Did you know that in 2018, 1 in 59 children were diagnosed with an autism disorder?
Autism is becoming a well-researched disorder, and luckily there are many types of treatment available.
There are several different autism therapy techniques, so how do you decide which one will help your child the most?
Scroll down to learn more about the different types of autism behavioral therapy so that you can determine which will be most beneficial for your child.
1. Speech Therapy
One of the more popular autism behavioral therapy programs that are available is speech therapy.
If your child has a difficult time communicating or properly interacting with others, you may want to consider this type of treatment. This type of therapy can involve both verbal and non-verbal communication and can help them understand gestures.
Skills for making eye contact and taking turns in conversation are focused on in speech therapy and can be extremely beneficial.
Even if your child is nonverbal, they will have to chance to learn how to communicate through the use of pictures and icons. Children in this therapy will often learn to communicate by having to ask for a desired item.
2. Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is highly recommended for children who have a difficult time with everyday tasks.
From getting dressed in the morning to holding eating utensils, learning the process of steps is the main focus of this therapy. Occupational therapy is based around your child’s needs and goals, helping make them more independent.
Many kids that have poor fine-motor skills benefit from this type of therapy. The learning process for your child is taught by following a certain list of tasks in a particular order.
Handwriting skills are worked on with this treatment along with toilet training for younger children. This is an excellent therapy that produces an enhancement in real-life skills for your child so that they can live independently.
3. Applied Behavioral Analysis
Applied behavioral analysis (ABA therapy) is an excellent form of therapy and can help your child with a variety of needs.
In this therapy, your child will be reinforced for positive behaviors and they will form new skills along the way. If you are in the San Antonio area visit here to learn more about BlueSprig Autism Therapies and how your child can benefit from them.
Parents, caregivers, and teachers are often highly trained and involved with this therapy to help maintain consistency throughout your child’s life and encourage positive behaviors.
This form of therapy has been around for more than 50 years and is highly researched, positive results are often achieved. Many people see an improvement in their child’s communication, social, education, and emotional skills throughout treatment.
4. Social Skills Therapy
Social skills therapy, or relationship development intervention, focus on your child’s behavior in social settings.
Most of these therapies are either one on one or in a group setting with peers who have the same type of difficulties. Social skills are developed in this therapy through role-play tactics and class discussions that are lead by an instructor.
This therapy focused on real-world difficulties with peers and adults and challenges children to properly respond to others in any setting.
Social skills therapy can even help your child work through their emotions when they are told “no” or “wait,” which can be a challenging thing to work through. It can also benefit them when playing games with peers at school or sporting events.
5. Sensory Therapy
If your child often suffers from overstimulation of the five senses, you may want to consider taking them to sensory therapy.
This type of treatment focuses on exposing your child to something highly stimulating and reinforcing them when they display the correct behavior. The purpose of this therapy is to help improve your child’s sensitivities, it is often a quick process.
It is important to understand that force is not a part of this therapy and you will be aware of the current progress and next steps. Don’t be afraid to do more research and ask questions when visiting sensory therapy centers.
Autism Behavioral Therapy Tips
Introducing a new type of therapy to your child’s schedule may be difficult and seem nearly impossible at times. Utilizing these tips can help you better prepare for the transition and help your child adapt as well.
One of the best tips when starting a new therapy is to be consistent. Sticking to a specific schedule can help your child make an easy transition, just don’t forget to make time for fun!
Rewarding good behavior and paying attention to your child’s nonverbal cues is highly recommended. Children who have autism need routines and consistency, doing what you can to offer these will help your child adapt to new situations.
Make Time for Fun
There are many autism behavioral therapy programs to consider, and understanding your child’s needs can help you identify the proper therapy that they need.
One of the biggest things to keep in mind when your child is going to therapy is to make sure that they have time set aside for fun and that you are consistently reinforcing their good behaviors.
Depending on your child’s needs, you may need one or multiple types of therapy to help your child grow. Don’t be afraid to get involved with your child’s therapy!
Be sure to keep browsing our parenting blog to find more articles, like this one, that can help improve your child’s quality of life and happiness.
