Healthy Living

Is There a Cure for Autism?

Is There a Cure for Autism?

It is natural to ask your doctor about the cure for any disease once you have been diagnosed with it. The same is true for those diagnosed with autism. Unfortunately, there is no cure for autism.

Various behavioral adjustment methods and medications that manage autism’s core symptoms are available to the affected child.

You should also be aware of the major leaps in the knowledge we now have about autism since it was first discovered in the 1940s. What was first largely misunderstood and thought of as a product of demonic possession can now be early discovered.

Let us understand the disease Autism

Every child or adult having autism is unique one. The disease of autism changes according to every persons specifications.  For autism, it is mainly dependent on behavioural treatments and also the specified medicines or both. Some of the persons can have the additional conditions which differ from person to person. Some of the persons have some particular behavioural symptoms which may not be similar with others.

It is all dependent on personal way of life and the thinking capabilities too. Some people may suffer from physical conditions or mental abilities such as sleeplessness,   seizures, gastric problems and even stress or body pain.  The symptoms of autism may vary partially or completely.

Why there still isn’t a cure for autism

Apart from medication being unique, the symptoms, too, are varied. All those affected with autism, whether the individual is an adult or child, exhibit varying symptoms of ASD, and two individuals with the same diagnosis can act completely different from one another. That is why treatment and cures become more difficult and complex. 

Early interventions help

Most the behavioural ways are mainly affected by the influence of the family and the members of the family, the team members of professional group who are working closely. In most of the cases the therapist who come into the homes to offer training to the children  which includes the special parent training  which includes the sessions relating to parent training programs. 

The training programs are conducted and successfully executed under the guidance of the therapists. Other type of programs is the one which are conducted in the classrooms or in the preschools for the children delivering the required sessions of the therapy which is part of early intervention.

The early interventions and the therapy support offered to the children help in developing the child with autism in acquiring the skills and becoming better and more appropriate in child development.  It also helps in acquiring social and learning skills which is highly essential.  

When the children with autism enter into the school, the therapy skills help the children in their approach regarding studies and in social skills which becomes part of the life. The special approaches are specialized for example, they may benefit from targeted social skills training and specialized approach in learning is always helps under all different circumstances.

Autism in adolescents benefits in the transition services to promote the process of growing and becoming mature and becoming independent. It helps in successful transition process and in getting employment opportunities and work options.

Comprehensive behavioural models

The main objective of the scientific studies helps to confirm the benefits which are of two types of comprehensive behavioural early intervention. It is popularly known as Lovaas model which is based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and the other Early Start Denver model.

Most of the parents and therapists found that the other commonly used behavioural therapies which are also successful are - Floortime, Pivotal Response Therapy and Verbal Behaviour Therapy.

Treatment options for autism

Because there is no medication that can cure autism, behavioral therapy is mostly used to reinforce positive behaviors. These can be through programs that promote the following:

  • Structured, therapeutic activities for at least 25 hours every week
  • Interventions by trained therapists and paraprofessionals for autism therapy. This involves social, language, daily living and motor skills
  • Interactions with other typically developing peers

Unlike what most people expect, there are those who have been diagnosed with autism and have still managed to obtain a job and keep that job, have healthy relationships, and even marry and have children. They are able to show a wide range of human emotions, including making eye contact, laughing, smiling, and even showing affection. This shows that despite the lack of a cure for it, it is still very manageable. You should, therefore, not despair upon receiving the diagnosis, but know that there is a solution.

Autism Treatment for toddlers and preschool children

The scientific study has helped in improving the intensive behavioural intervention and communication learning along with understanding of social skills which help the young children having autism. The result of the training session may vary among the children having autism. The outcomes can differ but it is always beneficial for the children. The research shows that there are many models of early intervention but it can vary offering effective ways. They vary in partially or completely but most of the early intervention programs have number o common features such as :

  • Children get the well-structured training sessions and the therapeutic activities for about 24 hours per week.
  • The experts and the well trained therapists help the children while delivering the intervention. The paraprofessionals always carry the training sessions under the expertise of experienced professional who are highly skilled in handling in autism therapy.
  • The well-defined learning objectives have become part of the therapy which can be guided by most useful and highly specific objectives which help in child’s progress. It allows the children to become more active and their performance can be regularly evaluated and recorded.
  • The sessions conducted for the children focus on the core values which helps in to overcome autism and it includes daily activities in form of social skills, language skills, communication, and imitation along with play skills, daily living and motor skills.
  • The interactive sessions allows the children many more opportunities of growing and understanding. It also opens the children where they start interacting with each other which is highly effective part of training.
  • The training sessions also involve the parents and it helps them in everyday life while making decisions or while deciding the treatments.
  •  Even the therapists help the children and the parents in respecting the unique needs, values and outlook of the child and their families.
  • The program is conducted by the team of experienced physician, speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist, who work together in achieving the best possible results.

Autism spectrum disorders

The children diagnosed with autism can achieve the best outcome status. This means they have been suffering from different tests for IQ, language, adaptive functioning, school placement and personality, but still have mild symptoms on some personality and diagnostic tests.  Some of the children no longer meet the reasons to diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and can be suffering from deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorder or a high-functioning form of autism such as Asperger Syndrome.

 Presently, it is not known that, how many more people are suffering in their lives and are fighting to overcome the disease to in order to progress in the lives. It is needed to do more research in the area of the disease to determine what genetic, physiological or developmental factors act against it and how soon the disease can be abolished completely. The significant improvement in autism symptoms is mostly becomes a part of early interventions, but it is difficult to find which one can be more helpful for and the more responsive for the children.

It is understood that most of the people having autism live the life independently and fulfill their lives by getting the most deserved opportunities. They show the productivity, growth and also have the normal relationships which help them in enjoying their lives completely and successfully. With better interventions and complete support the people affected by the disease autism can perform better than rest of others.

The disease autism if treated properly under the guidance of experts with early interventions and the well-planned training sessions which surely helps the children in enjoying the lives entirely without any difficulty. 

Hope for an autism cure

A recent study published in the Daily Mail showed that a major breakthrough had been discovered by scientists. They have discovered that a subset of T-cells release interleukin 17 (IL-17), which had been previously discovered in higher concentrations among those diagnosed with autism.

By learning the cause of the disorder, the scientists are now working on methods of decreasing the production of IL-17 by mothers during pregnancy, hence preventing children from contracting autism. Furthermore, they hope that a cure may also be developed from these findings by lowering the levels of IL-17 produced by autistic children and adults.