While you can’t “cure” autism—either at home or under a professional’s care—parents can provide aspects of six well-established, risk-free therapies on their own without investing a ton of time or money. These therapies include:
Play therapySpeech therapyApplied Behavior Analysis (ABA)FloortimeRelationship Development Intervention (RDI)Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for aggressive behaviors
Such parent-mediated interventions have been shown to provide long-term symptom reduction. And best of all, these are therapies that can help parents bond with their children while also building skills.
Many parents can get started with these therapies by reading, watching videos, or attending classes online or in person. Other parents prefer working with a trained therapist until they feel comfortable taking the lead. Even if parents choose to work with a therapist, they can also learn to provide therapy for their child between therapy sessions, thus building their own skills while lowering the cost of therapy.
Read on to learn about these six therapies and how they can help with autism at home.
Both parents and siblings can take part in play therapy. You can start by connecting with your child through simple chase-and-tickle games, bubble blowing, or sensory activities such as swinging, sliding, or wriggling through a tube. As your child’s abilities grow, you may be able to build toward back-and-forth turn-taking games, collaborative games, or even make-believe.
Hanen’s More Than Words and Talkability programs are specifically designed for parents to use with their autistic children and are at the same time terrific techniques for bonding with your child. You can take an in-person Hanen class to learn their techniques or purchase their guidebook/DVD combos and get started.
It’s also possible to use the basic concepts behind ABA in many different settings without any kind of formal training. That’s because the basics of ABA are really pretty simple and intuitive:
Choose the skill you want to teach (for example: brush your teeth). Break the skill down into simple steps (find your toothbrush, wet it, etc. ). Show the first step to your child; you may have to work hand-over-hand a few times. Once you’re sure your child understands how to do the step on their own, ask them to do so. If they do a good job, praise and reward them with a small treat. If they don’t comply, ask them again. If necessary, repeat the training so you’re sure your child is clearly connecting the words you use to the action you’re requesting. Once your child is successful with the first step, teach the second step. If your child needs support with linking together the steps (chaining), provide them with a visual aid such as a chart showing the steps of the skills you’re teaching.
Floortime involves joining the child’s activities and following the child’s lead through play. Sessions can be led by parents, guardians, and even older siblings. They last around 20 minutes or more and can be done just about anywhere.
Parents can learn about Floortime and learn Floortime techniques by taking online courses, watching videos, reading books, or working with a Floortime therapist.
This model focuses on activities that help the child develop the ability to think flexibly and handle social situations. This includes learning how to cope with change and understand different perspectives. Unlike Floortime, however, RDI has a prescribed series of goals and activities and requires that parents work with a consultant in order to get started.
If you’re interested in using a developmental therapy with your child and prefer a clearly defined program (and have the money to hire a consultant to get started), RDI might be a great choice for you.
According to their website: “To interrupt a cycle of escalating negative behaviors between parent and child, the parents learn to incorporate clear limit-setting within the context of an authoritative relationship.
PCIT posits that a strong, secure attachment relationship is a necessary foundation for establishing effective limit-setting and consistency in discipline, which leads to improved mental health for both parent and child.“
