Prevention During and After PregnancySince the cause of autism is unknown, no preventative measures are proven to be 100% effective.
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Treatments in ToddlersIt is extremely rare that a child becomes "cured" of autism. The more common approach are treatments, which can vary from behavioral approaches to unconventional alternatives.
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The majority of autism prevention tactics focus on staying as healthy and organic as possible during your pregnancy. Prevent-Autism.org has created a list of 9 things to do/avoid during and after pregnancy to decrease the risk of autism in your child:
These tips are not proven to prevent autism but they will certainly lead to a healthier pregnancy/lifestyle for your child ("How to prevent," 2012). Some researchers suggest that the intake of folic acids via prenatal vitamins can decrease the risk of autism. This theory has not been proven but more research is being conducted (Berry, Crider & Marshalyn, 2013). Is there a cure?Treatments have not been proven to cure autism. In some very rare cases, children have made such improvements that they become "normal" and parents boast that they were cured of autism. These "miracle cures" cannot be proven, however, because the actual cause of autism is still unknown. Treatments begun early in life have lessened the severity of children's autism, but there is no cure for this mysterious disorder.
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Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
According to Shirley Cohen (author of Targeting Autism), Applied Behavior Analysis is "considered the treatment with the strongest foundation of supportive data from research." ABA is a form of educational intervention that slowly teaches a child to become more responsive to their environment. It is most effective if started early; an older child with autism will be set in their ways and will reject the intervention more adamantly than a younger child. ABA includes games or activities that force a child to interact with others or smaller, less-invasive approaches such as making a child vocalize what they want and make eye contact with others . Alternative Treatments Most alternative treatments are fads that fade in and out of existence; a researcher will find a new possibility and parents will rush to see if it will cure their child; if it doesn't work, they will wait until another "miracle cure" is found. Usually these treatments only help a small percentage of autistic children and tend to be very costly. Dietary restrictions are an alternative treatment that has been around for awhile. Some children with autism are sensitive to casein and gluten so parents put them on a dairy-free and gluten-free diet; this method has shown improvements in some autistic children but it's mostly effective for those who have been misdiagnosed and are actually suffering from an intestinal disorder. Other alternative treatments include ways to lessen a child's reactions to sounds; sensory integration that is supposed to decrease their hypersensitivity overall; or facilitated communication that allows autistic children to communicate in ways that are not vocal. (Chawarska, Klin & Volkmar, 2008) |