What have you found most effective for your child with Autism?

[Sarah]

I am looking for new things to try with Sophie. I Don't feel like I am doing enough. I mostly just do biomedical intervention and I see improvements with her but as far as therapy, we do nothing. What is worth doing? What has been effective for your child?

[Lisalyn]

Hey Sarah,

Because of Eli's heart, (and finances:unsure:) we are very limited in what we can do biomedically.

He gets a multi vitamin and fish oil daily.

He has been getting a variety of therapies for the past year. They are all important, but the ABA discrete trial he gets is by far and hands-down the one thing that has made the biggest difference. It is time consuming, expensive, and HARD, but so worth it.

This book is one of the best I've found. A Work in Progress (http://www.amazon.com/Work-Progress-Management-Strategies-Curriculum/dp/0966526600).

In the past year, Eli has gone from being nonverbal to asking a handful of 'what' questions. Very exciting! No where near where he should be at nearly 4, but a huge step forward!

[Alice R]

I don't have a child with special needs...but I certainly take note of how kids progress and what parents tell me.

I personally have not seen much progress with the Greenspan method.

The most progress I have seen by far and the parents swear it works, is ABA therapy.

For example, I evaluate a child for the 0-3 and then land up re-evaluating for the 3-5 program. I am amazed at the progress of the child. AMAZED.

Sometimes I evauate a child for 0-3 and I am in the ABA center based program and I see a kid I remember evaluating (usually with tough behavior) and they are sitting nicely, doing trials and doing well with them!

I will say that the social skils are still behind...in our NYC program, the kids get 15 hours of ABA in a center, 5 hours of socialization with typically developing children and then about 20 hours of ABA at home. The ABA is working well. The part where they interact with other kids? so-so. That is the hardest area for a child with PDD so of course, that would be the weak area. Although, I have seen some kids do well there too.

[Chalane (FL)]

I know this thread is old, but when I saw it I had to add to it:unsure:

Is your child verbal? If not I suggest sign (we use ASL)

Leighton is on a stricked GFCF diet. No cheating allowed!

We use probiotics.

ABA has helped so much.

The GFCF detox and the probiotics caused a "yeast die off" period that we're very tough emotionally and physically for two weeks each. I would still do it all over again because of the positive changes I've seen in Leighton.

Hope this helps.

[shonda in ca]

Sarah, have you ever looked in to RDI? I never did the consultation, but I do have 2 activity books. Great therapy ideas in there.

[**Chrissy**]

As far as biomedical, I would have to say the most profound treatment has been digestive enzymes. Ds has the classic "autism diarrhea" 4 to 5 times a day, every day for 2.5 years straight, which of course led to failure-to-thrive, which no doctor seemed to pick up on. Probiotics, DHA and glutathione definitely helped, but healing his GI tract with digestive enzymes is when his treatments really stated working.