So you’ve got the news that no parent wants to hear. A diagnosis of Autism can be quite overwhelming and you will likely have a lot of questions and concerns about what lies ahead. Whatever the case may be, just know that thousands of people with autism and their loved ones share this journey. You are not alone and there are countless resources out there to help. For instance, my-ble.com, which is an on demand behavior services provider which helps to connect families with affordable on-demand behavior service providers. The brighter side of this is, that we have come so far in both the awareness and the research in treatment options. There are several areas that most parents have to deal with when a child is diagnosed with Autism. We will hopefully try to address those in this article. The first thing is understanding what exactly Autism is, secondly, understanding the treatment options and resources for you as a parent and thirdly understanding the process of accessing services for the child.
What is Autism?
Autism is a very complex disorder. It has recently been categorized as a spectrum disorder or ASD (autism spectrum disorder) because of the variability of symptoms amongst the many that are diagnosed. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects different parts of the brain and the ability to develop basic skills compared to kids of similar age. There are a couple of main areas that doctors assess prior to making a diagnosis. These include various areas of social communication and interaction and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior. As of today, 1 out of every 50 kids in the United States will be diagnosed (CDC, 2014). Most kids…… There is currently no cure for the disorder however, there are a host of various treatment options which can help to significantly reduce some of the symptoms of the disorder.
What are the treatment options for the symptoms of Autism?
When looking for treatment options it is important to ensure that the services being provided are “evidence based”. Evidence based means that the treatment program, curriculum or principles have been heavily researched and supported by credible people. Please review the National Autism Center’s report for a thorough review of evidence based and non-evidenced based treatments of Autism. If you do not wish to read through its entirety you can skip to the section that outlines their findings. The most widely accepted and evidenced based treatment continues to be Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA is the application of behavior principles founded on behaviorism, a branch of psychology. Some of the common treatment programs today that are based on principles of ABA include Discrete Trial Training (DTT) which is also known as “traditional ABA”. DTT looks at breaking down skills into their sub skills or units. Pivotal Response Training (PRT), which is a natural teaching approach. PRT focuses on pivotal behaviors that are believed to be pivotal for gains in other areas not specifically targeted.
How do I access all of these treatments?
If your child is under the age of 3, it is important that you get in contact with your local regional center. This is a county agency which is in charge of helping families to get started with early behavioral intervention services (EBI). Depending on the diagnosis and severity of symptoms the agency may provide you with services such as home ABA, general respite care, consultation with counselors and/or social workers, speech and language and/or occupational therapy. Once a child turns 3 the child’s case is then turned over to their local school district. The local school districts will then conduct their own educational assessment or evaluation to determine service needs. This will be different from a medical diagnosis or assessment. The primary difference is that a medical assessment looks at how the diagnosis affects overall daily living skills and needs and an educational assessment looks at overall ability and needs for a child to access the educational environment and curriculum.
In California, it is mandatory that insurance companies provide behavioral intervention services to those diagnosed with Autism, including government health plans under programs such as Medicaid. It is important that you are diligent and persistent when inquiring about these services with your health care plan. If your child has an autism diagnosis do not settle for any primary treatment other than ABA (applied behavior analysis), in addition to speech or occupational therapy.
Depending on the severity and needs of your child some may also consider paying for or acquiring services out-of-pocket. Most traditional ABA agencies offer services that families wish to pay for out of their own pockets. Costs per hour for such services in the San Francisco Bay area range from $70-100 per hour. As you’d expect this can add up pretty quick.
If you’re in the San Jose silicon valley area, you can also access private pay behavior service providers on demand and when you need them through www.my-ble.com.
I hope we were able to provide you with some useful information. If you would like further information on anything mentioned please feel free to drop a line in the comments. Thank you and good luck.
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