should not prevent you from witnessing a situation, or dodge your questions. People who claim to cure autism are not being honest. Autism is probably genetic, not caused by vaccines or parasites. Your instincts matter. If a therapist is telling you to ignore your gut feeling, that you’re being irrational, or that you would intervene if you saw what they were doing to your loved one, this is a problem.
Read their body language as you talk to them. For example, if you ask your daughter “Did you play with your friends today?” and she squeals happily and waves her arms, this is her answer. This communication is a stepping stone and should be encouraged.
If your loved one is in the room, assume they can hear what you’re saying. If you talk about how hard it is to live with an autistic child, they’ll worry that they make your life worse by existing. [15] X Research source Save your adult fears for when the children are out of the room.
