Treatment?
Day 17 of a 30-day series originally published for Facebook April 2021
When you hear the word “treatment” your mind wants to jump to “cure.” There is no cure for autism. But guess what, being neurodivergent is ok! Every parent wants their child to grow up happy, and with ease... because life is hard enough without extra challenges right? But we can work on those challenges and barriers, and still accept that autism is part of our child and may well make him or her the amazing person they are!
An example: there are many autistic children who are non-verbal. As a society we must accept that there are many ways to communicate, audible words are just one way. We must remain open and learn to interact with those who are not using verbal language. But as a parent, you want to do whatever you can to ease your child’s struggle to communicate. So, you provide a treatment plan. Not to make your child into someone he or she is not, but to help your child flourish as they are. I am not saying that you should be contented with your child’s challenges. What I am saying is that as parents, we must give our children resources to reach their full potential and then be contented that they have done so.
The “gold standard” for autism therapy is ABA: applied behavior analysis. ABA encourages positive behavior and discourages negative ones to improve a variety of skills. The progress is tracked and measured and the data is very hefty. ABA is backed by a ton of research, and it is the only insurance approved intervention for autism. That said, ABA is somewhat controversial because of what I’ll call “old school ABA practices.” In the ’80s when people truly thought they could cure autism, children might sit in a chair doing drills for up to 40 hours a week. It appeared they were “getting better” because they were simply learning to mimic behaviors that society viewed as acceptable. As those kids grew into adulthood they became outspoken about ABA and long story short... they are NOT fans. Nowadays, in my experience and MANY parents’ experience is not like this at all. There is a movement in the field to adopt more naturalistic interventions that utilize natural rewards and child choice. M goes to an ABA-style school, and he is thrilled each morning to go. He misses school on the weekend and loves his friends and teachers. You could never convince me an ABA style of learning is bad for him. He’s soaring! Don’t be scared off by the term ABA, it’s simply the study of how behaviors interact with the environment. However, parents should closely monitor their children’s therapies and look for the signs... are they happy? Do they like attending? Just like any parent would do with a babysitter, daycare, etc...
Other therapies commonly used are speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapy. These therapies can also be covered by insurance under the category of “developmental delay.” As children grow, they may find certain medications helpful to easing anxiety, depression, or seizures. Not all autistics struggle with these issues though, it’s completely dependent on each person.
For me, an equally important part of any treatment plan includes advocacy. Advocating for your child, teaching your child to advocate for their needs as they grow, and advocating through policy changes. Did you know Texas only requires insurance to cover ABA for children up to age 9? Considering the average age of diagnosis is 4, that’s not a lot of time. And that’s IF your child even has a diagnosis by then! Many kids aren’t diagnosed until much later.
