Autism: Treatment

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There is no cure for autism. Treatments are aimed at reducing specific symptoms. Because the symptoms vary so widely from one person to the next, there is not a single approach that works for every person. A spectrum of interventions include training in music, listening, vision, speech and language, and senses. Special diets and medications may also be prescribed.

Studies show that people with autism can improve significantly with proper treatment. A child with autism can learn best with special teachers in a structured program that emphasizes individual instruction. The two most-often studied types of treatment are:

Typically, behavioral techniques are used to help the child respond and decrease symptoms. This might include positive reinforcement (food and rewards) to boost language and social skills. This training includes structured, skill-oriented instruction designed to boost social and language abilities. Training needs to begin as early as possible, since early intervention appears to influence brain development.

Most experts believe that modern treatment is most effective when carried out at home, although treatment may also take place in a psychiatric hospital, specialized school, or day care program.

No single medication has yet proved highly effective for the major features of autism. However, a variety of drugs can control self-injurious, aggressive, and other of the more difficult behaviors. Drugs also can control epilepsy, which afflicts up to 20% of people with autism.

Five types of drugs are sometimes prescribed to help the behavior problems of people with autism:

• stimulants, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin)
• antidepressants, such as fluroxamine (Luvox)
• opiate blockers, such as naltrexone (ReVia)
• antipsychotics
• tranquilizers

Today, most experts recommend a complex treatment regimen that begins early and continues through the teenage years. Behavioral therapies are used in conjunction with medications.

— Carol A. Turkington