In dealing with autism, as in other disorders, a number of treatment options are available including educational, behavioral, biomedical, nutritional and sensory choices. For patients who are not rich enough or for those who have no medical insurance the cost of treatment is forbidding and can drain their purse empty. You have to monitor carefully the effect of treatment overtime to ensure that the child receives the best treatment and attention. Find out which treatment works and which does not and avoid paying for the ineffective methods and pay for treatments that create a positive difference.
Before treatment, first, evaluate the abilities of the autistic person. A number of services, organizations like Autism Research Institute offer a check list of evaluation points focusing on behavior and illness as linked with autism. Autistic persons are likely to have increasing functionality as they mature. So some positive effects in the person’s life are the result of the natural growth process. After about two months fill out the check list once again and compare it to the first. If there is a sharp increase in a positive way in the person’s behavior it may be due to treatment.
Begin only one treatment at a time. Don’t do the mistake of trying every thing at a time when good and bad effects causes out and you will not know which treatment has produced the positive effect and which does not work. Fast studies can guide you but they will not be helpful as autism is an extremely complicated disorder. A few treatments are new and have only short term effects. It is a process of trial and error and two months is sufficient to study the differences with in an autistic individual. Discontinue the treatment method if no positive improvement is noticed and go in for a treatment that works.
Don’t forget that you need not wait for two months to decide on the continuance of the treatment. If the side effects of the treatment are unbearable and affect the life of the patient, the treatment may be discontinued. You have to just monitor the methods continuously. Treatments may not work after a time when autistic children mature and grow just like every one else. Consult the doctor before you try anything new to be as safe and healthy as possible.
