How is autism actually treated? You hear people saying the diagnosis changed their kids life or it’s important to be diagnosed early, but how?
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Autistic adult and future social worker here: it really depends! A lot of people are big fans of something called applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy (think Pavlov’s dogs), wherein an Autistic person (usually a child) is taught “good” behaviors and trained out of “bad” behaviors through positive and negative reinforcement and punishment. An example of a good behavior may be eye contact, whereas a bad behavior may be self-harm or (to use a less extreme example) visible stimming. A lot of Autistic people (myself included) aren’t big fans of ABA due to the subjective nature of good vs. bad behavior and the tendency for ABA practitioners to prioritize and reward stereotypically neurotypical (non-Autistic) behavior over Autistic behaviors.
Other therapies can include cognitive behavioral therapy (my favorite) which focuses on changing maladaptive (bad) cognitions (thought processes) and acceptance and commitment therapy, which uses acceptance and mindfulness to implement behavior change strategies. Autistic people may also undergo life skills training (I did this in a group setting) or other courses, and sometimes have accommodations in school/college/work.
Different things work for different people, so it’s hard to give you a concrete answer for “how is Autism treated?”. It usually involves treating the symptoms the Autistic person finds maladaptive (not helpful) when they can (through therapy/medication/accommodations etc.) and teaching acceptance and coping strategies when they can’t. We’re making great strides in the mental health field towards accepting and supporting Autistic people, but there’s still a long way to go. Thanks for the question! ❤️
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