Autism is a highly individualized disease, and the mode of treatment for each autistic patient is slightly different than the rest. The goal of treatment in Autism is to improve the abilities of the patient in various settings.
Various programs have been designed for the treatment of autistic patients, and the mainstay of these programs is counseling in a highly structured manner.
- Behavioural Therapy: Behavioural training-based therapies like Sensory Integration, Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) and Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) have been designed to improve social and interpersonal behavior and improve communication skills.
- Speech Therapy: Speech therapy acts as a supportive module to improve problems faced in language development and communication.
- Occupational Therapy: An occupational therapist teaches the autistic individual to deal with daily living and adapt with his environment effectively. The goal is to incorporate training in such a manner that autistic individuals can live and react appropriate to the surroundings and stimuli.
- Medication: Conventional medicines find no place in the treatment of ASD, although paediatricians and other specialists prescribe anti-depressants, mood stabilizers and behavior-modifying drugs to control the complications. The mainstay, however, is non-medical, behavioural therapy.
