If your child has autism, how do you know that a certain treatment will be right for him? This is indeed a rather difficult question to answer. Fortunately, there are some general guidelines you could use in order to determine which is the right approach to treating autism.

First of all, every new treatment for autism should be approached with hopeful skepticism. The treatment should be able to help the autistic child become a fully functioning member of the society. Second of all, be cautious of the following:

1. Any program or technique that is publicized as effective or desirable for every person with autism.
2. Any program that thwarts individualization and potentially results in harmful program decisions.
3. That any treatment represents one of several options for a person with autism.
4. That treatment should always depend on individual assessment information that points to it as an appropriate choice for a particular child.
5. That no new treatment should be implemented until its proponents can specify assessment procedures necessary to determine whether it will be appropriate for an individual with autism
6. That debate over use of various techniques are often reduced to superficial arguments over who is right, moral and ethical and who is a true advocate for the children. This can lead to results that are directly opposite to those intended including impediments to maximizing programs.
7. That often new treatments have not been validated scientifically.

Here are some questions you should ask regarding specific treatment for autism:

Will the treatment result in harm to the child? How will failure of the treatment affect my child and family? Has the treatment been validated scientifically? Are there assessment procedures specified? How will the treatment be integrated into the child’s current program?

Currently there is no medicine or brain operation that can cure an autistic person. But there is one treatment that has passed the test of time and is effective for all children, autistic or normal, and this is the structural educational programs geared to a person’s developmental level of functioning. There are also other treatments that might be helpful at different points in an autistic person’s life. And some other treatments for autistic people have yet to be scientifically proven.

If you are a parent of a child with autism, it is a must that you constantly educate yourself about new treatments. You should always keep an open mind and educate yourself regarding new treatments as they become available. Before making any treatment decisions, however, you must consider that not all treatments could be applicable to your child. Remember that what is right for one child may not necessarily be right for another.

There must be an assessment first before any decisions are made regarding treatment for autism. You must choose what is the right approach for your child and your family. An autistic child must be treated with the right type of program. You, as the parent, can have a big role in the treatment of autism because you know your child well better than anyone else.

Why is early intervention important for autism?

At the age of two or three, autistic kids must be placed into an intense and highly structured educational program. Both scientific studies and practical experience have shown that the prognosis is greatly improved if a child underwent such a program.

An autistic child performs stereotype behaviors like rocking or twiddling a penny because doing repetitive behaviors shuts off sights and sounds which cause confusion or pain.

But if the child is allowed to shut out the world, his brain will not develop. Both autistic and PDD children need many hours of structured education to keep their brain engaged with the world.

Interacting with an adult or another child is healthy for them. However, a teacher must be careful that the child does not experience sensory overload. A child with milder sensory problems often will respond well to Lovaas-type programs.

These children need to be kept engaged or else worst things could happen. For example, if a young two or five year old autistic child is to sit alone watching TV or playing video games all day, his brain will be shut off from the world.

Children with more severe sensory processing problems may experience sensory overload. These children may be classified under two major categories:

1. Children who respond well to a therapist who is gently intrusive and pulls them out of their world.
2. Children who have more neurological problems and they may respond poorly to a strict Lovaas program.

They will require a gentler approach. Some are “mono channel” because they cannot see and hear at the same time. They either have to look at something or they have to listen. This type of children may respond best when the teacher whispers quietly in a dimly illuminated room. Simultaneous looking and listening may result in sensory overload and shutdown.

A good teacher should adapt his teaching method on the condition of the autistic child. And the teacher has to be gently insistent in order to be successful. He should know how to push hard yet gently.

As with anyone with a physical or mental disorder, autistic people deal with a wide range of reactions from others, from full support to uncaring ignorance. Unfortunately, even those who support autistic family members, co-workers, and friends may not understand autism very well.

This leads to stereotypes, which can result in hatred, embarrassment, or other unhappy situations. By becoming educated about autism, you can help others in your community cope with this disorder.

It is most important to note that not all autistic people are the same. Other diseases and disorders have their own sets of rules, but autism is such a complex medical condition, that everyone reacts differently to it. Autistic people are usually rated on a functional scale, with high-functioning people being able to hold jobs and low-functioning people needing 24-hour-a-day care.

Symptoms include behavioral challenges, uncontrollable movements, speech and communication difficulties, and emotional inadequacies. Some show all symptoms, while other show few, and still others may have most under control to the point where you cannot tell they have autism at all.

Because every person is different, no one thing can be said about autism and be true overall. However, most autistic people have trouble communicating emotions. This does not mean that an autistic person does not feel. He or she simply cannot express this feeling.

It also does not mean strong relationship bonds are not possible. On the contrary, many autistic people are happily married and in love. Forming relationships is more difficult for most, but can be accomplished over time.

Many people believe that being autistic coincides with being a genius in some aspect. While it is true that some autistic individuals have extraordinary math, music, and art skills, this number is nowhere near the majority-in fact, relatively few autistic people function outside of the normal range in any skill.

This stereotype is perpetuated in the movies and on television, because the story of a talented person fighting disadvantages (such as autism) makes a good plot. However, this is not the norm, so nothing more than the best they can personally do should be expected from an autistic person.

However, it is important to note that autism is not a form of mental retardation. Some autistic people are mentally retarded as well, but most are not and should not be treated as such.

In the end, the most important lesson to take away from your studies on autism is one of tolerance. You will probably need to be patient when dealing with autistic people, but by understanding a little more about the disorder, perhaps this will be easier. Learn what you can and spread the knowledge to those you know to help create a more tolerant setting for autistic individuals in your community.

Asperger Syndrome is a relatively mild form of autism that effects people in different ways than regular autism. Because it usually does not affect language, many people with Asperger Syndrome go undiagnosed.

This is the one form of autism that is usually not caught at an early age and is instead a disorder that develops later in life. Asperger Syndrome, however, can be a very difficult condition to have, so as soon as you suspect yourself or your child of having communication and social behavior problems, see your family doctor.

Many famous and successful people were diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Historians even suggest that Einstein and Mozart each suffered from this disorder. It is important to note that no form of autism is a form of mental retardation.

In fact, most people with Asperger Syndrome are very intelligent. Asperger Syndrome does not dictate mental ability, but rather makes it difficult for people to communicate in social settings, much in the same way a typical autistic child has trouble with behavior in groups. When this disorder goes undiagnosed, children do not get the help they need, leading to problems in school such as bullying.

Most children are relieved to find out they have Asperger Syndrome instead of just thinking they are less of a person. By getting diagnosed, not only can you or your child put a name to the problems, but it is then also possible to get treated to improve your overall situation.

Some symptoms to watch out for if you suspect Asperger Syndrome are some of the same symptoms that people with full-blown autism experience. This includes social confusion, first and foremost. Many people with Asperger

Syndrome find it very difficult to deal with transition or change, wanting everything to stay the same. A quickly changing environment is especially confusing.

People with Asperger Syndrome also may say rude or inappropriate things when they don’t mean to do so, and may not be able to understand others’ thought processes. Another common trait they share with autistic individuals is fixation, although people with Asperger Syndrome usually have more control over their fixations, which take the form of highly focused interests.

If you suspect yourself or a loved one of this disorder, these are just a few of the signs for which you should be watching. You doctor should be able to answer further questions and provide both reading material and treatment for this disorder.

How autistic is your child? It is very difficult to answer this question. It is not only the cause that is hard to determine but also the objective measure of how severe the autism is in an individual child.

Usually, a person is mildly autistic if he or she possesses normal intelligence. However, even people who have normal intelligence may also have many symptoms of autism and appear very autistic.

There are also other people who score lower on the intelligence tests but have fewer symptoms and have milder forms of the autism spectrum disorder or ASD.

At this very moment, we still don’t have the answer or nor do we have any objective way of determining the level of autism in a person. Only time could tell. Moreover, autism should be viewed developmentally and as a lifetime disorder. In monitoring a person with autism, long term planning and periodic reassessments are needed. You can also alter their programs if necessary.