Treatment Of Autistic Children Research Articles

The treatment of autistic children.

The goals of treatment need to be decided on the basis of knowledge on the nature of autism. As with any developmental disorder, the first goal must be to foster normal development; with autistic children this involves a focus on intellectual, language and social development. The further goals include: the reduction of rigidity/stereotypy; the elimination of non-specific maladaptive behaviours; and alleviation of family distress. Research findings are used to translate these goals into a practical overall therapeutic programme with three main elements: a full diagnostic appraisal, special educational provision and a home-based programme for the family. Finally, the research findings are drawn together to derive inferences on the lessons to be learned and the questions that remain to be answered.

Restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) as a treatment for autistic children.

This study explored the usefulness of 48 hours of Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) as a treatment for autistic children. In order to provide quantified objective measures for evaluating the effects of this treatment, a battery of psychological tests was developed which would be useful and practical for the assessment of these children in regular diagnostic settings. Several positive changes in learning, social and play behavior, and cognitive functioning were noted.

Parents as cotherapists: their perceptions of a home-based behavioral treatment for autistic children.

Parents' views about acting as cotherapists in a home-based behavioral treatment for their autistic child were investigated. Three areas were studied: (1) the demands involved in being a cotherapist, (2) whether parents felt more able to cope with their child after treatment, and (3) whether they had the same conception of the treatment's aims as did the therapists involved. Parents viewed their treatment more favorably than a comparison group of parents receiving more usual forms of treatment. Most had an accurate impression of treatment but half found it hard to use the methods suggested. Although parents felt that their child improved as a result of treatment, several had stopped using the techniques or felt unable to apply them to new problems.

Behavioral contrast and generalization across settings in the treatment of autistic children

Previous research on the generalization of treatment gains across settings has typically focused on the question of whether generalization occurs or does not occur. However, the experimental literature suggests another possibility: that behavioral contrast may occur in extra-therapy settings if the reinforcement procedures in the therapy setting are highly discriminable from those in other settings. Therefore, this investigation was designed to systematically assess whether: (1) a highly discriminable treatment procedure in one setting would produce a behavioral contrast effect in other unmanipulated settings; and (2) such contrast-like trends could be eliminated if initially different reinforcement procedures in two settings were subsequently made similar. The results for the eight autistic children who participated in this investigation showed that: (1) When very different reinforcement procedures (primary rewards or punishment in therapy settings, and no rewards or punishment in extra-therapy settings) were in effect, the children showed contrast-like behavior changes in the untreated extra-therapy settings; and (2) such trends in responding could be eliminated, resulting in generalization of treatment gains, if the reinforcement procedures were subsequently made relatively similar in the two settings, even if the procedures consisted essentially of noncontingent reinforcement.

MOTIVATING AUTISTIC CHILDREN THROUGH STIMULUS VARIATION

This study evaluated the differential effectiveness of two methods of presenting discrimination tasks when teaching autistic children. In a constant task condition, the common method of presenting a single task throughout a session was used. In a varied task condition, the same task was interspersed with a variety of other tasks from the children's clinic curricula. Results showed declining trends in correct responding during the constant task condition, with substantially improved and stable responding during the varied task conditions. In addition, naive observers judged the children to be more enthusiastic, interested, happier, and better behaved during the varied task sessions. These results suggest that "boredom" may be a particularly important variable to control in the treatment of autistic children, and that particular care may be necessary when defining criteria for task acquisition. The results are discussed in relation to the literature on increased responsivity to stimulus novelty and variation.

Study of restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) as a treatment for autistic children

Study of restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) as a treatment for autistic children

Contrasting illness and behavioral models for the treatment of autistic children: A historical perspective

Contrasting illness and behavioral models for the treatment of autistic children: A historical perspective

Using self-stimulation as reinforcement for autistic children.

This experiment examined the effects of using self-stimulatory behavior as reinforcement for spontaneous appropriate sentences in two autistic children. The children were put on a token system and always received one token for every spontaneous appropriate sentence they made. An ABABA design was employed. In condition A, the opportunity to self-stimulate was contingent on the payment of tokens (two tokens for 2 minutes of self-stimulation). In condition B, no tokens were required for self-stimulation. The results showed that both subjects exhibited a much higher rate of spontaneous appropriate sentences during the contingent self-stimulation (A) condition, demonstrating that self-stimulation functioned as an effective reinforcement. The possibility of using self-stimulation as reinforcement in the treatment of autistic children is discussed.

The effect of high doses of vitamin B6 on autistic children: a double- blind crossover study

The authors used data from an earlier nonblind study to identify 16 autistic-type child outpatients who had apparently improved when given vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). In a double-blind study each child's B6 supplement was replaced during two separate experimental trial periods with either a B6 supplement or a matched placebo. Behavior was rated as deteriorating significantly during the B6 withdrawal.

Risks and benefits in the treatment of autistic children.

Parents of handicapped children--especially the severely handicapped, like those called autistic--are often faced with the issue of risktaking. When the usual helping professions turn parents away with put him away and forget was born or he can no longer benefit from our program or your child needs help but it's too expensive. We have many others to care for, you know, then parents are very much on their own. As Lloyd Nolan says in the film A Minority of One, it is ironic that parents of autistic children have in the past been accused of rejecting their child, when in reality the parents are often the only ones who don t reject him. Faced with the alternative of severe injury, or sometimes even death of their Child, parents (and professionals) may turn to methods that are unorthodox, unexplored, sometimes unapproved, or even condemned by existing traditional therapists. Those brave souls who first tried lobotomy or megavitamins, or the zapper or behavior modification had to agonize about the risks in relation to the possible benefits. Bernard Rimland has often, during conferences around the country, mentioned the subject of risk-taking and agreed to do a brief paper on the subject for this column. We have asked several persons to react to his comments. Seven who submitted statements are mothers, two of whom became professionals in the field of autism. Out of their own desperation in trying to find for their sons an alternative to the back ward of an institution, each of these two mothers started her own school; both have become nationally recognized models for programs for autistic persons. Each is faced dally with the profoundly handicapped autistic child, adolescent, and

Employing electric shock with autistic children. A review of the side effects.

The use of electric shock in a punishment paradigm has continued to be a highly controversial issue in the treatment of autistic children. While the experimental literature argues for the effectiveness of the procedure for reducing maladaptive behaviors, some clinicians and researchers have expressed fear of possible negative side effects. The reported side effects of contingent electric shock were reviewed in an attempt to evaluate the validity of these fears. The review indicated that the majority of reported side effects of shock were of a positive nature. These positive effects included response generalization, increases in social behavior, and positive emotional behavior. The few negative side effects reported included fear of the shock apparatus, negative emotional behavior, and increases in other maladaptive behavior. The implication of these findings for the use of the shock procedure are discussed in terms of correct usage of the shock, therapist reservations, and alternative procedures.

The use of structural therapy in the treatment of autistic children.

The use of structural therapy in the treatment of autistic children.

Initial interventions in psychotherapeutic treatment of autistic children

General considerations (conceptual approach, anamnesis, and group observations), and individual aspects of initiating treatment are discussed in light of psychoanalytically oriented therapeutic experience. Brief clinical examples from case histories of nine children, diagnosed in accordance with Kanner's (early infantile autism) and Mahler's (primary and secondary autism) descriptions, and exposed to intensive outpatient treatment, both in a day-care center and in private practice, are presented to illustrate the approach. Suitable interventions are made by following the child's cues within a developmental frame of reference. Such interventions yield significant common experiences which are remembered rather than shut out, and can be utilized to establish widening dialogues, an interaction and, eventually, a relationship between the child and therapist.

Effect of treatment structure on development in autistic children.

Because of the wide variation of structures used in the treatment of autistic children, a study was designed in which structure was changed from relative structure to relative unstructure over two repeated cycles of two weeks each. Both children and therapists were rated on their reactions. The findings indicated that autistic children tended to react more favorably to structure than to unstructure. Individual differences showed that autistic children on a higher developmental level were better able to utilize relative unstructure than those functioning on a lower developmental level.

Programmed teaching of autistic children. Scholastic progress over one year.

THERE can be no doubt that remedial teaching forms a vital part in the treatment of autistic children.^1-3Wing and Wing¹survey the teaching methods applied to date and point out that there is a noteable lack of detailed reports regarding their usefulness. In addition, Rutter et al³state that the amount of schooling that the autistic child receives is positively related to the level of social adjustment which the child attains in adolescence. Mittler⁴has advocated the psychological assessment of autistic children in an educational setting with the teacher playing a central role in the assessment process and he pleads for an experimental approach in regard to the investigation of different educational methods. <h3>Present Study</h3> The data presented in this study were gathered over a period of one year in a hospital school which forms part of a unit catering to psychotic children. Although the school

The Treatment of Autistic Children

During 1968, a centre for the treatment of autistic children was established in Perth, Western Australia, under the administration of the Mental Health Services. It was named in honour of Dr. Mildred Creak, whose authoritative contribution to the study of autism and her invaluable assistance in establishing this centre is thereby recognized.

Music Therapy in the Treatment of Autistic Children

Music Therapy in the Treatment of Autistic Children

The Empty Fortress: Infantile Autism and the Birth of the Self.

In this impressive and easily readable book, Bruno Bettelheim describes what he considers to have been over the many years of his clinical work, an experiment in the treatment of autistic children. The dramatic title and subtitle he gives to his reportThe Empty Fortress: Infantile Autism and the Birth of the Self, is, in many Ways. misleading; first because Bettelheim never truly clarifies whether he is discussing early infantile autism (Kanner's syndrome, also defined Nas primary autism), or various forms of childhood schizophrenia or atypicalities (known as secondary autism); and, second, because his major point is that the empty fortress he talks about is not empty! The misleading aspect of the book's title appears, to me, to be a central characteristic of the entire literary effort Bettelheim makes here. I speak of literary effort in contrast to the clinical and scientific substance of the report; this substance carries