Autism correction: modern methods and rehabilitation programs
Most specialists admit that psychological and pedagogical correction has been and remains the main tool for helping an autistic child. It involves special classes, games with an autistic child, a special pedagogical approach. However, there are also a lot of psychological methods by which the correction of early childhood autism is taking place today. What are their differences? How to understand which one is better to choose?
Children's autism, the correction of which requires a whole range of measures, still remains a disorder not fully understood. Parents strive to grab at any "straw", use all possible methods and techniques for the successful treatment and rehabilitation of an autistic child. Therefore, the correction of autism today is most often based on the work of a whole team of specialists (doctors, psychologists, correctional teachers).
It is good if this is a well-coordinated work of a single team of specialists who coordinate rehabilitation measures among themselves. But most of our families simply cannot afford such complex treatment in special clinics. There are also many auxiliary methods and methods of rehabilitation. What to choose?
Early childhood autism: approaches to correction
Specialists in various fields are looking for and suggesting their own approaches to correcting autism:
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Drug therapy (usually prescribed by a psychiatrist and neuropathologist). It does not imply as such a cure for the child. Medication is used in autism with the aim of correcting the child's behavior and leveling various pathological conditions.
- Biomedical treatment of autism in children (a combination of special diets with the intake of vitamins, dietary supplements, antiviral and antifungal complexes).
- The use of physiotherapy and electrical brain stimulation in the treatment of an autistic child.
- A method of bioacoustic correction of autism. Bioacoustic correction involves listening to the child's acoustically transformed own encephalogram.
- Auxiliary methods for the correction of child autism (rehabilitation of an autistic child with the help of animal therapy, art therapy, etc.).
The methods described above are chosen and adopted by parents based on the child's condition. However, most specialists admit that psychological and pedagogical correction has been and remains the main tool for helping an autistic child. It involves special classes, games with an autistic child, a special pedagogical approach. Medication and other types of correction can only act as an auxiliary tool.
However, there are also a lot of psychological methods by which the correction of early childhood autism is taking place today. What are their differences? How to understand which one is better to choose?
Correction of autism in children: rehabilitation programs
Most of the remedial programs for the autistic child are based on behavioral therapy. It involves rewarding the child for correct, desired behavior and ignoring incorrect or undesirable behavior. It is assumed that the child will seek to repeat exactly the experience (apply the behavioral model) for which he is encouraged.
The most famous today are the following programs for the correction of autism in children:
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ABA program. With this approach, all skills that are difficult for a child are broken down into small actions. Each of them is learned separately with the child. For example, an autistic child is instructed to "raise your hand." If necessary, the teacher gives an example (he raises the child's hand), encouraging for the correct action every time. After several attempts at "task - example - reward", the child is required to independently follow the instruction. If he does it correctly, he gets a reward. When the number of skills learned by the child becomes large enough, they become more complex and generalized.
Experts note that the ABA technique, with its step-by-step learning of a huge number of objects and actions, requires colossal time and effort (homework takes 30 or more hours a week). Parents themselves rarely manage to cope with such a task. Therefore, correcting autism with the ABA program usually requires the involvement of several professionals who take turns working with the child. From a financial point of view, this is available to a very small percentage of families raising an autistic child.
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Game time program. Unlike ABA, this program, according to the author, does not require parents to spend many hours with their child. However, supervisor's advice is still required. The methodology is based on six main stages of development, through which, according to the author, a healthy child passes. In an autistic child, these stages are partially or completely skipped, and the task is to catch them up, to help the child go through them.
The Play Time program does not involve too much “training” as in ABA therapy. Initially, a specialist or parent, on the contrary, adjusts to the child, imitating his actions in order to establish initial contact.
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RMS program (development of interpersonal relations). It is based on the fact that a child with ASD has an impaired ability to empathic connections for some unknown reason, and there is no interest in communication. The technique also relies on certain milestones, stages of emotional development that a healthy child goes through (a response smile, eye contact, the ability to support the game, etc.). The goal is to help a child diagnosed with early childhood autism go through these stages and restore interest in communicating with people.
Unlike the ABA method, there are no "rewards" for the performed action. It is understood that the reward is the very positive emotions that the child learns to experience from contact with people.
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Emotional-level approach. Within its framework, children's autism is considered by the authors as a pervasive disorder, as a result of which the emotional sphere suffers in the first place. Therefore, similar to the RMS program, the emotional-level approach is aimed specifically at the development and correction of the emotional sphere of the autistic child.
This is achieved with the help of games for emotional infection, which can be carried out by both the psychologist and the parent of the child.
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Sensory-integrative therapy. It is based on the fact that childhood autism is often accompanied by a decrease in the child's ability to adequately process the information flows that he receives from various sensory channels. These can be pronounced sensory overload (for example, the child cannot tolerate touch, loud noises, or bright colors). Or there may be a pronounced sensory deficit (an autistic child observably tries to get the missing sensations through autostimulation).
The sensory integration method can use a Montessori room, dry pool, games with unstructured material, tactile games, etc.
Childhood Autism: Correction Requires Accurate Diagnosis
Even from this, far from complete list of correction methods, it can be difficult for parents and teachers to make a choice. The main difficulty lies in the fact that modern diagnostics of childhood autism is aimed primarily at determining the very fact of the presence or absence of autism spectrum disorders.
And the reasons for the development of autism are determined by specialists in completely different ways, therefore, a huge number of methods arise. What still unites every autistic child, what is the reason for his disorders? There are a great many versions:
- sensory disintegration as a result of general information overload
- genetic background, heredity
- compulsory vaccination
- multiple metabolic disorders
- environmental factor.
Not understanding the exact reason why and which particular child develops autism, parents and professionals are often forced to move "blindly", trying in turn all possible ways to help an autistic child. As a result, we are losing precious and irreplaceable time. After all, the most effective correction of autism is at an early age.
Accurate Diagnosis - Successful Autism Correction
All children with autism spectrum disorder do have something in common: a special sensitivity to sound. System-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan explains that an autistic child is by nature a carrier of a sound vector. Its most sensitive area is the ear.
And this means that a child with a sound vector can get serious trauma due to the following reasons:
- screams, quarrels, family conflicts
- offensive meanings in the speech of adults
- loud music, especially hard rock
- the proximity of the child's place of residence to a source of constant noise (near the airport, train station, etc.).
As a result of an intolerable effect on his most sensitive zone (ear), a child with a sound vector is fenced off from the source of stress, plunges into his inner world, and gradually ceases to perceive the outer world. Read more here.
Sounds that are common to us cause unbearable pain to an autistic child. He tends to cover his ears even during everyday noise: a vacuum cleaner, washing dishes, hair dryer or drain. The more stressful sound effects such a child receives, the deeper he goes into himself, loses the ability to perceive speech and its meanings. As a result, the child's learning ability is rapidly decreasing.
The basic condition from which to begin the rehabilitation of an autistic child is the creation of a sound ecology in the house and during classes:
- you should speak with a child quietly and calmly,
- eliminate loud music or other sound sources of stress,
- you can use quiet background classical music, its frequency range is useful for sound baby.
The choice of specific rehabilitation measures depends on the full set of vectors given to the child from birth.
Diagnostics and correction of autism in system-vector psychology by Yuri Burlan
The sound vector is dominant in the human psyche. For this reason, sound trauma becomes the cause of an avalanche-like violation in the development of all other vectors given to the child from birth. It is no coincidence that experts define autism as a pervasive, that is, pervasive disorder.
As a result, the autistic child often exhibits a wide range of behavioral problems. For instance:
- If, in addition to the sound, the child also has a skin vector, he is given a special sensitivity of the skin. By nature, these are active, mobile children. In autism, the development of the child's skin vector is impaired, and he may demonstrate an intolerance to tactile contact or, conversely, an obsessive need for it; instead of the usual mobility, hyperactivity and "field behavior" are formed, etc.
- If, in addition to the sound, the child also has an anal vector, he is naturally assigned a special perseverance and slowness, conservatism, a desire for a familiar way of life. In autism, we observe a disturbed pattern in the development of the anal vector, excessive rigidity up to stupor, "ritualism", aggression and auto-aggression.
- If, in addition to the sound, the child is also endowed with a visual vector, he naturally has a special sensitivity to light, color and shape, a large emotional range. In autism, we observe impaired development of the visual vector: autostimulation (stereotypical games) with light and shadow (looking at fingers or toys in the light), natural emotionality turns into hysteria and multiple fears.
These are just a few examples of how much the entire development of the psyche suffers in childhood autism. The system-vector approach to the correction of autistic conditions gives an accurate understanding of which methods will be effective for each particular child, taking into account his natural properties.
Systematic selection of rehabilitation measures
Accurate knowledge of the structure of the child's psyche allows you to choose the most effective rehabilitation measures. The basis is taken from the natural properties given to the child, for example:
- For an autistic child with a skin vector, massages, games with unstructured material, sculpting, etc. are useful. By nature, such children are given a logical mindset, they learn counting skills well - therefore, games with these properties in mind will be appropriate. Skin children need a clear daily routine and high physical activity, which can significantly reduce the manifestations of "disinhibition" and "field behavior". More on this here.
- An autistic child with an anal vector, on the other hand, will prefer a sedentary pastime. He needs the predictability of events, since everything new causes him a lot of stress. Such a child requires much more repetition to master the material. He should not be rushed or cut off until he has finished the work he has begun. You can read more about this here.
- A child with a visual vector can be carried away by shadow theater, kaleidoscope, and other games with light and shadow. A systematic approach can significantly reduce the hysteria and fears inherent in such a child.
By nature, each child is given 3-5 vectors on average, each of which lays down certain peculiarities and properties of the psyche. Successful behavior correction in autism requires parents and educators to have accurate knowledge of all mental properties assigned to a child.
Understanding the child is the key to solving the problem
Yuri Burlan's knowledge of systemic vector psychology allows parents and specialists to get an integrated approach within any rehabilitation program, which was chosen as the main method of correction. So, our specialists successfully apply a systematic approach to sensory-integrative therapy.
Depending on the child's vectors, different measures are used: for example, a visual autistic child should be offered tasks with vivid didactic material, theatricalization and emotional games are suitable. Sensory games for tactility, outdoor games, massages are suitable for a skin child.
This approach allows us to offer the child what is really meaningful and interesting for him. Understanding from the inside out the needs and characteristics of the baby, parents and specialists no longer need the “blind poke” method or “training” according to the principle of “stimulus-response”.
Development of the emotional sphere
A large number of correctional techniques are based on the fact that an autistic child often has significant impairments in the development of the emotional sphere. The reason for this violation is quite understandable and explainable through the prism of the system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan.
Man is a sensual and conscious form of life. When, as a result of sound trauma, a child is fenced off from the world, he loses not only the ability to consciously perceive the meanings of speech. He also significantly loses and sensual, emotional connection with the outside world.
Therefore, successful correction of autism involves the restoration of not only the ability to learn, but also the restoration of the child's ability to empathic connections, empathy and sensual contact with other people. How can this be achieved? Usually used:
- animal therapy (emotional contact with animals),
- games for emotional contamination and imitation of an adult,
- special programs to restore the child's empathic ability (described above).
System-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan explains that the most significant cause of emotional problems in an autistic child is the loss of emotional connection with the mother. The fact is that at an early age, the mental comfort and development of the child are completely dependent on the mother. And it is the mother who is the key figure through which the rehabilitation of the autistic child becomes possible. Mothers who have undergone training confirm their results on removing the diagnosis of autism from a child:
This becomes possible due to the fact that the mother of the child:
- accurately understands the structure of the psyche of his child, applies the most effective approaches for him in education and training,
- completely gets rid of her own psychological trauma, finds balance and is able to provide her child with a sense of security and safety.
More detailed information awaits parents and specialists at the free online training on systemic vector psychology by Yuri Burlan.
