Applied Behavioral Analysis

Autism is a social cognitive disorder that affects the process of childhood development in one in 68 children in the United States, according to recent studies. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the main character, Christopher, is an autistic 15-year-old boy who receives the majority of his treatment via a specialized school for those that are disabled. Siobhan is his “friend” – actually a special education therapist – and main source of consulting and treatment. Treating or handling autism via specialized schools or a special education classroom in public school is a popular choice among parents for their autistic children. It is not the only treatment, or the most acclaimed. With so much research being done on autism as

Since they are heavily studied, therapies are a more reliable treatment option that has been able to succeed. One such therapy is Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA. ABA is an early intervention behavioral therapy that aims to start therapy the moment autistic symptoms develop. It is an intense program that uses reinforcements – like treats – to teach and adjust typically autistic behaviors into more societal functioning ones. Many families have reported success with the ABA therapy; one such family described the progress as, “It 's not just Liam learning to sit down and happily do a puzzle. Prior to ABA, he was more likely to eat the puzzle” (“Autism Therapy”). Even with a high success rate, there are issues with ABA therapy; it’s costly with some families reporting to have spent $23,000 annually (“Autism Therapy”). These excessive costs can lead to many families having to reject the therapy and any similar therapies. Not only this, but problems can arise in older children with behavioral therapy. Therapies tend to work better among younger children – truly the earlier it can be caught, the better, because "The sooner the child can start the better and if you wait too long it 's much harder to have the good changes that we 've seen" (“Autism Therapy”). Another popular therapy is sensory enrichment therapy. Sensory enrichment uses different sensory experiences to allow the brain to reduce

Much less researched or studied than other options of treatment, medication and vitamin/diet regimens are another available option of treating or handling an autism spectrum disorder. The few studies for medicinal treatments have been done mostly on animals. One study focused on rats that had been bred to demonstrate symptoms of autism. The researchers gave the rats the experimental drug, which worked to a degree, but researchers are hesitant to move the drugs onto human trials as “…the results of animal studies often don 't hold up in humans” (Goodwin). There is no medicinal treatment for autism in humans to date, but some symptoms of autism spectrum disorders can be treated, such as anxieties, aggression, and even depressive tendencies. These symptoms that range wildly from one individual to another can be handled by taking anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications, if one wished to do so. Not only modern medicine, but herbal remedies have existed for centuries; they do much the same as medications do, but some prefer it as a more natural/organic option. “However, a growing number of parents of children on the autism spectrum are using biomedical treatment - a modified diet and added supplements - and have reported impressive results” (Long), the use of diets and supplements is supported by the belief that a healthier body leads to healthier brain function. But it is enormously important to remember that medicines are chemicals, and one should always be cautious of what