PECS? TEACCH? ABA? Son-Rise? Daily Life Therapy?

What is the right intervention for your child? There is much talk about the importance of early interventions, but with so much on offer, what is best for you and your child?

I have picked five interventions at random, there are many more available. Each have strong advocates, and they are all reasonably well established approaches.

You could spend a long time researching them all, or you could choose one and hope for the best. Or you could do a pick and mix. I think there are elements to all approaches that are useful, though some may be more useful to one child than another. What they all have in common is that they are all active interventions, and my contention is that perhaps that above all is key.

Applied Behaviour Analysis interventions can be very intensive, the Lovaas approach can be up to 40 hours a week of one to one instruction by the time the child reaches the age of 3. The Son-Rise program includes the use of a distraction free play room, where the child is joined by an adult for multiple hours each day. What these programs give is a reason to interact with your child for many hours a day.

If having a program to follow means that such a high level of interaction results, then so be it. However, I wonder how much progress a child with autism would make simply by having enjoyable, intensive play with an adult partner whose only criteria for success was that both they and the child enjoyed themselves immensely? A lot of progress methinks.

Just a thought. I’d love to read your comments.

By all accounts, the sensory experiences of people with autism can be very different from what most of us experience. However, it can be difficult for us to appreciate the extent of this difference.

This excellent, and very short, animated film contains some useful commentary by a few individuals with autism, as they share about their personal sensory experiences. The film “lasts exactly 11 minutes” according to a voice at the beginning of the film. Check it out:

 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001P1BKC/qid=1153680999/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3838293-2651134?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130

or

if you are in the uk:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001P1BKC/202-5234689-2435806?v=glance&n=283926

I’d be interested in your comments.