Conventional medicine is also known as Western medicine. It is a system of medical approach in which medical doctor and other health professionals such as nurses, medical technician and specialists and therapists, etc. use medication, radiation, medical equipments or surgery to treat symptoms of disease and diseases.
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II. How conventional medicine effects autism
A. Diagnosis
For the disease to be treated effectively, the conventional doctor first has to diagnose what causes the symptoms of the disease or diseases. It is helped by blood test, logical screen, psychological and physical examination, etc. The diagnosis of children with development disorder is always a stressful and time consuming road for both parent and children, because each doctor in conventional medicine mostly specializes in one field and can not make any suggestion outside of his or her professional judgement. You may be recommended to see other specialists if one found to be necessary. Since autism is complex disease, it requires a team of doctor before it can be diagnosed correctly and many wrong diagnosis have been done, leading to overwhelming pressure and time wasting to the parent and their children. Fortunately, many cases of autism have been correctly diagnosed and are treated accordingly.
To avoid wasting your time, here is the basic list of doctors and specialists who have been required for all children with development disorder to be diagnosed correctly.
a. Development and behaviour pediatrician
b. Paediatric neurologist
c. Children psychiatrist
d. Children psychologist
e. Speech and language pathologist
f. Occupational therapist
g. Physical therapist
h. Play therapist
i. Social worker
Some children may require more or less specialists than the list above in their road to find a cure, but we believe the list is a basic team for fast and corrected diagnosis.
B. Types of conventional treatment
1. Animal therapy
Animal therapy focus to improve in the inter action between the child and animal, thereby increasing the child confident in building relation ship as well as sensory and motor issues.
2. Auditory integration therapy
The program uses modified music and sound with an aim to correct the problems of child's in processing and understanding speech and sound.
3. Augmentative communication
Augmentative communication helps to support the child's communication output by acting as a bridge until speech develops or by providing an alternative if speech fails to develop. It includes picture exchange communication, picture and symbol displays, technological support for communication, sign language and body language.
4. Behaviour treatments
The aims of behaviour treatment is to help the autistic children to overcome the emotional , behavioural and cognitive dysfunction through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure. It is said that this types of treatment have proven to be successful in treating mood, anxiety, personality, eating, substance abuse, and psychotic disorders in some degrees.
5. Chelation
Since children with autism have a weakened secretion system, Cchelation helps to remove heavy metals accumulated in the brain through medication taken by IV or by mouth or rubbed on the skin. Although, it is a new treatment, but in theory, it decreases physical and behaviour problems.
6. Diet
Daily diet is always important for autistic or non autistic children. Since most autistic children have problem of weakened immune system and problem with toxic elimination, intake of foods which help to strengthen immune and improve toxin secretion will do no harm while avoiding intake of foods which may elevate the allergic and gastrointestinal problem are always essential.
Choosing fresh and organic foods carefully will always help to reduce metabolic conditions for autistic children.
7. Discrete trial training
Discrete trial training is a program which helps to improve the basic skills for autistic children
a) Pre learning skills such as sit, attending, look at your class mate and teacher, etc.
b) Safe skills such as know their name, address, parent phone number, etc
Before the children can proceed the more complex language, academic and social skills by beginning of with a breaking off the skills into small part and taught in repetitive drills. The process of the children is record and rewarded if the response is appropriate.
8. Facilitated communication
The program helps the non verbal students to communicate with others while someone helps to support their hands and arm.
9. Immunological treatments
The types of therapy helps to alter immune system deficit for children with autism, including steroid, infusion and intravenous munoglobulin, depending to the child's diagnosis. These treatments may carry long term health risk. There are many herbs which can help such as ginko boliba if you want to use herb or other alternative treatment for this type of disorder, please consult with your doctor before applying.
10. Medication
Medicine used by conventional medicine to treat some symptoms of autism such as hyperactive, anxiety, moodswing, seizure, gastrointestinal disorder have been proven very effective, but with some side effects, therefore it is for the child benefit to keep the dose as low as possible
a ) Tranquilizers
i) Effects
Tranquilizers include thioridazine (Mellaril), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol) and risperidol (Risperdal) which help to treat symptoms of behaviour problem by regulating the production of dopamine, thereby increasing their attention and concentration in school and at home thus making them more able to learn.
ii) Side effect of tranquilizers include
*Sedation or sleepiness.
** Less common side effects include changes in the function of the liver, effects on blood cells, restlessness or agitation, sensitivity of the skin to the sun, and true allergic reactions
*** Re occurrence of the symptoms if the medication is stopped
b) Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor
i) Effects
It works well for children with depression and anxiety disorders, by regulating the production of serotonin which is vital for responsible and controlling the fundamental physiological aspects of the body
ii) Side effects
*Urinary retention
** Easily agitated or upset.
*** Dizziness and Fatigue
**** Change in appetite and sleep and etc.
11. Musical therapy
Musical therapy focus in using music through singing, movement and musical instruments to assist learning of language, communication and social skills.
12. Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a type of program, helping to compromise physically, intellectually or emotionally to integrate coping skills into their lives in order to perform necessary tasks. but for children with autism, the main goal of occupational therapy is to integrate sensory perception through recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli based chiefly on memory, therefore it helps the child to gain a more peaceful frame of mind and concentrate on certain tasks.
13. Play therapy
Play therapy is focus in using plays to improve the language, speech, communication, emotional and social skills.
14. Physical therapy
Physical therapy is also known as physiotherapy. The main goal of this program is to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability for the children with autism, such as walking, jumping, running, etc. so that the children can increase their physical strength, balance and motility as well as better sensory integration.
15. Rapid-prompting method
Soma Mukhopadhyay is the founder of rapid-prompting method. The method involves constant, fast-paced questioning and combined with the use of a low-tech alphabet board for spelled communication to keep the students attention and prompt rapid response from the students.
16. Recreational therapy
Encouraging the child to participate in some types of sport such as swimming, gymnastic, dance etc., thereby increasing the child awareness of social interaction.
17. Relationship development intervention
Relationship development intervention believes autism children can adapt to authentic emotional relationships with others and different environments if they are given opportunity to learn them in a gradual, systematic way by using highly structured games, exercises, back and forth focused communication, share experience and plays with others of that help to build up the experience of interacting in social relationships.
18. Social skill group
Children plays together under supervision of parents and specialist such as psychologist, this helps to improve the social interaction and social skills, thereby increasing the child awareness of inappropriate behaviours and interest in playing with other children.
19. Social story
By telling simple story with lots of pictures and sometimes words, the program improves the autistic children self help and social skills and prepare the child for the change of routine and in new environment.
20. Son-rise
Son-rise is one of the method has been taught to parent with autistic children in the 70s, unfortunately there are no published independent study has tested the efficacy of the program. The program believes by accepting autistic children as they are, with no prejudgement and interacting with them with positive, enthusiastic way as well as encouraging the children in more meaningful communication of that can help the children overcome verbal and social interactive deficit.
21. Speech and language therapy
It is a program designed to improve the autistic children ability in speech production, vocal production, swallowing difficulties and language needs and the use of language. The program can be run through different contexts including schools, hospitals, and private clinic or therapist's office.
22. Treatment and education of autism and related communication-handicap
It is a class program with the aim to teach autistic children independent work, life by communication and social skills by focusing in repetitive routines, picture schedules and structural settings.
23. Verbal behaviour
It is first discovered by Skinner, a psychologist. It helps the children to language and speech by breaking off the sentence into small part and taught in systematic way by assessing the minute details of initial and progress communication skills through gaps filling. Parent are requested to response and reward their child as well. As the communicative skills progress, the children are taught to make request, ask question and engage in more complex conversation. The program is only a theory with little experimental research until recently.
24. Vision therapy
Vision therapy may be necessary, if the child is suspected to have problem of seeing or understanding and learning for what he or she see.
25. Vitamins and supplements
Since children with autism is lack of vitamin B6, vitamin E and other trace minerals, it is no harm if they are taken in small dose. If you want to use them or high doses, please consult with your child's doctor before applying.
In fact, there are no single type of treatment which is likely to be effective for all children and all families. Instead, intervention will need to be adapted to individual needs and the value of approaches.
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