Whether you or a loved one has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), you might be wondering how you can effectively treat the condition. While ASD should not be viewed as a problem that needs a cure, it’s understandable that certain aspects of the condition can make your everyday life more frustrating than it needs to be.
Without the right help, you could end up coping through disruptive behavior, such as inappropriate speech, social withdrawal, and physical aggression. And none of these actions will make life feel any easier.
So, what can you do? Consider the following to ease your time with the more difficult aspects of ASD throughout the years to come.
To manage ASD, you need to understand it
The best way to better cope with ASD is to better understand it. It’s tough to come up with a plan to manage something when you know very little about it. So to learn more about the condition, read up on its definition and signs.
Defining ASD
ASD is a developmental disability that affects how you communicate to the environment and people around you. According to the Autism Society, there’s no single cause for this change in communication.
And there’s no single way a person with ASD will react. Some may deal with minor delayed learning while others may have more severe aspects. But there are ways to help lessen the severity for either case. And the main way to do this is through early diagnosis and intervention and access to the right services and forms of support.
Knowing the Signs
While there is generally no exact representation of ASD in all its symptoms, there are some common signs health-care professionals look for to diagnose the condition:
- Delayed spoken language or complete lack of it
- Repetitive forms of speech
- Repetitive motor mannerisms like twirling objects and hand-flapping
- Little-to-no eye contact
- No interest in socializing
- Lack of play that’s spontaneous or involves make-believe
- Obsession with parts of objects
Then, you can see about the support that’s available
Now that you have a better idea of your condition and what it may involve for you, it’s time to look for ASD support to help you with your specific needs.
Pharmaceutical Assistance
So, if you happen to deal with disruptive behavior, you may very well want to look into getting some pharmaceutical assistance. For instance, prescription medication Risperdal (risperidone) can effectively reduce the frequency of disruptive behavior in children and repetitive behavior, aggression, anxiety, and irritability in adults. In fact, according to the academic journal New Drug Reviews, just after six months of use, risperidone can show signs of great improvement.
Unfortunately, medication like risperidone can be quite expensive in the United States. So you’re going to have to work around it if you and your health-care provider think it’s the best option. You can do this simply by shipping risperidone through a licensed Canada drug center. Such a center will let you choose which country you want your medication from so you can avoid the high pricing from the United States while still getting help from a licensed pharmacy.
Applied Behavior Analysis
To help further reduce harmful behaviors while improving helpful behaviors, there is applied behavior analysis (ABA). This form of therapy uses teaching techniques to better your communication, social, and vocational skills.
Developmental Individual-Difference Relationship-Based Model
Another form of therapy that may work best for children is the developmental individual-difference relationship-based model (DIR).
Under this therapy, parents and therapists will work together to help the child socialize. So while they will follow the child’s lead during playtime, they will also start to suggest more and more complex interactions for the child to engage with and learn from.
TEACCH Autism Program
Under the TEACCH framework, you will learn a number of strategies designed to help you work with both your strengths and difficulties. So some of these strategies might include engaging in activities, flexibility, independence, and self-efficacy.
Above all else, be patient.
Whatever method of treatment you choose to ease you or your loved one’s time with ASD, know that it’s going to take time. No treatment will work immediately.
There is going to be a trial-and-error process where you or your loved one will have to work through the treatment to find what part of it done in what way helps you cope best.
Revision 18.11.2019 – 404 link removed
