Types of Therapies for Treating Autism in Adults
Autism is a serious concern related to the neuro-development of the body. It is usually diagnosed in children at the age of 2 or even at older ages. Children can be given therapy based on which it can be easy to reduce further symptoms. However, the situation can be more complicated to help an adult dealing with the problem of Autism. As Autism is not a condition or a disease that can be cured by a single solution in any individual, irrespective of age, a different approach needs to be taken to help an adult dealing with the disorder of Autism.
Here, we are going to list various therapies that can be used to help any adult dealing with Autism spectrum Disorder. Along with that, we will list some crucial basic details that can be helpful in understanding the disorder of Autism. Read this narrative to know more about Autism Spectrum Disorder and what can be done to help an Adult with Autism.
Autism: Symptoms, Diagnose, Treatment
Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, is a neurological developmental disorder that is characterized by various signs and symptoms like lack of social connection or any other unusual behavior like repetitive and restricted patterns. While it is usually detected during childhood, sometimes there can be cases where an adult is diagnosed with Autism.
While the approach in children for helping with Autism is to reduce the symptoms and improve their social and communication skills, a totally different approach needs to be taken in the case of Adults.
Different therapies are implemented in the case of adults based on the approach. In children’s play, therapy is really effective in helping the children to communicate better and express themselves through different activities.
How Can I Help an Adult with Autism?
Therapy is the best solution to treat Autism in Adults. While Autism is a disorder due to differences in neurological development in an individual, its cause can be genetic or many other environmental factors. The major goals behind giving any therapy for Autism Treatment in Adults are:
- Make an individual capable of better communication. Also, increase Social interaction to prevent various other consequences. These can be depression or anxiety, sound sensitivity, and any other condition related to physical and mental well-being.
- Help an individual to deal with restricted or repetitive behavior.
Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder
The major intent of any therapist while helping someone with Autism is to improve their social behavior, ability to communicate (verbally or non-verbally), understand other people’s emotions and behavior, interact with the outside world, and provide them with a purpose in life.
Based on these simple goals, different therapies can be provided, which are listed below:
- Speech Language Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
All these Therapies are discussed below, along with a little information on how they can help to treat Autism in Adults.
- Speech Language Therapy
The first and foremost measure to help someone with Autism is to develop or improve their ability to communicate with other people in any way possible so that they can easily understand other people and address their issues to others. Through Speech therapy, the major goal of a therapist is to assist a person in more useful and functional ways so that they can better communicate with others.
Autism is a spectrum disorder that does not have any specific symptoms, and the characterization of this disorder might vary in different individuals. What is common in all these symptoms is their inability to communicate better with other people and restricted or repetitive behavior.
Therefore, different types of approaches can be taken in Speech-Language Therapy. This can help the person in order to develop their communication skills. However, Speech Language Therapy does involve some common goals, such as improving the way of communication, teaching them basic signs and gestures, or offering better modes of communication like images.
2. Occupational Therapy
After Speech Language Therapy, occupational therapy is the most common approach to help any individual with Autism. Occupational therapy is also the most common solution to help an individual recover. This can be an injury or medical condition and being unable to perform their daily tasks. A major challenge faced by someone with Autism is their inability to communicate. Also, this makes an individual unable to perform daily living tasks for independent living.
Under Occupational Therapy, the approach is to help any individual to develop their skills like Motor, Cognitive, physical and social. Improvement of development of all these skills contributes to the state of the person to better communicate, understand other people, and reduce their dependency on others. Even the most common skills that a person can learn through occupational therapy. These include eating, grooming, dressing, brushing their teeth, or even being able to go and use the bathroom by themselves.
Occupational Therapy can be administered at any location. This will depend on the type of skills that need to be developed in an individual.
3. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
CBT, or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, is the most common therapy given by practitioners. Through CBT, patients are helped to handle many issues related to mental like Depression, Anxiety, and many other disorders. CBT usually involves a talking session between a therapist and a patient. Here, the major goal is to change cognition (thoughts and beliefs).
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy aims to develop various strategies through which person can target their current problems.
CBT can help any patient with Autism to manage their emotional distress, negative thoughts, and behavior. Moreover, all these things can significantly contribute to reducing the symptoms of Autism to a greater extent.
Making it Short And Simple
Many therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder are available for people to help them reduce their symptoms. The Applied Behavior Analysis is an effective solution for autism in Kids. However, in order to help any adult diagnosed with Autism, other therapy needs to be considered. In them, the goal can be to improve their social interaction, learn basic daily activities, and make them capable of an independent life.
While it is hard to find the right therapist who can determine the situation of autism and avail the right treatment, you can connect with Reflect Within, where our experts are available anytime to offer you the right treatment.
