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| |    Treating Autism, from Medication to Art Therapy by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Christine Barry, Ph.D. The number of different possible treatments for autism can be overwhelming. Here is some basic information about the most common medical and nonmedical approaches. Medications Like many other chronic medical conditions, autism has given rise to a parade of so-called miracle cures. To date, no cure has been found for the underlying biological cause or causes of autism. Many medications have appeared to have dramatic effects in small numbers of children, only to be proven ineffective in larger, more objective trials. Several medications are effective for treating specific problems that arise as part of autism. For example, certain medications can help reduce a child's tendency to obsess about particular things or ideas. Other medications may ease problems of inattentiveness or explosive behaviors. Each of these medications has side effects that are mild in some children but severe in others. The only way to know whether any one medication will be helpful or harmful for a particular child is to try it. Essentially, parents and doctors together make educated guesses, based on all they know about the child involved and the various available medications, then observe carefully to see what happens. Nonmedication treatments Children with autism can benefit from a great number of nonmedical treatments. The most well studied approach uses behavioral reinforcement--essentially, rewards--to shape the behavior of children with autism into more and more communicative patterns. This approach is often called ABA, for applied behavior analysis, or the Lovaas method, after the researcher who led successful studies of the therapy. The hallmark of ABA therapy is that it is extremely labor intensive, involving many hours of skilled therapy every day, and is most effective when begun at a young age. Families make a major commitment to this effort and often reap significant benefits. (For more on this approach, see the article on ABA Treatment.) Many different professionals play a role in treating different aspects of autism, including developmental-behavioral pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, pediatric psychologists and neuropsycholgoists, and others. Speech and language pathologists provide direct training in verbal communication. Occupational therapists train children in activities of daily living, such as dressing and eating, and in nonverbal forms of communication. Many also provide a form of therapy called sensory integration, designed to help children who may be over- or underresponsive to sound, touch, or other sensory information. Physical therapists help children overcome the clumsiness that often is a part of autism and to gain control over their bodies. Creative therapies--art and music, for example--help children with autism to express their feelings. For more information on a whole range of therapies for autism and related autism spectrum disorders, see the Autism Society of America Resource List.
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