Whenever a child is seen or observed to have some degree of disability which affects their development and their means of adapting in their environment, parents must bring this concern to the specialist so that it can be properly diagnosed and an early intervention can be prescribed so that children can be assisted and supported according to their needs to have a quality life and can be self-dependent in the future. Here are some of the early interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Physiotherapy
One of the things with children with autism is that their sensorimotor development is often needing support and coordination, thus it is important for these children to have an early intervention in physiotherapy so that they can have an early start in terms of their motor planning, coordination, and overall gross and micro motor development.
Having to be enrolled in a sensorimotor program, these children will undergo scheduled sessions in working to develop the physiological area of their development. As such they can move efficiently and can later coordinate their movements with their thought process giving them the opportunity to integrate to bigger social dynamics.
Systematic Speech Therapy
Speech therapy is one of those early interventions that is seen as very effective and important for the child’s developmental years. Though it is important and effective, it must still be administered systematically.
The idea here is that it should not be forced to the child, though they need it that much there is a process that must be undergone and must be weighed on whether the child will be ready for such form of therapy because even if the child is enrolled in such program if they are not ready, the program and therapy will not be effective and it would be a waste of time not just for the child but for the parents as well. The developmental paediatrician and the therapists must be able to come to a unified decision on whether the child is ready or not.
Counselling for Family Members
One aspect in the process of early intervention that has been brushed aside, though very deemed to be very important, is the counselling therapy session for the family members. One way to put it simply is that the family members of children with special needs are bombarded daily with a high level of stress, anxiety, and frustration due to the quirks and needs of the child with autism. Thus, family members should also undergo family counselling to offset the demands and issues that might arise with taking care of a member with special needs.
Getting started early on can aid in the developmental process of children with autism. The main idea is that the earlier it gets proper diagnosis then the earlier the child could get the needed interventions and support from agencies and other support groups.
This way, since a child’s brain is still very teachable, the pattern of behaviour that they can develop through these interventions could still be effectively taught and the results are more positive than those with who got interventions alter on.