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AnexclusiveAutismParentingMagazineguide

Findingthebestmethodfortreatingautismisoftenachallengeforthelovedonesof
childrenandadultswithautismspectrumdisorder(ASD).Becausenotwopeoplewith
ASDareexactlythesame,itsvitaltochooseamethodoftreatmentandtherapyandan
interventionplanthatistailoredtoaddressspecificneeds.

AQuickNotetoParents
Thereareanumberofautismtherapiesandtreatmentsavailabletoday.Beforeyousettle
onaspecificmethod,however,itsveryimportantyoucompletethoroughresearchto
determinewhatmightworkbestforyourchild.TherearemanyunknownswithASD,so
itswisetoequipyourselfwithsufficientknowledgebeforetrustingaparticularmodeof
treatmentortherapy.

Ifyouencounteratypeoftreatmentthatseemstoogoodtobetrue,itprobablyis.No
matterwhatotherpeoplemaysayaboutaparticulartherapy,alwaystaketheinformation
theyareofferingwithagrainofsalt.Remember,itsyourchildshealthandwellbeingthat
isatstake.Ifyoumakeahastydecisionwithoutverifyingtheinformationyouhave
receivedwithamedicalprofessional,youmightputyourchildssafetyatrisk.Wecannot
endorseanyonetreatmentortherapy.

Also,alwayskeepinmindthatamethodthatworkswellforonechildmaynotworkfor
anotherchildwithdifferentdevelopmentalneeds.Thekeytofindinganautismtherapyor
treatmentthathelpsyourchildistodoresearchanddeterminewhichtherapieswere
successfulforchildrenwithsimilarchallenges.

Duringyourresearch,besuretoreachouttootherfamiliesalsoaffectedbyautismand
learnwhatisworkingbestforthem.Whenyoufindatypeoftherapythatworkswithyour
child,besuretoshareitwiththeminreturn.

EducationalandBehavioralTherapies
Herearesomepopulartherapiesdesignedtohelpimprovebehaviorandboostlearningfor
childrenwithASD:

AppliedBehavioralAnalysis
AppliedBehavioralAnalysis(ABA)isthemostpopulartypeofbehavioraltherapyfor
childrenwithASD.ABAisactuallysomethingofanumbrellatermforanumberof
behavioraltherapies,withseveralspecificapproachesfallingunderit.Forexample,

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discretetrialtraining(DTT)isaformofABAthatfocusesonencouragingorreinforcing
positivebehaviorswhilediscouragingnegativeones.

WhenprovidingABA,therapistsorpractitionersconductanassessmenttodetermineifa
childhasbeenunintentionallyrewardedbyhis/herparentsforanynegativebehaviors.
Theythenworktoestablishnewbehaviorsusingavarietyofmethods,includingdiscrete
triallearning(DTL).

ManystudieshaveshownthatABAcanbepositiveforchildrenwithASD.Infact,thistype
oftherapyhasbeenfoundtoboostchildrenstestscores,languageskills,andacademic
performance.A2006studypublishedbytheJournalofAutismandDevelopmental
DisordersalsorevealedthatABAandothersimilarbehavioralinterventionsmaycontribute
tothedevelopmentofachildspersonalandsocialskills.

SelectinganABAproviderforyourchildcanbeanoverwhelmingtaskforsome.For
expertadviceonwhattolookfor,takealookatapiecewrittenforAutismParenting
MagazinebyAngelinaM.,MS,BCBA,MFTIcalledHelp:IDontKnowHowtoChoosean
AppliedBehaviorAnalysisProvider,assheexplainswhatABAsessionsincludeandthe
kindoftrainingtheteamshouldhave.

SarahKupferschmidt,MA,BCBA,alsoprovideshertopnotchadviceinAutismParenting
MagazineontheABAselectionprocessherinpiececalledHighQualityABATreatment:
WhatEveryParentNeedstoKnow.

CognitiveBehavioralTherapy
CognitiveBehavioralTherapy(CBT)isatypeofpsychotherapydesignedtoeliminate
unwantedbehaviorpatternsbyhelpingpeoplegetridofnegativethoughtsabout
themselvesandtheworld.Inrecentyears,therehavebeenattemptstoutilizeCBTwith
childrenandteenswhohaveASD,particularlywiththosewhohaveanxiety.

Somebelievethatchildrenontheautismspectrumdonthavetheskillsneededto
succeedatCBThowever,researchconductedin2012provedotherwise.Theresearch
teamfoundthatchildrenwithautismhavetheabilitytodistinguishthoughts,feelings,and
behaviors.Theyalsohavetheabilitytoaltertheirthoughts.Somechildren,however,did
havedifficultyrecognizingemotions.

Becauseofthis,researchersandautismexpertshaveworkedtirelesslytomodifyCBTand
makeitmoresuitableforchildrenwithASD.Theymadeitmorerepetitive,visual,and
concretetosuittheneedsofthekids.Forexample,insteadofsimplyaskingachildto
describeorratehis/heranxietylevelonascaleof1to10,atherapistmayjustusea
thermometershowinganxietylevelsfromlowtohighandhavethechildpointtothelevel
accordingtowhathe/sheisfeeling.

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OnereasonwhyCBTworkswellasanautismtherapyforchildrenisthatitinvolves
parents.Itallowsparentstodevelopabetterunderstandingoftheirchildschallengesand
teachesthemhowtouseCBTtechniqueswhenreallifesituationsaffecttheirchild.This
empowersthemandmakesthemfeelinvolvedandconfidentabouttheirabilitytohelp.

DIR/Floortime
DevelopedbyDr.StanleyGreenspan,theDevelopmentalIndividualDifference
Relationship(DIR)modelisacompletelychildledapproachtotreatingautism.DIRsmost
wellknowncomponentisFloortime,whichiswhyitisnowoftencalledDIR/Floortime.
Thistypeoftreatmentoftentakesplaceonthefloor(hence,thename)becauseitrequires
anadulttofollowachildslead.Itputsemphasisonthetoysorobjectsthatcapturethe
interestofthechildwithASD.

Forexample,ifachildisfascinatedwithspinningthewheelsofatoycar,theadultwillget
onthefloorwithhim/herandspinthewheelsonthecar,too.Thepointofthistherapyisfor
theadulttocatchthechildsinterestandattention,aswellasforthechildtosharehis/her
pleasureorfrustration.Thisgivestheadulttheopportunitytobetterunderstandthechilds
world,thuspavingthewaytowardestablishingasocialandemotionalconnection.

DIR/Floortimeisalsodesignedtohelpensurechildrensholisticoroveralldevelopment.
Withthiskindoftreatment,everyareaofdevelopmentisaddressed.Theseareasinclude
motor,emotional,andcognitiveskillssensoryabilitiesandlanguagefunctioning.

OneadvantageofDIR/Floortimeisthatparentsthemselvescandeliverthisformof
therapy,thussavingalotofmoney.Also,ascomparedtootherautismtreatments,
DIR/Floortimerequiresfewerhoursoftherapytobeeffective.

DiscreteTrialTraining
DTTisconsideredbymanyasthemostdeliberateandpureformofABA.Itisoftenused
whenatherapistseekstoteachchildrennewskillsorbehaviorsorencouragethemtodo
somethingtheydontoftendo.WithDTT,skillsorbehaviorsarebrokendownintotiny,
manageablepieces.Thisway,theywillbeeasierforchildrentolearnandachieve
success.

Adiscretetrialiscomprisedofthreecomponents:thetherapistsinstruction,thechilds
response(orlackthereof),andtheconsequence.Theeffectivenessofthisintervention
programispartlyduetothefactthatitembracestheideaofreinforcementasanything
thatmotivatesthechildtolearn.WhenachildwithASDlearnsanewskillorbehavior,it
shouldbepracticedorrepeatedmanytimes.Then,he/shewillberewardedaccordingly,
usuallyintheformoftoys,food,gestures,oranythingthatwillserveasamotivation.

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EarlyStartDenverModelTherapy
TheEarlyStartDenverModel(ESDM)isatreatmentforautismdevelopedbyDr.SallyJ.
Rogers.Itmadenewsin2012whenitprovidedthefirstphysicalevidenceofpsychologist
O. IvarLovaas1987studythatclaimedimprovementsarepossiblewiththehelpofthe
rightkindofintervention.Infact,Timemagazinenameditasoneofthetop10medical
breakthroughsof2012.

ESDMutilizessomeprinciplesofABAandDTT,suchasbreakingdownataskorskillinto
smallerpiecesandteachingeachstepinsequence.Thedifference,however,isthatit
doesntusediscretetrials.Italsofocusesontherelationshipbetweenthetherapistand
thechild,whichisbuiltonplayaccordingtothechildsinterests.

In2012,agroupofresearchersconductedastudyonhowearlybehavioralinterventionis
associatedwithnormalizedbrainactivityinchildrenwithASD.Theyfoundthattoddlers
whounderwentESDMtherapyshowedsignificantimprovementinseveralareas,including
theuseoflanguage.Theyalsodemonstratedbetterdailylivingskillsthanthosewho
receivedconventionalinterventions.

TheresearcherscontinuedtofollowandobservethechildrenwhounderwentESDM
therapyevenafterthestudyended,andthekidscontinuedtoshowimprovement.This
supportedDr.RogersearlierexpectationsthatyoungchildrenwhoareundergoingESDM
therapycanachievethesamescoreonIQandlanguagetestsasneurotypicalchildrenby
thetimetheyreachsixorsevenyearsold.

LEGOBasedTherapy
LEGObasedtherapyinvolvessomuchmorethanplayingwithastackofplasticbricks
developedgenerationsagoitsagroupplaytherapywithspecificguidelines.Withthe
rightguidance,thesecolorfulbrickscanhelpfacilitatesocialandcommunicationskillsfor
childrenwithhighfunctioningautism.

AmyWagenfeld,PhD,OTR/L,SCEMexplainsthefundamentals,theprocess,andthe
valuablesocialconnectionsthatcanbemadeinherarticlepublishedinAutismParenting
MagazinecalledLEGOTherapy:HowtoBuildConnectionswithAutismOneBrickata
Time.ThistherapycanalsohelpachildwithASDdevelopfinemotorskills,visual
perceptualmotorskills,cognitiveskills,sensorimotorskills,andselfefficacyskills.

OccupationalTherapy
Occupationaltherapy(OT)canoftenbenefitchildrenwithautism,asmanytendtohavea
difficulttimewithsocialinteractionandcommunication,aswellasdifficultieswithrestricted

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interestsandplayskills.

Anoccupationaltherapistcanoftenassistchildrentoperformbetterinschoolandat
home.Therapycanhelpenhancedailylifeskills,suchasgroomingandtoilettraining.

Foradditionaladviceonwaystoassistchildrenwithautismdevelopspecificskills,takea
lookatthepiecepublishedinAutismParentingMagazinecalledSimpleWaystoHelpKids
withAutismDevelopHandSkills,writtenbyBarbaraSmith,MS,OTR/L.Anoccupational
therapist,Smithprovidesexcellentadviceonhowtousesensorystimulationtohelpa
childengageandusehis/herhandswhiledecreasingtouchsensitivities.

PivotalResponseTraining
PivotalResponseTraining(PRT)wasdevelopedbydoctorsRobertandLynnKoegelof
theUniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara.TheKoegelsbelievethatsomeofthedeficits
inchildrenontheautismspectrumaremorefundamentalthanothers.Developingachilds
abilityinoneofthesepivotalareas,theytheorized,couldpossiblyresultincollateral
behavioralimprovements.

InPRT,thefocusisonchangingcertainpivotalareassuchasthechildsmotivationand
selfmanagementinordertochangethebehaviorsthatdependonthem.Italsofollows
thesamebehavioralprinciplesofABA,suchasrewardingthechildforpositivebehaviors.
Butinsteadoffollowingthechildandteacheratthetablemodel,PRTusesamore
naturalisticapproach.Duringtherapy,thechildisplacedinastructuredplacewhere
he/shehasmanyopportunitiestoplayandinteractwithsurroundings.

LikeinDIR/Floortime,theadultfollowsthechildsleadinPRT.Thechildisalsoallowedto
choosethetoys,activities,andtopicsofconversationduringthesession.Parentslovethis
approachbecauseitissuitableforallenvironments.Also,theycaneasilyincorporatePRT
strategiesintothechildsdaytodayactivities.

SocialandCommunicationSkills
Interventions
Belowaresomeoftheresourcesandtoolsthatcanbeusedtohelpchildrenontheautism
spectrumdevelopsocialandcommunicationskillsneededfordailylife:

PictureExchangeCommunicationSystem
ThePictureExchangeCommunicationSystem(PECS)wasdevelopedin1985byDr.
AndrewS.BondyandLoriFrostasauniqueaugmentativecommunicationintervention
packageforindividualswithautism.Thesystemiscommonlyusedwithchildrenand
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adultsontheautismspectrumwhohavelittletonoverbalability.WithPECS,therapists
andparentshelpchildrenbuildavocabularyandarticulatetheirthoughtsandfeelings
throughpictures.

ManychildrenandadultswithASDhaveachievedsuccesswithPECS.Throughthis
system,theyareabletocommunicateandarticulatetheirthoughts,feelings,and
observationsregardlessoftheircommunicative,cognitive,andphysicaldifficulties.Some
learnerswerealsoabletodevelopspeech.Today,researchsupportingtheeffectivenessof
PECSisongoingtodeterminehowitcanfurtherhelpthosewithASDtocommunicate.

TolearnmoreabouthowthePECScanmakeadifferenceinachildslife,takealookat
EmilyDavidsonspiececalledHowtoUsePECStoGiveYourChildwithAutismtheVoice
He/SheNeedspublishedinAutismParentingMagazine.

SocialScripts
ThisstrategyisusedtohelpindividualswithASD,especiallychildren,initiatesocial
contactandconversewithotherpeople.Thekidsaretaughtscriptsforcommonsocial
situations.Atfirst,thechildusesasupportoraremindercardthathasascriptedquestion
orphrasewrittenonit.Thechildthenusesthesecardsuntilhe/sheisabletodevelop
bettersocialskillsandisabletousequestionsandphrasesinamorespontaneousand
naturalmanner.

SocialStoriesandComicStripConversations
Studieshaveshownthatchildrenwithautismrespondbettertovisualcues,whichiswhy
usingstoriesanddrawingsisagreatwaytohelpthembuildsocialunderstanding.Social
Stories,developedbyC.Gray,arebrief,personalstorieswrittenforchildrenwithASD.
Thesestoriesdescribesocialsituationswherethefeelingsofthechildandotherpeople
serveaskeyelements.Possiblesocialresponsesareincludedtohelpthechild
understandorcopewithstressfulsocialsituations.

Foranexampleonwayssocialstoriescanaidachildwithautism,takealookatthepiece
byAngelinaM,MS,BCBA,MFTIinAutismParentingMagazinecalledHELP:MyAutistic
ChildisAbsolutelyTerrifiedofStormsNowtolearnexcellentwaystohelpachildcope
withoverwhelmingstormanxiety.

ComicStripConversations,ontheotherhand,seektohelpthechildlearnthesocialrules
he/shemightotherwisefindchallenging.Theseconversationsinvolvedrawingswith
bubbles,whichrepresentaconversationthatcanoverlap(indicatingthecontinuousnature
ofconversation).

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Forexample,achildwithASDwhomightbeoffendedbythelightheartedphraseYou
cantcatchme!canlearnthroughthecomicthathis/herfriendisnotdemeaninghis
abilitiesinanyway,butrather,tryingtoenticehim/herintoplayingafungameoftag.

SpecialDietsforChildrenwithAutism
Variousstudieshaveproventhatthefoodweeatcanaffectnotonlyourbodies,butalso
ourmood,behavior,andmentalgrowthanddevelopment.Forchildrenwithautism,there
arecertaindietsthatmayhelpreducesymptomsandevenimproveoverallfunctioning:

GlutenFreeandCaseinFreeDiet
Glutenisaproteinfoundintheseedsofwheatandgrainssuchasbarleyandrye.Itcan
befoundinmanyproductsandisknowntocausedigestiveproblemsinsomepeople.
Casein,ontheotherhand,isatypeofproteinpresentindairyproducts.Likegluten,itcan
causedigestiveissues.

Tolearnmoreaboutthebasics,takealookatthepiececalledQ&ASection:HowDoes
GlutenFreeCaseinFreeDietWorkandisitEffective?publishedinAutismParenting
Magazine.

DietRichinOmega3FattyAcids
Omega3fattyacids,whicharefoundinfishoilsaswellasinsupplementform,hasbeen
toutedtohelpwithbraindevelopmentandfunction.ThejournalBiological
Psychiatryrevealedthatbasedonpreviousstudies,addingomega3fattyacidstoachilds
dietcanhelpminimizehyperactiveandrepetitivebehavior,especiallyamongthosewith
ASD.Otherstudiessuggestthatomega3fattyacidscanalsohelpboostachilds
learningandsocialskills.

However,therearealsostudiesthatargueagainsttheinclusionofomega3fattyacidsinto
thedietofchildrenwithASD.Assuch,beforeyougivethisdietatry,itwouldbewiseto
consultadoctororaprofessionaldietitiantohelpdecidewhatisrightforyourchild.

FeingoldDiet
TheFeingoldDietisatypeofdietinwhichsalicylateandartificialadditives,suchas
syntheticcolorings,flavorings,andpreservatives,areremovedfromonesdiet.Itisbased
ontheideathatsomeadditivesareharmfultoourhealth.Salicylate,whichisanatural
planttoxinfoundincertainkindsoffoodslikecitrusfruitsandmedicinelikeaspirin,is
believedtohaveasimilareffectasartificialadditives.

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ResearchontheeffectivenessoftheFeingoldDietisstillunderway,buttheFeingold
AssociationoftheUnitedStatesisclaimingthatthedietcanbeusedfortreating
autismaswellasotherissues.

YeastFreeDiet
Ayeastfreedietconsistsofremovingfermentedfoods,suchasvinegar,barleymalt,
chocolate,andsoysauce,fromthedailyfoodintakeofchildrenwithautism.Itisbasedon
theideathatyeastCandidaalbicans,whicharepresentinourintestinaltractandmouth,
canamplifythesymptomsofautism.Byrefrainingfromeatingfoodwithhighyeast
content,childrenonthespectrumcanbettercopewithorevenreducethesymptomsof
autism.

AnimalAssistedTherapies
Interactingwithanimalscangoalongwaytowardhelpingimproveourmentaland
physicalhealthandthequalityofourlives.Butforchildrenwithautism,itseffectscanbe
evenmoresignificant.Apartfromservingasfurrycompanions,animalscanprovide
childrenwiththerapeuticbenefits,too.

Tolearnmoreaboutthetherapeuticbenefitsofanimalassistedtherapies,pleasetakea
lookatautismmomanddogtrainerMichelleHunttingspiececalledPetsCanMakeallthe
DifferenceintheWorldofAutismpublishedinAutismParentingMagazine.

Dogs
AccordingtoastudypublishedintheJournalofAlternativeandComplementaryMedicine,
dogscanhaveapositiveeffectonthesocialbehaviorandskillsofchildrenwithautism.
SeniorresearcherFrancescaCirullioftheNationalInstituteofHealthinRome,Italy,and
therestofherresearchteamfoundthatchildrenwithASDtendtobemoreresponsive,
engaged,andopentocommunicatingduringtherapysessionswhereadogispresent.In
anotherstudy,theyfoundthatchildren,particularlyboys,werefriendlierandless
aggressivetowardtheirplaymateswheninthepresenceoftherapydogs.

However,Cirullinotedthatitsalsopossiblethatadogmighthavenegativeeffectson
childrenwithASD.Forinstance,theanimalcouldincreasehyperactivity.

Ifyourewonderingwhetherornottoadoptadog,youmightwanttoseehowhe/she
reactstoafriendorneighborsdogfirstbeforeyouproceedwithyourplan.Also,when
adoptingacaninecompanion,itwouldbewisetoconsidertheneedsofyourchild,aswell
asthepersonalityandcharacteristicofthedogyouwanttoadopt.

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Cats
Awellchosencatcanalsoformastrongbondwithchildrenonthespectrum.Fora
firsthandsuccessstoryofayounggirlandherremarkablekitty,besuretoreadArabella
CarterJohnsonspiecepublishedinAutismParentingMagazinecalledHowanAmazing
CatChangedMyChildwithAutismsWorld.AlsotakealookatAmyKDTobikspiece
calledSpecialKittyEncouragesYoungGirlwithAutismtoInteract.

HorsesandTherapeuticRiding
AstudypublishedintheJournaloftheAmericanAcademyofChildandAdolescent
Psychiatryhasfoundthatridinghorses,knownashippotherapy,canhaveatherapeutic
effectonchildrenwithautism.Accordingtothestudy,childreninvolvedintherapeutic
horsebackridinglessonsarelessirritableandlesshyperactive.Theywerealsomore
communicativeandshowedotherimprovements,ascomparedtothosewhodidnttake
lessons.

Tolearnmore,takealookatthearticlecalledWhatisHippotherapyandHowCanitHelp
ChildrenwithAutismandADHDpublishedinAutismParentingMagazine.

Accessinghorseridinglessonscanbeachallengeforsomefamilies.Fortunately,parents
canpurchaseahippotherapydeviceknownastheRelaxingEquineSimulatorTherapy,or
REST.Thisdevicereplicatestherhythmicmotionofahorsesgait,whichcanhelp
childrenwithASDrelaxandfeelmoreatease.

TolearnmoreaboutREST,takealookataninformativearticleinAutismParenting
MagazinecalledNewEquineSimulatorTherapyProvidesaUniqueSenseofCalmbyWill
Turbowasheexplainsthemanybenefitsofthisformoftherapy.

SleepInterventionsandTherapies
ManychildrenwithASDhavetroublesleeping,andthislackofsleepcanoftenleadto
otherproblems,suchasaggression,depression,hyperactivity,andincreasedbehavioral
problems.Fortunately,thereareinterventions,therapies,andsolutionstohelpyourchild
sleepsoundlyandpeacefully:

EstablishingBedtimeRoutines
Formingbedtimeroutinescanbeveryeffectiveforchildrenwhohavedifficultyfalling
asleeporwholackqualitysleep,especiallyamongthosewithASD.Childrenwithautism
areknowntorespondwelltoroutinesorasetofactivitiesthataredonerepeatedlyand

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consistently.Theseactivitieshelpsendasignaltotheirbrainthatitstimetocalmdown,
getreadyforbed,andgotosleep.

Establishingbedtimeroutinesiseasytoimplement.Itdoesntusuallyrequirethe
assistanceofatherapist,sinceparentscandoitontheirownandinthecomfortoftheir
home.Also,itdoesntcostanything.However,tobeeffective,parentsmusttakecertain
thingsintoconsideration.Forinstance,parentsshouldstartbyselectingareasonabletime
forbedthattheyandtheirchildcanfollowwithoutfail.

Also,activitiespriortobedtimemustbechosencarefully.Theyshouldbepleasantand
relaxing.Moreimportantly,theyshouldmatchtheneedsandinterestsofthechild.

FadedBedtimewithResponseCost
Infadedbedtimewithresponsecost,parentsfirstdeterminetheactualtimethechildfalls
asleepafterbeingplacedinbed.Then,addanadditional30minutestothechilds
succeedingbedtime.Whenusingthismethodofsleepintervention,itsimportantfor
parentstokeepasleeplogsotheycaneasilymonitorthechildssleepingpatterns.

Forinstance,whenaparentputsachildtobedat8pmandhe/shefallsasleepat8:30pm,
thechildshouldbeputtobedat9pmthefollowingnight.Whenthenextbedtimeissetat
9pm,thechildshouldbekeptawakeuntil9pm.Thisistoincreasethelikelihoodthat
he/shewillbetiredbythetime9pmrollsaround.

Intheeventthatthechildfallsasleepwithin15minutesofbeingputtobed,thebedtime
shouldbefadedback.Thisisdonebyreducingbedtimeby30minutesthefollowingnight.
Usingtheexampleabove,the9pmbedtimeshouldnowbeadjustedto8:30pm.

Whatifthechilddoesntfallasleepwithin15minutesofthenewappointedbedtime?
Whenthishappens,he/sheshouldbebroughtoutofbedforabout15minutes.Duringthis
time,anyactivitythatpromotesexcitementorrestlessnessshouldbeavoided.Thisisto
motivatethechildtogotosleep.Oncethe15minutesisup,thechildshouldbeplaced
backintobed.Ifhe/shedoesntfallasleepagain,thisprocedureshouldberepeateduntil
he/shedoes.

LightTherapy
Alsoknownasphototherapy,lighttherapyinvolvestheuseofartificiallighttohelpchildren
diagnosedwithautismspectrumdisordertosleepbetterbyaidingtheirbodysnatural
circadianrhythm.Itisalsoknowntopositivelyaffectthebrainchemicalsthatare
responsibleforourmood.Thisiswhylighttherapycanalsobeutilizedtohelpreducethe
symptomsofseasonalaffectivedisorder(SAD).

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Duringlighttherapy,thechildsitsnearadevicecalledalightbox.Thisboxgivesoffa
brightlightthatissimilartonaturaloutdoorlight.Tobeeffective,acombinationofthree
vitalelementsmustbepresent:timing,lightintensity,andduration.Italsorequiresroutine
andproperscheduling.Inaddition,itsimportanttofindalighttherapyboxthatmatches
thechildslifestyle.

WhilelighttherapydoesntnecessarycureSAD,depression,andinsomnia,itcanimprove
thehealthandwellbeingofthechild.Asidefromhelpingtoeasethesymptomsof
insomniaandSAD,itcanalsoboostthechildsenergylevels,improvehis/hermood,and
enhancethequalityoflife.

ScheduledAwakenings
ScheduledawakeningsareanothermethodthatmayhelpchildrenwithASDwhohave
difficultyremainingasleep.Again,withthismethod,itcertainlyhelpsforparentstohavea
sleeplogfortheirchild.

Usingtheinformationfromthesleeplog,parentsdeterminethetimetheirchildusually
wakesup.Then,about30minutesbeforethattime,theywakethechildupbygently
touchingorspeakingsoftlytohim/her.Afterwakingthechildup,theparentsshouldlet
him/herfallbackasleep.

Thisprocedureshouldberepeatedeverynightuntilthechildisabletosleepundisturbed
andwithoutwakingupthroughthenightforthenextfivetosevendays.Oncethechildis
abletoachievethisgoal,parentscanskiponenightofawakeningsperweekuntilthechild
nolongerwakesupinthemiddleofthenight.

SleepTraining
Asidefromhavingproblemsfallingasleep,somechildrenwithASDalsoexperience
difficultiesstayingasleep.Fortunately,therearevarioussleeptrainingmethodsthatcan
helpparentsdealwiththisissue.

Toensureagoodnightssleep,expertssayaparentshouldleaveachildsbed,crib,or
roomwithoutlong,drawnoutwords.Ifthechildisstillnotsleeping,parentscanwaitafew
minutesbeforegoingbacktotheroomtocheckonhim/her.

Onceinsidetheroom,parentscantouchorrubtheirchild.However,thesegestures
shouldnotlastmorethanaminute.Theycanalsogentlybutfirmlyreassurethechildthat
itsOKforhim/hertogobacktosleep.Afterwards,parentsmustleavetheroomuntilthe
needtocheckonthechildarises.

Likemosttreatmentsforautism,sleeptrainingshouldbedoneconsistently.However,
manyexpertsagreethatthismethodcanbeharderontheparentsthanonthechild,asit
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couldtakeacoupleofhoursforthechildtofalltosleep,especiallyduringthefirstfew
nights.Also,theresapossibilitythatthechildsbehaviorcouldgetworseforafewdays
beforeshowingsignificantimprovement.Tomakesleeptrainingmucheasierto
accomplish,parentscanputupagateorbarrieratthechildsbedroomdoor.Thiswill
remindhim/herthatitstimeforbedand,therefore,thechildmuststayinsidetheroomand
gotosleep.

TheBedtimePass
Ifthechildrefusestogotosleepandleaveshis/herbedroom,onetypeofinterventionthat
mayhelpistheuseofabedtimepass.Withthismethod,parentsprovidethechildwitha
passthatwillallowhim/hertoleavehis/herbedroombriefly.Thispasscanbeasmall
indexcardoranytokenwiththechildsnamewrittenonit.

Thebedtimepassmustalwaysbeusedtofulfillaspecificpurpose.Forexample,thechild
shoulduseitforgettingadrinkorgoingtothebathroom.Oncethebedtimepasshasbeen
used,itshouldbesurrenderedtotheparentuntilthefollowingnight.Ifthechilddisplays
problemsleepbehaviorafterthepasshasbeengiventohim/her,theparentmayrevokeit
duringthenextbedtime.

Foraninnovativeapproachtohelpingachildwithautismsleepwithouttheneedfor
medication,pleasetakealookatthepiecebyAditiSrivastava,SROTcalledSimpleWays
toHelpYourChildwithASDSleepWithoutMedicinepublishedinAutismParenting
Magazine.

Foradditionaladviceonhelpingachildwithautismgettheresthe/sheneeds,takealook
atapiecewrittenforAutismParentingMagazinebyAngelinaM.,MS,BCBA,MFTI
calledHelp:MyChildDoesntSleep.

Studiesindicatelightingandcolorareimportantelementsincreatingacomfortablespace
forachildwithautism.TakealookatinteriordesignerCarolynFederspiecepublished
inAutismParentingMagazinecalledTopIdeastoCreateaCalmingSensoryBedroom
Spaceforexpertadviceoncreatingtheidealspaceforyourchild.

https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-therapies/ 12/13
 TheUltimateGuidetoAutismTherapiesandSolutionsAutismParentingMagazine

Conclusion
These are just some of the therapies and interventions available for children with ASD
today. The good news is that various research and studies are being done every day
to explore more ways to improve the challenges of autism spectrum disorder.
As mentioned previously, its imperative you complete thorough research before using
a particular intervention or therapy. And since no two children with ASD are exactly
alike, a therapy that works for one child may not work for another. As such, you
should learn from theexperiencesofotherparentswhosechildrenhave
developmentalneedssimilarto thoseofyourchild.Thisway,itwillbeeasierforyou
todeterminethemost successfultreatmentforautismforyourchild.

This is published at https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-therapies/

https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/ultimateguidetoautismtherapiesandsolutions/ 13/13