What is valued and under-considered in current practice for children with ASD?

In all fields of treatment, both in schools, hospitals and rehabilitation centers, the target is the use of therapy techniques that are research –based. Evidence-based practice includes the use of therapy, treatments, and techniques that have been proven to be successful and to promote improvement with a certain population. Unfortunately, in the area of Speech and Language Pathology, there are few studies that are directly related to our field for the programs that I have covered in this blog. Generally, in the area of autism, the most research has been completed on ABA programs and success has been seen, albeit slowly, depending on the level of deficit. Therefore, I feel that ABA programs are the most valued, especially by parents and those whose training is in the area of Applied Behavior Analysis. There is a study from the University of Wisconsin that compares the research in several programs for students with autism and how the techniques apply to the field of Speech Pathology.

I am including the link to the student research study below:

http://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/23126

From the extensive and very interesting research that has been read for this course, I feel that any program that is developed for children with autism needs to include the core deficits of that particular child or individual. Therefore, each program should look different for each child. Both behavior and social/emotional based programming is needed in most cases for individuals with ASD, as their core deficits fall in these areas. Additionally, the inclusion of strategies to help with issues of environmental complexity and to help meet the sensory needs of each child will also need to be incorporated in a comprehensive program for those with ASD. Programming should also continue to be adapted as the child’s needs change.
One example is the need for ABA treatment procedures for a child that has many behavior issues and no beginning communication. The ABA programming will help to develop the beginning prerequisite skills, communication, specifically the ability to request wants and needs, and following directions. Along with that the child may be receiving sensory strategies to help them to modulation themselves and strategies to improve joint attention (following a point, following a person’s gaze). As these skills develop, play, initiation with adults and peers, teaching executive function skills that we have learned are important, categorization, as well as teaching deficit areas in academic skills and socialization will be added throughout the years to help the individual with autism continue to succeed and be better prepared for the transition to adolescence and adulthood.

The link below is a song that I just discovered on youtube that captures the essence of why we need to use whatever methods will help the increasing number of children with autism be successful in life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hiQYurSJCQ&feature=related