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Treatment of Autism
Standoffish in manner State Services
State Services for Developmental Disabilities Typical state services for people with autism include respite, habilitation, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. In order to qualify for services, children or adults must be diagnosed with autism (not PDD or Asperger’s which do not qualify) by a licensed psychia-trist or psychologist with training in childhood development. Furthermore, the applicant must meet three of seven functional limitations: Self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living and economic self-sufficiency.
School Programmes
For children younger than three years old, there are early intervention programs. For children over three years of age, there are pre-school and school programmes available. Parents should contact their local school district for information on their local programmes. In some cases a separate program for special-needs children may be best, but for higher-functioning children integration into a regular school setting may be more appropriate, provided that there is enough support (a part or full-time aide, or other accommodations as needed). It is important that parents work with their child’s teacher on an Individual Education Plan (IEP), which outlines in great detail the child’s educational program. Additionally, meeting with the child’s classmates and/or their parents can be helpful in encouraging other students to in-teract positively with the autistic child.
In some states, home therapy programmes (such as ABA and speech therapy) may be funded by the school district, rather than through the state. However, it may take considerable effort to convince the school district to provide those services.
Early signs of ASD
- No pointing by one year of age
- No baby talk by one year; No single words by 16 months; no two-word phrases by 24 months
- Any loss of language skills at any time
- No pretend playing
- Little interest in making friends
- Extremely short attention span
- No response when called by name
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