Is there any treatment for Autism? What if not treated?
Answers:
Unfortunately, autism is a developmental disorder, meaning that it affects the development of the child, and development is pretty much a one-way street. This means that autism can never truly be 'cured', and that it is not 'grown-out-of' (like is often the case with adhd)
Saying that, with treatment, many autists can lead normal lives, and many of those with high-functioning autism or Aspergers may not seem much different from those without the disorder because they have learned to adapt to the world.
Treatment is almost certainly a must though. The most reliable and widely-used treatment is ABA (applied behavioural analysis): you can check this out by going to www.lovaas.com . It's basically a cognitive-behaviural treatment, which is more effective the sooner it is started. Dr. Greenspan has a great technique which has gained alot of press attention lately (I can't remember what it is called, you can look it up by googling 'greenspan' and 'autism treatment') There are other types as well, and many psychologists recommend an eclectic approach, but this depends on the techniques and the child.
What is most important to remember I think is that every child with autism is different- it is a very heterogeneous disorder, with a great deal of causes (which probably interact with eachother). This means what works for one child may not work for another. Keep this in mind when reading anecdotal accounts of 'cures' such as chelation therapy and diets. Always get a scientific perspective to balance out accounts from other parents: going to www.pubmed.org or www.sciencedirect.com and searching for the treatment you are interested should help you on that.
I wish you all the best, I hope that helped somewhat!
Other Answers:
There are surprisingly effective treatments (more of physical therapy, really) but they have to be started really early (before age 3 or so) to do any good. Autism will not go away on it's own.
There is currently a group at the Univeristy of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) doing extensive study on autism detection and treatment. You can also contact the Eden Institute in Princeton, NJ.
If it's untreated, it can get worse. If they can't learn to communicate in our world, they will continue to live in their own. Sometimes they can almost recover completely, sometimes not. They do need some type of therapy, usually dealing with speech, behavioral,and often sensory issues. I will not become normal at a later stage without some type of intervention.
Source(s):
my son is autistic, lots of studying, and seeing his improvement with my own therapy.
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