Because autism is a lifelong disorder, helping children with autism overcome obstacles in their ability to interact with and communicate with others is critical. If parents, educators, and health care providers work together early in a child’s life to identify, diagnose, and treat the behaviors associated with autism, then the child’s chances of educational and social success will be profoundly impacted.

According to Autism Speaks, research has shown that early detection, followed by early intervention and treatment, can result in significant differences in the lives of children affected by autism. Most autism diagnoses are made before a child is 3 years old, but research into diagnosis and intervention at earlier ages is ongoing. In short, early detection means early intervention, so the closer to birth a diagnosis can be made, the better the outcome for the child.

Autism Speaks reports that, if intervention services are implemented appropriately between the ages of 3 to 5, 20 to 50 percent of children with autism will be able to attend a mainstream kindergarten class. That window of opportunity then, is a small one, and early intervention remains the best option. Certainly intervention at any age or stage of development is far better than none at all.

Early intervention services, when appropriately applied, can help children to talk, develop fine and gross motor skills, and learn to communicate and interact with others. If you have any questions about your child’s development, talk to your child’s pediatrician right away. Securing an early diagnosis is the first step in getting the appropriate, early intervention that will assist your child.

Treatment for autism is not a one-size-fits all proposition, and no two children with an autism diagnosis will have the same symptoms or respond to the same treatment.

Psychologists

Psychologists provide applied behavioral therapy, often in conjunction with other therapists often called “trainers.” They may also provide verbal therapy. Floortime-trained psychologists provide floortime therapy.

Special Education Teachers

Special education teachers may provide verbal therapy, floortime therapy, and relationship development intervention.

Speech-Language Pathologists

Speech-language therapy (SLT) is provided by a speech-language pathologists who specializes in children with ASD. SLT works to overcome speech challenges in a child with ASD. Treatment is tailored to the child’s strengths and weaknesses. Speech therapists may also be trained in Pivotal Response Therapy (PRT), a therapy designed to improve the child’s communication as well as play and social skills.

Certified Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapy (OT) is a therapy that is designed to promote independence in physical and motor skills. Provided by certified occupational therapists, OT necessarily encompasses cognitive skills as well, and often includes therapies designed to enhance activities of daily living such as grooming and feeding skills. Certified occupational therapists may also provide Sensory Integration Therapy (SI) and Pivotal Response Therapy (PRT). SI is usually part of an OT program and helps to improve the brain’s organization and processing of sensory information. PRT focuses on communication and social skills.

Certified Physical Therapists

Physical Therapy (PT) is provided by Certified Physical Therapists. PT is a therapy that focuses on problems associated with movement, such as balance, coordination, and muscle tone. Physical therapists may also be part of Sensory Integration Therapy and Pivotal Response Therapy.

Parents’ Role in Therapy

Don’t underestimate the value of the parents’ role in providing therapy to their child. Parents can be trained to offer floortime therapy and to extend occupational, speech, physical, and other therapies in the home setting.

Your child will likely receive a combination of therapies depending on his or her needs and abilities. Read more about ASD therapies here.

One early intervention is known as applied behavioral analysis. Based on B. F. Skinner’s work, applied behavioral analysis works much like positive reinforcement. A verbal or physical stimulus (such as a request or command) is made of a child, and the child’s behavior results in the form of a response, or lack thereof. The response, in turn, elicits a consequence, which can include positive reinforcement of the response, or no consequence for negative behavior. This intervention technique works to enhance a child’s communication and social interaction skills.

Pivotal response therapy is a therapy that is used to increase social, academic, and communication skills; the “pivotal” reference is core behaviors that affect a range of other behaviors. The therapy is child-directed in that the child decides what activities may be part of the intervention. So, for instance, if a child attempts to communicate that he wants to swing on a swing, and then he’s rewarded with that activity. The goal here is to improve the child’s communication as well as play and social skills.

Strengthening poor communication skills is a goal of autism intervention. Verbal behavior therapy works to help children verbalize their needs and desires. So, for example, if a child learns to say “cup,” then he or she wants a drink from a cup. When the child is given the cup in response to the request, the word is reinforced. The child then learns to use words to obtain objects.

Floortime is a therapy that synthesizes several skills in a play-like setting. Parents or the therapist shares activities with the child and gets down on the floor with him or her to meet the child where he or she is, both developmentally and in a literal, physical sense. The focus here is not on speech, motor, or cognitive skills as discrete skills, but rather the confluence of these skills. Floortime emphasizes emotional development as well. During floortime, engaging with the child and moving the child toward more complex interactions helps the child to communicate.

Early, appropriate intervention can significantly increase the social, emotional, and language skills of a child with autism. To read more about early intervention techniques, visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/treatment/index.php.

But how do you know what works? ASD intervention is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, nor will all treatments work for your child. Symptoms and manifestations of ASD can vary widely from child to child, so you may have to work through some trial and error as you find the best treatment for your child.

ASD treatment is intensive and comprehensive. The child’s entire family may work with professionals to provide treatment. Programs that take place away from home may carry over into the home, so the best start toward finding the right intervention approach for your child is to work with the treatment team as closely as possible.

Because many evaluations for ASD are based on the results of tests, these results will isolate what your child’s strongest and weakest areas of development are. Discuss with the evaluation team what areas need the most attention the soonest, and find out which treatments focus on those areas. You may want to start your research by contacting the Autism Society of America (ASA).

Since many therapists may have waiting lists, find out how best to get seen soonest. Your insurance company may dictate where care is received, so contacting the appropriate person at your insurance carrier is a good step toward determining which specialists to contact. Your pediatrician or any of the other professionals on the team of evaluators may have insights or referral information for you.

Get in touch with other parents, either through a support group or on your own. They may be able to offer you suggestions and practical advice about what therapies worked well for their own children. While this isn’t a substitute for professional advice, it can help you feel less overwhelmed by treatment options and offer a sounding board for your concerns.

As your child beings treatment, stay connected to him or her. You know your child best, so you are the expert on knowing what treatments and interventions are working and which seem not to be. Don’t expect results overnight, but if you feel like you need to change course of treatment, speak up. Learn all you can about your intervention options and become an advocate for your child so you can assure that he or she receives the most appropriate care.

Anticipating the birth of a child, whether it is your first, second, or fifth, is a time fraught with worry, rich with excitement. Somewhere in the back of your mind you may have fears that the baby is not “normal,” or perhaps pre-natal testing has confirmed that your baby will have special needs. Whatever the case, when you discover that your baby has any kind of problem, you can be devastated and overwhelmed.

Certain developmental delays require a “wait and see” attitude – that is, you won’t know the full extent of a baby’s developmental delays until he or she fails to meet developmental guidelines for particular ages and stages. So, learning all you can about early intervention and treatment, as early as you can, will help to alleviate some of your anxiety and feelings of helplessness.

Resources are available

One particularly useful resource for successfully parenting a special needs baby is a DVD produced by Edvantage Media, Inc., a group that has produced a critically acclaimed, award winning series of parenting resources. The DVD “Successfully Parenting Your Baby with Special Needs” informs parents of the benefits of early intervention and addresses specifically the needs of children between the ages of birth and three.

The DVD focuses not just on the child, but on the family as well, and covers diagnosis and referral through formulation of individualized intervention plans. Medical experts and therapists provide information in this six-part program. The series both informs and offers hope to parents who have received a diagnosis of a special needs baby.

The DVD is available for purchase here.

Early intervention services were mandated by the US Congress in 1986 through Public Law 105-17. Designed to provide early, intensive interventions to children who have been identified as at-risk for developmental delays, the services “enhance the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities and to minimize their potential for developmental delay.”

According to Public Law 105-17, “Early Intervention [is] a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system that provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.”

States use federal grant money to provide services, administered by each state and provided within parameters set by the federal government. States also establish eligibility criteria in line with federal criteria.

Because early intervention for children with autism is critical to ensuring the most positive outcome possible, these services are a crucial part of treatment for autism. Children who qualify for early intervention services have a delay or disability in one or more of the following developmental areas: cognitive, adaptive, physical, communicative, and social and emotional development.

Your pediatrician may offer you information about these services as part of the screening and / or assessment process. If he or she does not offer information about these services, be sure to ask about where you can find out more.

Screening and assessment, counseling, family training and home visits, speech, occupational, and physical therapy, as well as social work services are some of the services offered. The services are offered at no cost to families except for a few exceptions.

To learn more about early intervention resources, see the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center’s State Part C Coordinator Contact Listing.

Parents may find the Parent Guide for EI (PDF) by visiting the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disablities (NICHCY).

Private Insurance

Find out if your child’s pediatrician can help you obtain referrals, and then check with your insurance company to determine how these referrals are handled. Is there a list of preferred providers you must use? Do you have a case manager assigned to your child’s care? Is there supplementary health insurance available for children with disabilities?

Call your insurance company to make sure you have the most current information on your coverage, and call again to find out who the case manager (the person who will oversee your child’s care) is and how best to contact him or her.

Other Assistance

Find out if Medicaid covers any of the services your child may receive, or if your child qualifies for Early Intervention services (no-cost or low-cost treatment services mandated by Congress). Investigate your state’s assistance programs, often offered through the Division of Medical Assistance or Department of Health and Human Services.

When you’re faced with a diagnosis of autism and the care that follows, the last thing you want to face is wondering how the services your child needs will be covered. Just as you’ve educated yourself about so many aspects of autism, you should educate yourself about your health insurance coverage as well.

For more information, visit this page.

Many autism interventions take place outside of the home, at a therapist’s office or at school. There are home-based therapies, such as “Floortime” that can be extended to the home; all family members can get involved in simply playing with and engaging a child on his or her own level.

Families of autistic children can extend speech, occupational, and physical therapies to the home setting. Therapists can give advice and instruction to family members to help them engage children in therapy outside of the therapist’s office. Simple things such as helping a child to recognize words can happen anywhere: encouraging a child to name a color, pointing out an interesting tree, encouraging a child to say “hello” can all be extensions of more formal therapy.

Educate Yourself

Parents’ education about autism and involvement with other parents can help them understand their child’s interventions. Parents can participate in – or just listen to – parent support groups that will help educate them on different therapy techniques to try at home. Learning about the best and most recent therapies can help parents to become a better advocate for their child. Getting involved in a community can not only educate parents but empower them as well.

Maintain Routine

Keeping the family routine and structure may be difficult when a child first enters intervention. Appointments can take up a lot of time and put a strain on siblings’ activities. Keeping an established routine, though, can help the effectiveness of intervention by providing the child a solid place from which to start.

Communicate

Parents should ask as many questions as they need about interventions to be sure they understand how they work and what the goal of each therapy is. Keeping open communication between parent and therapist or other treating professional is crucial to helping a child receive the most effective intervention.

For more on how autism affects families, see Autism Speaks: Your Family and Autism.

Following the child’s lead through engaging in Floortime™ sessions is a therapy in which caregivers engage with a child to help encourage the child to develop communication and other skills.

About 6 to 8 sessions of 20 o 45 minutes are recommended. In these sessions, parents or caregivers follow the child’s lead and meet him at his developmental level. Parents meet the child not just at the figurative level, but on his physical level as well, getting down on the floor to interact with the child. Child and caregiver play together, extending the circles of communication, using sound, words, touch, and movement to develop auditory, visual, and emotional processing.

Semistructured Problem Solving

In semistructured problem solving, caregivers set up a challenge for a child to solve. These problems can be spontaneous, requiring a child to solve a problem in order to get something he wants, or they can be structured activities.

When it is evident that a child wants something, the caregiver can set up a challenge or problem the child must solve in order to get what he wants. The caregiver, then, is helping to create the child’s interest in and motivation for something, and then child must solve a problem to get that something.

These sessions will vary in length and frequency depending on the child’s abilities and what areas need to be developed (e.g. the need to increase language or motor planning). These sessions can take place every day.

Motor, Sensory, and Perceptual-Motor Activities and Visual-Spatial Activities

The activities in this group help build basic processing capacities to help children become engage and regulated when they interact with others. Some children may need organizing and calming activities to build awareness of how their bodies take up space, or they may need activities such as jumping or swinging to build muscle tone.

Work with Therapists in Order to Work at Home

Talk with your child’s therapists and enlist their help in setting up a home program. Different therapists focus on different areas of processing, so get specific recommendations on how you might best utilize these therapies to work on your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Keep it Fun, Do it Daily

These activities usually involve a total of about 3 hours a day in shorter chunks of time. The activities may occur more frequently in children at early developmental levels since they are fun and they help increase a child’s pleasant interactions with others. Adjust the activities according to your child’s needs and trust yourself to determine what is working best for your child.

For more information on these therapies, visit this site.

Children with autism are delayed in their communication skills, display restricted or repetitive behavior, and have deficits in social interaction and reciprocity. Floortime simultaneously works to develop all three of these areas.

The DIR/Floortime Model is based on years of research about early relationships and family functioning, as well as other disciplines. In this model of intervention, the individual working with the child (parent, caregiver, or therapist), meets the child at his or her level, entering the child’s world, and interacting with him or her.

If this sounds simple, that is because it is: interactions with the child will increase his or her emotional, social, and intellectual skills.

A Shared World

In the world the child and individual working with him or her share, communication is exchanged and increased and meanings are negotiated through reciprocal interaction that seems a lot like “regular” playtime. The child leads and the caregiver follows, broadening the circles of communication and interaction.

Because these early relationships and interactions are vital for healthy brain development, this intervention model affects not just behavior, but also neurological development.

Parents Play a Role

Parents and other caregivers can be trained to “administer” Floortime interventions. This intervention is easy to implement in the home setting.

Visual Resources

For an excellent video of Dr. Stanley Greenspan, founder of Floortime, explaining the concept, watch this video.

To see Floortime in action, watch this video to see clips from Floortime sessions over the course of two years, provided by a therapist from the P.L.A.Y. project.