Seven Promising and Proven Behavioral Therapies
(1) Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, uses positive reinforcement to teach kids
new skills and better behaviors. Many of my patients have been helped immensely
by ABA, but more rapid benefits often occur after biomedical treatment has also
begun. This phenomenon of increased benefit following biomedical treatment also
generally applies to the other behavioral therapies.
(2) Floortime is a spontaneous, play-based therapy that capitalizes on each child’s
own favorite activities.
(3) Occupational Therapy is not job-related, despite its name, but encourages kids
to become well-rounded, and better at fine motor skills.
(4) Speech and Language Therapy is essential for autistic children, due to their
language delay and speech problems. This therapy also helps them to better
recognize facial expressions and body language, which is hard for most autistic
kids. It’s hard for autistic kids because the processing of expressions and body
language occurs primarily in the brain’s amygdala, which is often dysfunctional in
autistic children.
(5) Sensory Integration Therapy uses games and exercises to help kids block
extraneous sensory input, and focus on what’s important.
(6) Physical Therapy focuses exclusively on motor skills, such as eating and
drawing, and on the development of coordination, balance, and strength. Many
autistic children engage in physical therapy, and they often get a great deal of good
out of it.
(7) Relationship Development Intervention helps kids learn to relate better to other
people, using specific games and exercises.
WORD To the Wise: Don’t Wait Too Late to Start Behavioral Therapy. Earlier is
Better.
FOR MORE on early behavioral intervention, see: Nancy Wiseman’s FirstSigns, Inc.
