Autism is a neurologic disorder that affects childhood development, causing impaired social interaction, repetitive movement and impaired communication. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of autism set in before the age of three. For reasons currently unknown, the incidence of autism appears to be rising. Although physicians currently have no cure for autism, therapy, such as behavioral treatment, can greatly improve the lives of autistic patients.
Play Therapy
Through play, children act out their feelings, improve coping mechanisms and enhance their social interactions, explains the Cleveland Clinic. During play therapy, a therapist presents the child with different toy choices to help capture his interest. Once the therapist has the child's attention, she can then develop a relationship with the child and redirect the child's attention to developing different skill sets.
Social Therapy
Social therapy is a type of behavioral treatment for autism. Since social interaction is one of the most difficult tasks for a person with autism, social therapy is of crucial importance to helping those patients, reports the Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine. Social therapy consists of group activities involving conversation and games to help the autistic person develop relationships with peers.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapists often work with autistic children as a form of behavioral therapy for autism. Speech therapy improves an autistic child's conversation skills, nonverbal communication and concept skills, according to the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Through speech therapy, children with autism learn how to effectively communicate their thoughts and carry on conversations.
Environment Modification
Environmental modification is a form of behavioral therapy for people with autism in which therapists teach patients how to more effectively interact with their environment and modify the patients' surroundings to fit their needs. Since safety is always an important consideration, therapists work with patients to teach them important precautions while also eliminating potential harms from their environment.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Autism
- Cleveland Clinic: Connecting with Autism
- "Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine"; Marc Sabatine; 2004
- ASHA: Roles and Responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologists in Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders Across the Life Span
