Educational Strategies:
1. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): is an augmentative and alternative communication system that educators use to support the communication needs of children with ASD. Using PECS, individuals with no or limited speec can intiate request and describe observations thour the use of pictures. PECS can be used as the main form of communication or in addition to speech.
2. Social Stories for Adolescents: Students with ASD experience challenges with communication, behavior, and social interactions. Social stories are brief, personalized narratives typically presented in a comic strip format that can help students with ASD to focus one particular skill in one context. For example as student may become overwhelmed with the noise in the cafeteria may respond by yelling. The teacher would develop a social story with a narrative
3. Highly structured, scheduled, explicit instruction. Highly scheduled instruction is important due to the need for schedules by those with ASD. Direct instruction of academic as well as social skill. Environmental conditions are important as well. Visual, auditory and tactile consideration must be taken in to consideration in educating students with ASD.
Other Strategies: Dietary Approaches
Some dietary treatments have been developed by reliable therapists. But many of these treatments do not have the scientific support needed for widespread recommendation. An unproven treatment might help one child, but may not help another.
Many biomedical interventions call for changes in diet. Such changes include removing certain types of foods from a child’s diet and using vitamin or mineral supplements. Dietary treatments are based on the idea that food allergies or lack of vitamins and minerals cause symptoms of ASD. Some parents feel that dietary changes make a difference in how their child acts or feels.
Medication
There are no medications that can cure ASD or even treat the main symptoms. But there are medications that can help some people with related symptoms. For example, medication might help manage high energy levels, inability to focus, depression, or seizures. Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of risperidone and aripripazole (antipsychotic drugs) to treat at certain ages children with ASDs who have severe tantrums, aggression, and cause self-injury.
Complementary and Alternative Treatments
To relieve the symptoms of ASDs, some parents and health care professionals use treatments that are outside of what is typically recommended by the pediatrician. These types of treatments are known as complementary and alternative treatments (CAM). They might include special diets, chelation (a treatment to remove heavy metals like lead from the body), biologicals (e.g., secretin), or body-based systems (like deep pressure).[3]
These types of treatments are very controversial. Current research shows that as many as one third of parents of children with an ASD may have tried complementary or alternative medicine treatments, and up to 10% may be using a potentially dangerous treatment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): is an augmentative and alternative communication system that educators use to support the communication needs of children with ASD. Using PECS, individuals with no or limited speec can intiate request and describe observations thour the use of pictures. PECS can be used as the main form of communication or in addition to speech.
2. Social Stories for Adolescents: Students with ASD experience challenges with communication, behavior, and social interactions. Social stories are brief, personalized narratives typically presented in a comic strip format that can help students with ASD to focus one particular skill in one context. For example as student may become overwhelmed with the noise in the cafeteria may respond by yelling. The teacher would develop a social story with a narrative
3. Highly structured, scheduled, explicit instruction. Highly scheduled instruction is important due to the need for schedules by those with ASD. Direct instruction of academic as well as social skill. Environmental conditions are important as well. Visual, auditory and tactile consideration must be taken in to consideration in educating students with ASD.
Other Strategies: Dietary Approaches
Some dietary treatments have been developed by reliable therapists. But many of these treatments do not have the scientific support needed for widespread recommendation. An unproven treatment might help one child, but may not help another.
Many biomedical interventions call for changes in diet. Such changes include removing certain types of foods from a child’s diet and using vitamin or mineral supplements. Dietary treatments are based on the idea that food allergies or lack of vitamins and minerals cause symptoms of ASD. Some parents feel that dietary changes make a difference in how their child acts or feels.
Medication
There are no medications that can cure ASD or even treat the main symptoms. But there are medications that can help some people with related symptoms. For example, medication might help manage high energy levels, inability to focus, depression, or seizures. Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of risperidone and aripripazole (antipsychotic drugs) to treat at certain ages children with ASDs who have severe tantrums, aggression, and cause self-injury.
Complementary and Alternative Treatments
To relieve the symptoms of ASDs, some parents and health care professionals use treatments that are outside of what is typically recommended by the pediatrician. These types of treatments are known as complementary and alternative treatments (CAM). They might include special diets, chelation (a treatment to remove heavy metals like lead from the body), biologicals (e.g., secretin), or body-based systems (like deep pressure).[3]
These types of treatments are very controversial. Current research shows that as many as one third of parents of children with an ASD may have tried complementary or alternative medicine treatments, and up to 10% may be using a potentially dangerous treatment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention