When dealing with autism, just as in most other disorders, you will be faced with a number of treatment options for yourself or your child. These include treatments that are educational, behavioral, biomedical, nutritional, and sensory. Unfortunately, for patients who are not affluent or who do not have good medical insurance, the cost of these treatments can be pricier than what they can afford.
One way to ensure that you or your child receives the best possible treatment for autism is to carefully monitor the effects a treatment has over time. By finding out which treatments work and which do not, you can stop paying for the ineffective methods and put more of your money into those which are creating a positive difference.
First, evaluate the abilities of the autistic individual before treatment begins. To do this, many services and organizations, including the Autism Research Institute, provide a checklist of evaluation points that focus on behavior and illnesses associated with autism. Autistic individuals tend to have increasing functionality as they mature, so remember that some of the positive effects in his or her life are simply due to the natural growth process. However, after two months fill out the checklist once again and compare it to the first. Are there any sharp positive increases in behavior characteristics? If so, this is more likely due to the treatment.
It is important to begin only one treatment method at a time. If you try everything at once instead, good and bad effects may cancel one another out, or even if the effect is totally positive, you will not know which treatment method is causing it and which are not doing anything. Of course, past studies can help you choose which methods to use, but because autism is an extremely complicated and individual disorder, these studies are not always helpful. Also, some treatments are so new that the studies done are only on short-term effects, which is usually unhelpful. Instead, it is a process of trial and error.
Two months is a good amount of time to study the differences within an autistic individual trying a new treatment. After two months, if you do not see positive improvement, you can discontinue your use of that particular method and better invest your money in treatment options that work.
Remember that you do not always have to wait two months to make choices about whether to continue or discontinue a treatment method. If the side effects of a medication, for example, are interfering with the patient's life in an unbearable way, then you should discontinue the treatment. You can also make continual treatments based on immediate good reactions. Just remember to continually monitor the various methods.
Autistic individuals grow and mature just like everyone else, so treatments may stop working after time. Before trying anything new, consult your doctor to make sure you are being as safe and healthy as possible.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Financial need for child with Autism
By: les | 21-06-2008
Does anyone know of any speech therapist or speech therapy businesses that offer free funding for children with autism in Atlanta, GA?
Hyperactivity
By: Leximomma03 | 08-06-2008
My child is in the spectrum of autism and to calm her down i have heard giving them chocolate covered coffee beans would help, is this true?
ADHD or Autistic?
By: Chrissie | 02-06-2008
My son is 10 years old and has been diagnosed with ADHD since he was 4. He's been in Special Ed. since he's 3. I've always seen some autism behaviors in him, but his teachers have said he doesn't have autism. He has no attention span, hates loud noises and bright lights, doesn't always look you in the eye when he talks, likes to line things up. However, he has no problems socially. He makes friends very easily. How do I know if he is autistic? Is it possible to be a "little" autistic? I always thought you were born with autism. Can you develop it later on, say at 10 years old? Thank you.
Autism schools in NJ?
By: jswift71 | 05-05-2008
What are some good autism schools in the South Jersey area? Like Camden or Burlington county?
How does the increase in diagnosed autism cases in ...
By: Kora | 02-04-2008
How does the increase in diagnosed autism cases in the United States compare with autism cases in other countries?
Educational Consulting
By: smiilee | 01-04-2008
I am interested in starting a consulting company-working with children diagnosed with autism. I need to know the steps and certifications that i need to have to make this possible.
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