Autism; It is a lifelong developmental disorder characterized by refusal to communicate and impairment in social relationships, communication and creative activities. Treatment of autism first begins in the family. It is of great importance for the family to accept the situation during the treatment process. Because some families blame the experts who diagnosed their children with autism and avoid the treatment process.
Each autistic child has its own individual differences, and therefore, first of all, individual special education programs are prepared by experts in line with the child's abilities and needs. must be implemented. In the special education programs the child has received; Behaviors such as making eye contact, sitting still and taking commands can develop. The purpose of the special education the child will receive is to ensure that the child reaches the level of his peers as developmentally possible.
Many methods are used in the treatment of autism. Medication is administered to children who are hyperactive, hurt themselves and others when they get angry, and cannot take commands. The drug treatment to be applied is aimed at reducing the symptoms accompanying autism (hyperactivity, self-harm, epilepsy, attention problems, etc.). The medications used should only be recommended by the neurologist, psychiatrist or relevant doctor who provides regular follow-up of the child, and should be under the doctor's control throughout the duration of use.
Behavioral method (applied behavior analysis), PECS (visual communication system), music. therapy, art therapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, therapy with dolphins, sensory integration therapy, and horse therapy (hippotherapy) are among the other methods used in autism.
In applied behavior analysis, while each behavior is taught, that behavior is divided into the sub-behaviors that form it and simple The targeted behavior is taught to the child through verbal explanations and instructions. Individual training aims to increase skills such as social behavior, self-care skills, attention and language use, and to reduce self-harming behaviors.
In the PECS visual communication system, the child initiates communication and becomes the leader. This method helps the child get an object he wants. in teaches you to exchange that object with its picture. For example, when a child wants something to drink, he learns to give his picture to an adult and get the drink from that person. As a result of the studies, it has been seen that children can also learn to talk with this method, and that children are calmer and happier because they use an easier communication method for them.
Music therapy is a method applied by therapists accompanied by music. The positive contributions of music to memory, its ability to motivate body movements, and its ability to reveal verbal and physical communication are among the benefits of this method.
Art therapy is a method applied to actively deal with an object, take risks and express oneself. With this method, the way of communication is opened by encouraging and encouraging.
Aromatherapy method is a method performed by smelling oils containing plant extracts obtained from different plants in various forms and applying them to the body. These oils can create a stimulating, relaxing and calming effect depending on their properties.
Reflexology is a method performed by applying pressure to various points on the sole of the foot using fingers and hands. This method spreads the energy current throughout the body, relieving tensions and accelerating the body's self-healing.
Dolphin therapy is a method applied by using physical contact between dolphins and humans. In this method, it has been observed that children who cannot communicate with the world around them can easily communicate with dolphins.
Sensory integration therapy assumes that children with autism have some problems in their ability to perceive, process and interpret the information provided by their sensory organs, and tries to eliminate these problems. It aims to increase mental functions and reduce behavioral problems by improving sensory integration ability.
Equestrian therapy is a method that uses the positive relationship between people and animals therapeutically. There are many countries where centers run horseback riding programs for children with autistic features. It seems that they are doing useful work in grief. Speech and language development, fine and gross motor development, short and long-term memory development in children are among the benefits of this method.
As a result of the studies, when compared to other methods used in autism, applied behavior analysis is an effective method that can scientifically demonstrate its success through experimental research. There seems to be a method. According to the results of the experimental studies conducted, significant intelligence and social development gains were observed in children who received education based on applied behavior analysis for two years.
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