Autism Therapy
Many insurers will not pay for autism treatment, leaving families holding the bag on up to $40,000 per year in therapy costs. The most typical autism treatment options involve both occupational and physical therapy. A vitamin and mineral therapy was developed, which is now considered an effective treatment for some individuals with autism. The most common autism treatment options involve both occupational and physical therapy.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
For children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, a genetic test has helped to identify which treatment options might lead to the best results. One study suggested that methylphenidate is a treatment option for children with autism spectrum disorder and hyperactivity. Parents Helping Parents ( http://www.php.com ) is a support group for parents interested in probing bio-medical treatments for autism spectrum disorders, including pervasive development disorder (PDD) and Aspergers.
Books
"Autism Treatment Guide" by Elizabeth Gerlach, is the first complete guide to autism treatment. "Facing Autism" by Lynn Hamilton ( http://www.facingautism.com ) is an outstanding new book that covers all of the important, effective treatments for autism in a friendly, concise tone. This broad-ranging, authoritative book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in autism and its treatment. SKF Books ( http://www.skfbooks.com ) exists to generate and publish book and videos sorely needed in the world of Autism treatment and advocacy.
Tantalizing Clues
Some studies have suggested that all types of autism involve a malfunction in the way the person deals with metal regulation. This suggests a malfunction of a certain metal binding protein called metallothionein (MT) . Thus, a recent therapy for autistic children involves zinc, amino acid and glutathione supplementation.
The most recent studies indicate that the digestive systems of autistic children do not completely break down food. Autistic persons also seem to have low levels of secretin.
Secretin
The hormone secretin has gotten the most recent attention as a breakthrough treatment for autism. Some more children with autism showed limited improvement after treatment with secretin. Evidence suggests a lack of benefit of a single dose of synthetic human secretin in the treatment of autism and pervasive developmental disorder. In the face of these results, interest in secretin in the treatment of autism continues. The use of secretin looks to be the most promising treatment yet discovered for the treatment of autism.
Autism Treatment Research
A major obstacle in useful autism research has been the lack of a valid means of measuring the effectiveness of multiple treatments. Clinical research reports continue to look for more promising treatments for autism. Newly evaluated children with autism might attain intensive, quality, effective treatment that is rooted in research. Recently, the NIH Autism Coordinating Committee (NIH/ACC) has initiated a new research initiative in the realm of treatment interventions directed at autism symptoms. The NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , is one of several Institutes doing research into diverse aspects of autism, together with its causes, prevalence, and treatments. The Autism Treatment Network (http://www.autismtreatmentnetwork.org ) (ATN) is intended to develop clinical and research centers of excellence which will share current information on patient care, education, and research on autism. Intensive behavioral/psychoeducational treatments for autism and research needs and future directions are being evaluated by the ATN. Ultimately, ATN hopes to form treatment guidelines for autism based on credible research and rigorous clinical trials. Additionally, ATN conducts its own research on the causes, methods of prevention, diagnosing, and treatments for autism and linked disorders.
Autism Education
Meeting the challenges of autism can be better described as education instead than treatment. While there is no cure for autism, there are treatment and education approaches that may reduce some of the challenges associated with the disability. In spite of education is the primary form of treatment for autism, educators are frequently poorly equipped to deal with these children.
Autism Treatment Diets
One dietary autism treatment is a gluten-free, casein-free diet. An outcome of a reduction in autism traits was reported after a valuable beneficial treatment effect for the combined gluten- and casein- free diet. Following treatment for candida and an elimination diet, some have successfully treated several patients and have largely overcome their autism. Slowly, the gluten free / casein free diet is becoming a mainstream recommendation for the treatment of autism. There are a multitude of non-traditional or alternative therapies and treatment approaches that have been suggested for autism, in conjunction with nutritional supplements, dietary restrictions, and chelation therapy.
Conclusion - Autism Treatment Evidence
A large array of alternative treatments exist for autism, most with only anecdotal evidence of their utility. ABA ( applied behavioral analysis )/EIBI (early intensive behavioral intervention) has the largest body of scientific evidence supporting its methodology as an effective treatment for autism. With scientific evidence, a good amount of of these interventions should become part of the future treatment protocol for subtypes of autism. There is no evidence to validate adopting a single autism treatment program as the gold standard. The challenge for autism treatment research is that there is no simple test that can be quantified before and after an intervention.
|
