Treatment of autism: medicines, diet and therapies (and how to take care of the child)

The treatment of autism, despite not curing this syndrome, is capable of improving communication, concentration and decreasing repetitive movements, improving the quality of life in the soil of the autistic person, as well as in his family.

For an effective treatment, it is recommended to carry out with a multidisciplinary team composed of doctors, nutritionists, physiotherapists, psychotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists, who indicate the specific therapies for each patient and, depending on each case, they must be carried out for life.

In addition, there are innovations on food care and activities such as music therapy and horse therapy, which can largely contribute to improving this condition.

Therefore, some important strategies for treating autism in mild or severe cases include:

1. Medicines

Although there are no specific drugs to treat and cure autism, the doctor may recommend drugs that can combat symptoms related to autism such as aggression, hyperactivity, impulsiveness and difficulty in dealing with frustration, such as clozapine, risperidone and aripiprazole.

It is very important that, even with the use of medication indicated by the doctor, other measures are adopted that help to alleviate the symptoms and, therefore, reduce the dose of medication in the future.

2. Food

It is important that the child’s diet be varied and rich in vitamins and minerals, and in this way it is possible to guarantee healthy growth.

It is common that the child with autism spectrum disorder has alterations in the eating habits, being able to reject the food for its texture, flavor or odor with more frequency. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to what the child rejects and how the food is prepared and to try to make him consume that food in another way.

See the following video for some ways to help your child eat:

3. Therapies

There are several therapies that can be indicated in cases of autism, which are determined by the doctor according to the needs of the child, these therapies are:

speech therapy

The follow-up with the speech therapist is important to improve the verbal communication of the autistic with the world. During the sessions, several exercises are performed that can help the child increase his vocabulary and improve the intonation of the voice, and games can be performed to attract the child’s attention.

music therapy

Music helps the autistic to understand emotions, increasing their interaction with the surrounding world. The objective is not to learn to sing or play any instrument, it is only important to know how to express yourself through the sounds that the instruments can produce through dance movements in a light and relaxed environment.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy must be guided by the psychologist and can be carried out individually or in a group, with weekly meetings. In it, behavioral therapy can be used, for example, which can help the child to dress alone.

psychomotricity

You can be guided by a specialist in physical therapists and during the sessions you can perform different games that can help the child to focus his attention in a single turn, tie the shoes, contributing to better control of repetitive movements that are common in case of autism.

horse riding

The therapy with horses is very useful to improve the reaction of addressing the body when the child is on top of the animal, the motor coordination, the control of breathing and the development of the self-confidence of the autistic. Sessions generally last between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

How to take care of an autistic child at home

Some important precautions to be taken at home to improve the quality of life of an autistic person are:

• Observe if the child has a special talent, because many autistic people have an aptitude for mathematics, music, design or computing, for example;
• Respect the routines, pues el autista do not tolerate change;
• Avoid having furniture and objects that are not necessary at home, to protect you from accidents;
• Develop good habits of the sueño, respecting the bedtime, with less intense light and light meals before going to bed.

Another important advice is to avoid places like cafes and supermarkets, as there are many stimuli in these places like very bright lights and noise that can cause discomfort in the child.