Early Autistic Interventions: The Best Methods
By: Mona Tadayyon, MA ABA | MBA | ICBA | BCBA
Children Benefit Most From Behavioral Therapy Medical Treatment to Manage Symptoms of Autism. Nonmedical Early Autistic Interventions Can Support Medical Interventions
What to Do When Early Intervention Isn’t an Option?
Early autistic interventions are the best way to support your child’s behavioral, cognitive, communication, and social development when they are diagnosed with autism.
Thanks to advances in diagnostic criteria, most children can be reliably diagnosed with autism around 2 years old. This means they can get early intervention from applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapists, who use an evidence-based approach to help children manage symptoms of autism so they can be as independent as possible.
Some children with autism may also need physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social skills therapy, or other approaches to medical treatment. Some may need prescription medications for conditions that are associated with autism, like being at a higher risk of seizures.
There are some nonmedical treatments that may help, especially dietary and nutritional support. However, these should never be used in place of medical treatment, which is most often focused on behavior therapy.
Since autism is a developmental disorder, there is no cure for the condition.
Diagnostic criteria continue to improve, so pediatricians are able to diagnose children based on behaviors and learning challenges that appear between 6 months to 4 years old. More children are being diagnosed around 2 years old, on average, which means they are able to get behavior therapy and other early autistic interventions.
The goal of early autistic interventions is to help children on the autism spectrum gain the skills that their neurotypical peers often acquire around 2 or 3 years old. These include:
- Physical strength and coordination.
- Thinking skills, including planning and problem-solving abilities.
- Communication skills, both verbal and nonverbal.
- Social skills.
- Emotional skills.
There are several options to help children who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Behavior therapy, often with an applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapist, is the front line of treatment.
Complementary treatments can support ABA therapy, so you may consider these options to help your child.
A treatment plan starting with behavior therapy will be created based on what type of medical interventions your child will need. You can also discuss nonmedical interventions with your child’s pediatrician and ABA therapist once you begin a medical treatment plan.
Other treatments may include:
- Speech therapy. This therapy can improve speech impediments or strengthen muscles in the mouth that may struggle to form words otherwise.
- Occupational therapy. This therapy teaches independent living skills like hygiene, house cleaning, and meal preparation tasks.
- Physical therapy. This can improve muscle tone and balance, teach exercise habits, and support healthier overall bodies, since many people with autism struggle with strength.
- Social skills therapy. This can be used with ABA therapy or separate from it, focusing on specifically how to interact with other people, including for problem-solving or conversation.
Behavior therapy is the best first step in treatment.
While nutritional and dietary support for autism are being studied more closely, it is unlikely that your ABA therapist or pediatrician will recommend that your child receive complementary or dietary support in conjunction with medical treatment. If you are interested in these approaches, you can work with your child’s care team to discuss which treatments might work best and how these can support your child’s development. It is important to start with evidence-based medical treatment first, however.
Nonmedical Early Autistic Interventions Can Support Medical Interventions
The most popular approach to nonmedical early autistic interventions is nutritional or dietary support. This approach stems from many children with autism having feeding problems, including food refusal, food avoidance, extremely limited diets, struggles with changes around mealtimes, and a higher rate of gastrointestinal disturbances than their neurotypical peers.
Medical studies show that children with autism often have higher rates of gastrointestinal problems, including constipation, diarrhea, and upset stomach. Some research suggests that wheat protein (gluten) and milk protein (casein) can contribute to these problems.
Some parents are encouraged to put their children on gluten-free, dairy-free diets. Anecdotally, this approach does seem to help some children with autism feel better, get better nutrition, try new foods, and eat a wider range of foods. There is not a consensus on this approach, however, and parents should be wary of changing their child’s diet without first consulting a doctor.
What to Do When Early Intervention Isn’t an Option?
Research is still being conducted on how effective interventions are for adolescents and adults who are diagnosed with autism later in their lives. People who are not diagnosed in early childhood often have less noticeable symptoms, and they may have developed their own coping mechanisms for communication or learning problems. They may seek treatment on their own for depression or anxiety instead of autism. They may even self-diagnose as autistic before a medical professional can assess and diagnose their symptoms.
While there is no question that early intervention results in the best long-term results, people of any age can benefit from therapy. Teens and adults often participate in ABA therapy, seeing improvements in skills and reductions in negative behaviors. Reach out to a professional to be assessed, so you can get appropriate treatment.
