Can Therapy Help My Child with Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder seems more prevalent than ever, thanks to better diagnosis criteria, more education, and a wider public understanding. However, many parents who are struggling with a new diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder are unsure of how to move forward and what's best for helping their child. Let's take a closer look at autism spectrum disorder and what kinds of services are effective for autism treatment.

Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

Let's start from the beginning and drill down into what exactly autism spectrum disorder is, and how it can affect your child's daily life.

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect communication, social interaction, and behavior. It is characterized by difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors. Every child with autism spectrum disorder is unique, and therefore treatment options should be tailored to their individual needs.

Benefits of Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

There are a number of available therapies for children with autism spectrum disorder. Children with autism can benefit from a wide variety of skills taught in things like occupational therapy, physical therapy, play therapy, speech therapy, and other therapies that focus of social skills, communication skills, and teaching children with autism how to manage negative behaviors.

Improving Communication Skills

Early intensive behavioral intervention can help children with autism spectrum disorder develop and improve their communication skills, including verbal and nonverbal communication. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy may help children with autism develop desired behaviors and reduce problem behaviors.

In addition, speech therapy can help children with autism improve their language skills, including articulation, vocabulary, and sentence structure. For those who are nonverbal, they can help children with autism develop nonverbal skills and create a picture exchange communication system to help them communicate their wants and needs.

Enhancing Behavior and Daily Living Skills

Occupational therapy can help children with autism develop daily living skills, such as dressing, feeding, and using the bathroom. Occupational therapy also helps children to attend to tasks, strengthen motor skills, and improve other executive brain functions.

Behavioral interventions, such as Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Discrete Trial Training (DTT), can help children with autism develop social skills and reduce problem behaviors.

Play therapy can help children with autism develop play skills, including imaginative play and social interaction. Alongside this, physical therapy can also strengthen the body, increase endurance, and develop motor skills needed for play.

Other Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Today, we have many types of therapy that can be used effectively for autism spectrum disorders. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, different behavioral interventions, play therapy, and many more can help children with autism spectrum disorder. Things like pretend play, sensory integration, and other autism therapies can support a child's development and help promote desired behavior.

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI)

EIBI is a type of applied behavior analysis therapy that is designed for young children with autism spectrum disorder. EIBI involves intensive, one-on-one therapy sessions that focus on developing desired behaviors and reducing problem behaviors.

EIBI has been shown to be effective in improving cognitive and adaptive skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder.

Speech-Language Therapy

Speech therapy can help children with autism spectrum disorder improve their communication skills, including verbal and nonverbal communication. Speech-language therapy can help children with autism develop language skills, including articulation, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

Speech therapy alongside occupational therapy can also help children with autism spectrum disorder develop social skills, including initiating and maintaining conversations.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy can help children with autism develop daily living skills, such as dressing, feeding, and using the bathroom.

With occupational therapy, children with autism spectrum disorder can also learn to develop social skills, including interacting with peers and developing friendships.

Occupational therapy is also helpful for guiding children with autism spectrum disorder to develop sensory integration skills, including processing and integrating sensory information.

Other Therapies

Depending on the needs of the child with autism spectrum disorder, they may benefit from other early intervention approaches such as language therapy, music therapy, early start Denver model (ESDM), play therapy (especially for elementary and preschool children for whom pretend play, symbolic play, and cooperative play are essential developmental points), adolescent psychiatry, and talk therapy. Because autism spectrum disorder can look very different depending on the individual, creating the right blend of therapies can take some time and research.

Choosing the Right Therapy for Your Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder

With so many options, it can become bewildering for a parent to determine what therapy will be right for their child with autism spectrum disorder. The best place to start is with your child's primary care doctor, who can refer them to specialists in autism spectrum disorder if necessary.

Assessing Your Child’s Needs

Assessing your child’s needs is an important step in choosing the right therapy for autism spectrum disorders. A comprehensive assessment should include a review of your child’s medical history, developmental history, and behavioral observations. Working with a qualified therapist can help you assess your child’s needs and develop a treatment plan.

Finding a Qualified Therapist for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Finding a qualified therapist is an important step in choosing the right therapy for autism treatment. A qualified therapist should have experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder and should be certified in their area of specialty. This therapist can help you develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your child’s individual needs.

You can find the right therapists by working with your child's pediatrician. They will often have a network of therapists that work with autism spectrum disorders, and can help coordinate a team of therapists that can work on communication skills, social skills, and behavioral interventions for an autistic child.

What to Expect from Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism treatment options can look different depending on the needs of your child, but the general timelines are similar. Here are some things you can expect when you are seeking therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Initial Assessment and Diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Whether for speech therapy, occupational therapy, play therapy, or some pivotal response treatment like applied behavior analysis, the initial assessment and diagnosis is an important step in the therapy process for children with ASD.

A comprehensive assessment should include a review of your child’s medical history, developmental history, and behavioral observations. After this step, a qualified therapist can help you assess your child’s needs and develop a treatment plan.

Ongoing Therapy Sessions For Those With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Ongoing therapy sessions are an important part of the therapy process. These therapy sessions should be tailored to your child’s individual needs and should focus on developing desired behaviors and reducing problem behaviors. Social skills and motor skills will also be addressed as necessary.

The therapist can help you develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your child’s individual needs.

Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Comprehensive Approach

Obviously, not all children with autism spectrum disorder have the same needs, and therefore each approach to autism treatment will look different. Some may need physical therapy and occupational therapy to work on motor skills and sensory integration. Others may need to work on communication skills—everything from developing social skills to creating a picture exchange communication system. Some may benefit from pretend play with play therapy or positive reinforcement with pivotal response training or discrete trial training.

Managing Co-occurring Medical and Mental Health Conditions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with autism often have co-occurring medical and mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, and managing these conditions is an important part of the therapy process.

A talk therapist can help you develop a treatment plan that addresses your child’s co-occurring medical and mental health conditions and can be an important part of the treatment team.

Preparing for Your Child’s Future With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder may find it difficult to navigate certain aspects of academic and work sectors if they don't receive certain services for autism treatment. Social skills, especially, can be a challenge for both children and adults with autism spectrum disorder, which is why many approaches look to the future.

Planning for Education and Employment for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Planning for your child’s education and employment is an important part of the therapy process. Your therapy team can help you develop a plan that addresses your child’s educational and employment needs. Therapists can also help you access the services your child needs to succeed in education and employment.

Building a Support Network for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Building a support network is another important part of the therapy process for those with autism spectrum disorders. A support network can include family members, friends, and professionals who can provide emotional support and guidance.

Your therapist or therapy team can help you build a support network that is tailored to your child’s individual needs in managing autism spectrum disorder.

Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Brooklyn

Autism treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder can make life easier for both the child and family members. Your child's symptoms and developmental delays are individual, and having a therapist to work with can help them navigate the other autism treatment therapies like pivotal response treatment, play therapy, or early start Denver model.

At Williamsburg Therapy Group, our team of doctoral-level child psychotherapists offers a variety of evidence-based approaches and specializations, and allows you to work with a provider that can help children with ASD develop a toolbox of strategies to manage stress, build new skills for emotional regulation, and build cognitive resilience.

While social skills, speaking skills, and motor skills are all important aspects to address for a child with autism spectrum disorder, it is also important that children learn emotional regulation and stress management. If you are looking for help, call today to speak with a service coordinator who can find the right therapist to offer you emotional support, as well as tools to help you stay calm and talk out any feelings that you may have in connection with autism spectrum disorder.