| I. Definition | | | | ** Less common side effects include changes in the |
| Conventional medicine is also known as Western | | | | function of the liver, effects on blood cells, restlessness |
| medicine. It is a system of medical approach in which | | | | or agitation, sensitivity of the skin to the sun, and true |
| medical doctor and other health professionals such as | | | | allergic reactions |
| nurses, medical technician and specialists and | | | | *** Re occurrence of the symptoms if the medication |
| therapists, etc. use medication, radiation, medical | | | | is stoppedb) Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitori) |
| equipments or surgery to treat symptoms of disease | | | | Effects |
| and diseases. | | | | It works well for children with depression and anxiety |
| | | | disorders, by regulating the production of serotonin |
| A. Diagnosis | | | | which is vital for responsible and controlling the |
| For the disease to be treated effectively, the | | | | fundamental physiological aspects of the bodyii) Side |
| conventional doctor first has to diagnose what causes | | | | effects |
| the symptoms of the disease or diseases. It is helped | | | | *Urinary retention |
| by blood test, logical screen, psychological and physical | | | | ** Easily agitated or upset. |
| examination, etc. The diagnosis of children with | | | | *** Dizziness and Fatigue |
| development disorder is always a stressful and time | | | | **** Change in appetite and sleep and etc. |
| consuming road for both parent and children, because | | | | 11. Musical therapy |
| each doctor in conventional medicine mostly | | | | Musical therapy focus in using music through singing, |
| specializes in one field and can not make any | | | | movement and musical instruments to assist learning |
| suggestion outside of his or her professional | | | | of language, communication and social skills. |
| judgement. You may be recommended to see other | | | | 12. Occupational therapy |
| specialists if one found to be necessary. Since autism | | | | Occupational therapy is a type of program, helping to |
| is complex disease, it requires a team of doctor | | | | compromise physically, intellectually or emotionally to |
| before it can be diagnosed correctly and many wrong | | | | integrate coping skills into their lives in order to perform |
| diagnosis have been done, leading to overwhelming | | | | necessary tasks. but for children with autism, the main |
| pressure and time wasting to the parent and their | | | | goal of occupational therapy is to integrate sensory |
| children. Fortunately, many cases of autism have been | | | | perception through recognition and interpretation of |
| correctly diagnosed and are treated accordingly. | | | | sensory stimuli based chiefly on memory, therefore it |
| To avoid wasting your time, here is the basic list of | | | | helps the child to gain a more peaceful frame of mind |
| doctors and specialists who have been required for all | | | | and concentrate on certain tasks. |
| children with development disorder to be diagnosed | | | | 13. Play therapy |
| correctly:a. Development and behaviour pediatricianb. | | | | Play therapy is focus in using plays to improve the |
| Paediatric neurologistc. Children psychiatristd. Children | | | | language, speech, communication, emotional and social |
| psychologiste. Speech and language pathologistf. | | | | skills. |
| Occupational therapistg. Physical therapisth. Play | | | | 14. Physical therapy |
| therapisti. Social worker | | | | Physical therapy is also known as physiotherapy. The |
| Some children may require more or less specialists | | | | main goal of this program is to develop, maintain and |
| than the list above in their road to find a cure, but we | | | | restore maximum movement and functional ability for |
| believe the list is a basic team for fast and corrected | | | | the children with autism, such as walking, jumping, |
| diagnosis. | | | | running, etc. so that the children can increase their |
| B. Types of conventional treatment | | | | physical strength, balance and motility as well as better |
| 1. Animal therapy | | | | sensory integration. |
| Animal therapy focus to improve in the inter action | | | | 15. Rapid-prompting method |
| between the child and animal, thereby increasing the | | | | Soma Mukhopadhyay is the founder of |
| child confident in building relation ship as well as | | | | rapid-prompting method. The method involves constant, |
| sensory and motor issues. | | | | fast-paced questioning and combined with the use of |
| 2. Auditory integration therapy | | | | a low-tech alphabet board for spelled communication |
| The program uses modified music and sound with an | | | | to keep the students attention and prompt rapid |
| aim to correct the problems of child's in processing and | | | | response from the students. |
| understanding speech and sound. | | | | 16. Recreational therapy |
| 3. Augmentative communication | | | | Encouraging the child to participate in some types of |
| Augmentative communication helps to support the | | | | sport such as swimming, gymnastic, dance etc., |
| child's communication output by acting as a bridge until | | | | thereby increasing the child awareness of social |
| speech develops or by providing an alternative if | | | | interaction. |
| speech fails to develop. It includes picture exchange | | | | 17. Relationship development intervention |
| communication, picture and symbol displays, | | | | Relationship development intervention believes autism |
| technological support for communication, sign language | | | | children can adapt to authentic emotional relationships |
| and body language. | | | | with others and different environments if they are |
| 4. Behaviour treatments | | | | given opportunity to learn them in a gradual, systematic |
| The aims of behaviour treatment is to help the autistic | | | | way by using highly structured games, exercises, back |
| children to overcome the emotional , behavioural and | | | | and forth focused communication, share experience |
| cognitive dysfunction through a goal-oriented, | | | | and plays with others of that help to build up the |
| systematic procedure. It is said that this types of | | | | experience of interacting in social relationships. |
| treatment have proven to be successful in treating | | | | 18. Social skill group |
| mood, anxiety, personality, eating, substance abuse, | | | | Children plays together under supervision of parents |
| and psychotic disorders in some degrees. | | | | and specialist such as psychologist, this helps to |
| 5. Chelation | | | | improve the social interaction and social skills, thereby |
| Since children with autism have a weakened secretion | | | | increasing the child awareness of inappropriate |
| system, Cchelation helps to remove heavy metals | | | | behaviours and interest in playing with other children. |
| accumulated in the brain through medication taken by | | | | 19. Social story |
| IV or by mouth or rubbed on the skin. Although, it is a | | | | By telling simple story with lots of pictures and |
| new treatment, but in theory, it decreases physical and | | | | sometimes words, the program improves the autistic |
| behaviour problems. | | | | children self help and social skills and prepare the child |
| 6. Diet | | | | for the change of routine and in new environment. |
| Daily diet is always important for autistic or non autistic | | | | 20. Son-rise |
| children. Since most autistic children have problem of | | | | Son-rise is one of the method has been taught to |
| weakened immune system and problem with toxic | | | | parent with autistic children in the 70s, unfortunately |
| elimination, intake of foods which help to strengthen | | | | there are no published independent study has tested |
| immune and improve toxin secretion will do no harm | | | | the efficacy of the program. The program believes by |
| while avoiding intake of foods which may elevate the | | | | accepting autistic children as they are, with no |
| allergic and gastrointestinal problem are always | | | | prejudgement and interacting with them with positive, |
| essential. Choosing fresh and organic foods carefully | | | | enthusiastic way as well as encouraging the children in |
| will always help to reduce metabolic conditions for | | | | more meaningful communication of that can help the |
| autistic children. | | | | children overcome verbal and social interactive deficit. |
| 7. Discrete trial training | | | | 21. Speech and language therapy |
| Discrete trial training is a program which helps to | | | | It is a program designed to improve the autistic children |
| improve the basic skills for autistic childrena) Pre | | | | ability in speech production, vocal production, |
| learning skills such as sit, attending, look at your class | | | | swallowing difficulties and language needs and the use |
| mate and teacher, etc.b) Safe skills such as know their | | | | of language. The program can be run through different |
| name, address, parent phone number, etc | | | | contexts including schools, hospitals, and private clinic or |
| Before the children can proceed the more complex | | | | therapist's office. |
| language, academic and social skills by beginning of | | | | 22. Treatment and education of autism and related |
| with a breaking off the skills into small part and taught | | | | communication-handicap |
| in repetitive drills. The process of the children is record | | | | It is a class program with the aim to teach autistic |
| and rewarded if the response is appropriate. | | | | children independent work, life by communication and |
| 8. Facilitated communication | | | | social skills by focusing in repetitive routines, picture |
| The program helps the non verbal students to | | | | schedules and structural settings. |
| communicate with others while someone helps to | | | | 23. Verbal behaviour |
| support their hands and arm. | | | | It is first discovered by Skinner, a psychologist. It helps |
| 9. Immunological treatments | | | | the children to language and speech by breaking off |
| The types of therapy helps to alter immune system | | | | the sentence into small part and taught in systematic |
| deficit for children with autism, including steroid, infusion | | | | way by assessing the minute details of initial and |
| and intravenous munoglobulin, depending to the child's | | | | progress communication skills through gaps filling. |
| diagnosis. These treatments may carry long term | | | | Parent are requested to response and reward their |
| health risk. There are many herbs which can help such | | | | child as well. As the communicative skills progress, the |
| as ginko boliba if you want to use herb or other | | | | children are taught to make request, ask question and |
| alternative treatment for this type of disorder, please | | | | engage in more complex conversation. The program is |
| consult with your doctor before applying. | | | | only a theory with little experimental research until |
| 10. Medication | | | | recently. |
| Medicine used by conventional medicine to treat some | | | | 24. Vision therapy |
| symptoms of autism such as hyperactive, anxiety, | | | | Vision therapy may be necessary, if the child is |
| moodswing, seizure, gastrointestinal disorder have | | | | suspected to have problem of seeing or understanding |
| been proven very effective, but with some side | | | | and learning for what he or she see. |
| effects, therefore it is for the child benefit to keep the | | | | 25. Vitamins and supplements |
| dose as low as possible:a ) Tranquilizersi) Effects | | | | Since children with autism is lack of vitamin B6, vitamin |
| Tranquilizers include thioridazine (Mellaril), | | | | E and other trace minerals, it is no harm if they are |
| chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol) and | | | | taken in small dose. If you want to use them or high |
| risperidol (Risperdal) which help to treat symptoms of | | | | doses, please consult with your child's doctor before |
| behaviour problem by regulating the production of | | | | applying. |
| dopamine, thereby increasing their attention and | | | | In fact, there are no single type of treatment which is |
| concentration in school and at home thus making them | | | | likely to be effective for all children and all families. |
| more able to learn.ii) Side effect of tranquilizers include | | | | Instead, intervention will need to be adapted to individual |
| *Sedation or sleepiness. | | | | needs and the value of approaches. |