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Autism is a developmental disability that affects both children
and adults. The symptoms of autism are usually diagnosed within
the first three years of the child’s life. These symptoms may
be more pronounced in some than others and will often affect
both the social and communication abilities of the individual.
When diagnosed with autism, the individual can benefit from
many of the different treatment programs and educational programs
available. Biomedical
While there is no special drug to cure the symptoms, professionals, as well
as parents, have found that some drugs that are often used for other disorders
will help to alleviate some of the behavioral symptoms of autism.
For example, Serotonin re-uptake inhibitors have been used
to help treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and
anxiety. Through research it is found that there are elevated
levels of serotonin in as many as one-third of those diagnosed
with autism. Drugs such as Anafranil, Lenox, and Prozac may
be able to reverse some of the symptoms of having high levels
of serotonin, such as repetitive behaviors, irritability, and
aggressive behavior. Some researchers found that autistic children
may show increased eye contact and may become more responsive
to others when taking these drugs.
Your child’s physician may recommend other drugs, such as
Ritalin, to help treat your child’s symptoms. The main issue
in treating the symptoms of autism with drugs is the side effects
that may come along with certain medications. As with any medication
being taken, you want to fully inform your child’s physician
about any side effects you may notice. It should also be stated
that because children with autism may have a higher sensitivity
to drugs, the dosages should be adjusted accordingly.
Vitamins
Many parents of autistic children and professionals feel that
adjusting the child’s diet and adding vitamins will help
to treat the symptoms associated with autism. Research has
proven that taking an increased amount of Vitamin C will
help reduce the severity of symptoms, while others have shown
that vitamin B and magnesium will help with the behavioral
problems, improve their eye contact, and improve the autistic
child’s ability to pay attention. Professionals feel that
due to malabsorption problems in those with autism, nutritional
deficiencies may have an effect on how severe the symptoms
are.
Before starting your child on a vitamin program, your child’s
physician should do an assessment of nutrition. This will help
them to find out what your child is missing in vitamins and
minerals to help to determine what they need and how it may
help them.
Dietary
Individuals that have been diagnosed with autism sometimes
may have sensitivity to certain foods, as well. Some of these
may also contribute to certain behaviors. There are times
that when certain substances are taken from the child’s diet,
it will alleviate some of these behaviors. One example of
this is gluten. Researchers have found that if an autistic
child has trouble breaking down the peptides of foods containing
gluten and casein, found in diary products, wheat, oats,
and rye, this may cause an upset of the biochemical and neurological
processes of the brain. By removing these foods from the
diet, it can reduce some of the autistic symptoms.
Behavioral
Due to the wide range of communication and behavioral symptoms
that are associated with autism, there are a wide variety
of behavioral treatments for individuals with autism. Many
of these behavioral treatments for children with autism are
based on the Applied Behavior Analysis. This theory focuses
on rewarding good behavior.
The main thing to consider in choosing a behavioral treatment
program for your autistic child is to understand their learning
style. If your child is more visual, you may want to make sure
the program is set up to assist your child in the way he or
she learns best.
These are only a few of the treatments available for individuals
diagnosed with autism. Because autism is unique in the sense
that the symptoms vary according to the extent and severity,
you and your child’s physician will need to find a treatment
program that works best for them. There are a lot of programs
available for your child however, one program may be wrong
for one child and perfect for another. Before starting your
child in any program, seek the advice from your physician.
He or she can test and assess your child to find out which
treatments may help to alleviate some of your child’s autism
symptoms.
By Rachel Evans. To find out how you can get more information and sign up for a Free Newsletter dedicated to Autism please visit Essential Guide To Autism.
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