When you first find out that your child is autistic, you might may have worries about what you need to do to help him or her. They say when you meet one autistic person, you've met one autistic person. What this means is that everyone will have their own strengths and their own areas that they need help with. This means treatment will vary from one autistic person to the next. To help you figure out what types of help your child may benefit from, you will want to check out the following information.
Speech Therapy
Many people with children on the autism spectrum find that their child is delayed in speech. If you already know that your child is behind in their speech, you will want to sign them up for speech therapy. If you are not sure whether your child is far enough behind to warrant speech therapy sessions, you should call for a formal assessment of your child.
ABA Therapy
This is a type of therapy that many people have strong opinions about. Some rave about the success their children had with ABA therapy, while others felt it was too restrictive and felt that it was not the right fit for their child. ABA therapy clinics can be found all across the country, and your insurance company may or may not cover it as it is not currently considered a medical necessity.
Special Needs Schooling
Even if your child is still very young, you may want to at least get them into a preschool setting. However, if your autistic child does not seem to be ready for a standard preschool, you will want to find a special needs preschool. There are even autism schools for older children. Public school districts or medical insurance companies will typically cover the cost of autism schools. By going to an autism school, your child will receive autism spectrum treatment and therapies during school hours.
If you want help finding additional resources for autism treatment and therapies, you will want to reach out to autism caseworkers or advocates that can help you find all of the help that you can get for your child. It might feel a little overwhelming at first, but you will soon get into a routine with the various treatments and therapies that you take your child to and that they receive at school throughout the week. Look for someone who provides autism spectrum treatments to learn more.