Are We Using the Right Treatment for Special Children and Individuals?

Autism (or autism spectrum disorder) is the neurological condition where the brain of the diagnosed person functions differently. Before we start any treatment, we normally check the diagnosis, available treatment and draw hypotheses on how the medication will work.

Talking about Autism, we come across either one or all of the below conditions:

• No speech, Delayed speech, or Acholalia
• Over-sensitivity to sounds, lights, and textures
• Fine motor skills, Gross motor skills, and Motor planning skills
• Anxiety, depression, and/or aggression
• Allergies or limited diet
• “Stimming”, hand flapping, etc.

But these are co-occurring conditions that may exist along with Autism and don’t actually define the condition itself. Then what is Autism exactly?

Think of the person you know on the Spectrum and check for the following:

1. Can they share experiences with you?
2. Can they borrow your perspective?
3. Can they “Dance” with you?
4. Can they reflect on the past experiences and anticipate future experiences?
5. Can they “go with the flow”?

What autism researchers have found is that it is a combination of these five core deficits areas of difficulty which define Autism Spectrum Disorders:

1. Declarative Communication,
2. Referencing,
3. Regulating,
4. Episodic Memory, and
5. Flexible Thinking.

Now the question is: How can we make it better then?

Dr. Gutstein answered a child’s question on how to treat autism and make it easier for children affected by it.

“It is helpful to think of your brain not as one single computer, but as hundreds of computers that need to talk to each other all the time to wok really well. That is what we call a network. We believe that when you have Autism, all the computers may be working well, but they are not networking as well as they should be. If we can teach them to communicate better with each other then we can make the autism better.”

How then will addressing only the co-occurring conditions be of help? As these conditions are attached to Autism but not actually Autism. Don’t we have to address 5 core deficits that comprises Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Click on the link below to find a testimony by a parent of two children with special needs:

A Dad Finds Hope With RDI

We at SAI Connections, offer parent training program called as Family Consultation Program (FCP)

Please click on the link below to know more about the RDI Hybrid Professional Training happening in Mumbai.

Special Education Training and Certification for Professionals all over India