Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) is a neuro-development disorder that presents to child from their birth and can be diagnosed in most of the cases before the age of 3 years. It is mainly characterized by Social Interaction, Language and Communication, and Rigidity in thoughts and behavior. In this type of cases, the child may present repetitive and restricted behavior. In addition to these type of conditions, your child may also have a Sensory Integration.
The characteristics of ASD are grouped into three types and they are also called ‘The Triad of Impairment.’
- Social Interaction: Many children with ASD may show deficit or impairment in social development i.e. may have impairment in developing appropriate social skills. Thus children could display problems in greeting, empathizing as well as sympathizing with others.
- Communication and language: Some children may be able to talk in detail about their preferred topic but may draw blank when they need to ask for a basic need such as going to the toilet or when asked a specific question. They may also display problems in simple turn taking, waiting or following another person’s thought process.
- Rigidity in Thought and Behaviour: Many children with ASD may show obsessive behavior, weak central coherence, and difficulty in imagination. Thus the child with Autism Spectrum Disorder could feel disturbed when some routines are suddenly changed.
We believe that no single treatment is best and treatment is typically customized to the child’s needs. Here are some available approaches included:
- Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
- Structured Teaching (e.g. the TEACCH program)
- Speech & Language Therapy
- Communication Interventions
- Social Skills Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS)