Today we had a chat with John’s teacher on how autism can be treated. She is experienced and said that whether a child will grow out of autism or not depends also on how severely autistic he/she is. We witnessed John as he was having social skills lesson, which is one area where he is weak in.

How can Autism be treated?

There is no cure for autism at the moment, but doctors, therapists, and special teachers can help kids with autism overcome or adjust to many difficulties.

Autism itself is not treated with surgery or medicine, although some people with autism may take medicine to improve certain symptoms.

The best results are usually seen with children who begin treatment when they are very young, as soon as they are diagnosed.

Treatments

Autistic children often have problems which centre around social and language skills.

The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that target the core symptoms of autism: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication.

· Teaching the child to communicate: Pointing or using pictures or sign language and to interact with others, eventually, many kids with autism learn to talk.

· Basic living skills: Crossing a street safely or ask for directions, greeting people, waiting for a turn, and following directions etc.

Autistic children are also prone to behavioral problems such as emotional outbursts, aggressive behavior or attention problems.

• Educational/behavioral interventions: Therapists use highly structured and intensive skill-oriented training sessions to help children develop social skills. Family counseling for the parents and siblings of children with autism often helps families cope with the particular challenges of living with an autistic child.
• Medications: Doctors often prescribe an antidepressant medication to handle symptoms of anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Seizures can be treated with one or more of the anticonvulsant drugs. Stimulant drugs, such as those used for children with attention deficit disorder (ADD), are sometimes used effectively to help decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Possible outcomes

As they mature, some children with autism become more engaged with others and show less marked disturbances in behavior. They still require teachers trained to understand the problems they have with communicating and learning.

Some, usually those with the least severe impairments, may eventually lead normal or near-normal lives. They may be taking regular classes or attending special classes at the secondary school level.

Others, however, continue to have severe impairments in language or social skills, and the adolescent years can mean a worsening of behavior problems. They may be attending a special school because of ongoing behavioral problems.