Behavioral therapy is a used treatment for children with autism. It identifies and modifies specific behaviors through positive reinforcement and other behavior change techniques. This essay will delve into the effectiveness of behavioral therapy for children with autism and provide two references to support the information.
One of the critical benefits of behavioral therapy for children with autism is that it can help them learn new skills and behaviors essential for social interactions and daily living. For example, a child with autism may struggle with basic communication skills, such as making eye contact, taking turns in conversation, or using appropriate body language. Behavioral therapy can help the child learn these skills by breaking
…show more content…
For example, in a study published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, researchers found that behavioral therapy was associated with significant improvements in social skills, communication, and behavior in children with autism (Eikeseth et al., 2002). Also, another study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that behavioral therapy was more effective than standard care in improving communication and social skills in children with autism (Green et al., 2010).
Besides the benefits of behavioral therapy, it is vital to consider the limitations of this approach. One limitation is that behavioral therapy may not be suitable for all children with autism, as some may have more complex needs that must use other forms of treatment or support. Another limitation is that behavioral therapy can be time-consuming and costly, involving regular sessions with a therapist or specialist.
Despite these limitations, behavioral therapy remains a valuable treatment option for children with autism. By providing structured and consistent interventions that focus on specific behaviors, behavioral therapy can help children with autism make significant progress in their development and quality of life. With the help of positive reinforcement and other behavior change techniques, children with autism can learn new skills, reduce challenging behaviors, and improve
Children with autism may have the following social and communication skills and common behaviors”
Autism can prevent a person from socializing and forming relationships with others. People with autism tend to repeat, as well as attach to, odd and unusual behaviors; a consistent routine is important
Secondly, special educational programs are also useful when it comes to treating ASD. Because ASD affects people’s minds, special education programs must be used to teach them how to interact, communicate and work. Hopefully that would help them to acquire good jobs in the future. The third treatment that has been used a lot is behavioral therapy, and usually there are no real attempts for this therapy even with its great effectiveness. It focuses on making the autistic person’s surrounding environment, convenient, and how he or she is involved in it.
One of the most usual arguments in favor of prolonged treatment is that it could yield results. The problem with this claim is that there is little research or trials to enforce it. Padawer brings forth a single case of a child that has combated Autism which does give a small validation to the fact that extensive care can be beneficial. This however is insignificant to the thousands of other cases circulating without helpful research that can make a difference for the children. A study by Deborah L. Kasman, researcher in medical futility, founded that there is a point where treatment is futile.
The three distinctive behaviours of Autism are: Repetitive behaviours, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction. When parents realize that their child has autism they should be emotionally strong. Being consistent in your child’s learning environment is very key to reinforce learning. Also they should be able to find non-verbal ways to communicate with their child. You just have to learn their language of communication.
Numerous opinions on autism therapy are stated over time and controversy is strong. A therapy that is most common among autism therapists is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA teaches the person with autism skills with the use of rewards and punishments, if could be stated as
ABA therapy changes how the child acts by making them afraid to show their autistic traits. This is often referred to as “masking” in the autistic community. It’s mentally draining and forces the person to hide who they are. It’s part of the process that leads to PTSD and increased suicide rates. This research has proven that while the practices and ideas of ABA therapy are abusive and harmful to autistic children, this doesn’t mean the therapists have bad intentions.
When looking at reviews on interventions used with children with asd it appears not all are effective there are features of some that are more effective than others. There has been a great level of importance placed on the key features that promote the effectiveness and that start the intervention process as early as possible that most children benefit from over 15 hours per week of intervention, the more the better. Including interventions were parents and carers can be involved. Interventions that seem to show the most affect are behavioural approaches and those that address the issues of social communication. There is no intervention that will reduce symptoms of autism, there are ones that focus on improving life skills and other abilities
According to Corey, behavior therapy refers to the application of diverse techniques and procedures that are rooted in various theories of learning”. (p.338.) The purpose of Prolonged Exposure
Purpose: The purpose of this speech is to persuade a parent whose child has received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder to provide their child with critical early life intervention therapy as well as educate the parent on ABA therapy in addition to touching on a handful of other possible therapies. After delivering this speech, I want my audience to understand why early intervention will provide their child with the best chance of matriculation into society later in life. I want to prompt every audience member to research further therapies available as treatment for their child’s disorder and ultimately decide to enroll their child in a therapy. Intended Audience: My perfect audience would be parents and family members in relation to a young child, between the ages of eighteen months and three years old, that has recently been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
For this internship, I provided early intensive behavior intervention services for children aged 2-7 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. I helped children improve their independence, skill development, self-care, safety, sensory processing, and communication skills. I also interned at The Bridge Autism Clinic as a Behavior Therapist during the summer of 2022. While employed there, I worked with children aged 2-12 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. I followed each child's prescribed behavioral skill acquisition and behavior reduction protocols to help improve their skills and prepare them for school.
Summary: Positive behavioural supports are specifically intended to increase the occurrence of desirable behaviours with students who struggle to consistently behave in an appropriate manner and to eliminate (or gradually decrease) negative and undesirable behaviours, both in school and outside of school. The primary focus of such interventions is often on students with autism who struggle with social interaction and behaviour, social communication and, resort to repetitive, potentially disruptive and occasionally, self-injurious behaviours. Therefore, positive behavioural supports that are visual and easily accessible by the student have been proven to reduce undesirable behaviours and to increase more positive, desirable behaviours. The most common form of visual behaviour support in the classroom is picture schedules. These schedules are used to inform and remind students of events, lessons and, changes that are to occur during the regular school day.
•Beliefs (B) •Activating events (A) •Consequences (C) •Therapist as a teacher; correct “illogical” thinking Cognitive Therapy: Modify thought patterns, empirically supported, social learning theory, sense of self-efficacy and active process. 5. What are the strengths and limitations of behavioral therapy?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves behavioral, social, and communication problems. Typically, doctors do not evaluate children for autism due to their immaturity—their behaviors are usually inconsistent. By working at a preschool, I have learned to identify behavioral, social, and communication differences that may lead to the diagnosis of autism. Based on a possibly autistic child’s needs, I have also learned to change the classroom experience and the importance of early intervention. Being employed at a preschool, I work with a child named Ava, who is currently being treated for possible autism.
Social Communication/Emotional Regulation/Transactional Support (SCERTS) ability to learn and spontaneously apply functional and relevant skills Uses practices from other approaches Training and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) capitalize on the relative strength while taking into account the recognized difficulties To help the individual map out activities and work independently Verbal Behavior (VB) the development of language Developing a connection between a word and its value. Table 1: list of additional teaching methods of autism Instruction