Therapies in relation to ASD

[MangoMonster]

I've seen some threads about diet and retained reflexes. We just started ABA/VB with DS who is 2. Just wondering if I should be trying anything else's or should I wait till he's older and we have a clearer idea of his difficulties? Any opinions appreciated.

There is a case for taking things slowly (ish) - this is a marathon, not a sprint. It can be beneficial to introduce changes one at a time, taking baselines, so that you know whether what you are trying is working.

if you have just started ABA, and then add on retained reflexes and dietary changes, and see big improvements - how will you know which therapy has brought about the improvements?

that said, you could always read up on the dietary stuff - these tend to be bigger, physical changes (such as 'better', more regular bowel movements) which are less likely to be brought about by other therapies.

I started with biomedical interventions just after 2, and saw great improvements. but then all the signs were there that diet was an issue (heavy night sweating, black circles under eyes - always looked overtired even after sleeping 12 hours at night! - low pain response, only ate gluten/casein containing foods, bright red cheeks/ears after eating gluten/casein products, etc)

Mango, I would give ABA 3-4months before introducing something new for the reasons 'Princess' gives.

Thanks Princess and Starlight, makes sense, will wait untill Christmas and then consider again.

Are there any therapies that are scientifically proven or are most of them not at that stage yet?

There is very little proper proof for any of the treatments bandied around for autistic children. I mean proper, peer-reviewed proof, not just parental anecdotal proof. ABA does have such research behind it. In the last 6 months alone, I have been offered opportunities to spend over £1000 on treatments for autism, which have shown great results according to the brochure, but not according to any actual studies. A person offering me a service the other day told me that my boy learning to juggle and bounce balls better, would result in his having better cognitive skills. When I asked how she knew that, she mumbled vaguely about a dyslexic child it had worked wonders with. I think be very careful of the bad science.

2 is probably too young to start retained reflexes. Most of us on here who are doing it our child was at least 4 or 5.

However there is no reason to delay starting a diet. If your child has any kind of tummy problems (stomach ache, constipation diarrhoea, feeling sick ) then you should be investigating diets.

Thanks all, no real digestive issues or sleep issues so will stick with the ABA for now. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something vital.