Monday, October 30, 2017

The different therapies for autism

Individuals with autism belong on a large spectrum. In fact, no two people with ASD are alike. It is also a well-known and universally-accepted fact that there is no cure for ASD. There are, however, different kinds of therapies that can vastly improve the quality of living of a person with autism. Here are some of them.

Image source: fsnursing.com


Behavioral therapy

Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA helps a child with his everyday activities and how they relate to people. ABA also shows a child how to do things on their own at home, such as using the toilet, pouring water for themselves, and preparing their own meals. As such, ABA therapy is best done at home.

Speech therapy
Children on the spectrum often have trouble communicating. This is especially true for those classified as nonverbal or those with severe ASD. Speech therapy doesn’t necessarily teach these kids how to talk, but rather how to communicate via signs and signals. A popular method is having a set of pictures at home. Children point to the objects if they need or want to do something.

Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy or OT helps with the cognitive and physiological functions of a child. OT assists in fostering the brain and motor function coordination which kids with ASD have trouble with. This kind of therapy helps with the most basic movements such as climbing, walking, crawling, pointing, and others.

Image source: autismawareness.com

Dr. Curtis Cripe is a neuroengineer with a background that includes the treatment of learning and neurodevelopmental disorders. He currently leads the Research and Development department of the NTL group. For more on Dr. Cripe and the NTL group, follow this Facebook page.