ASD - best therapies from experience

[HateTheUnknown]

Hi all (and thanks in advance for any responses!)

My (almost) 3 year old DS has ASD and is currently non-verbal. What do you believe were the therapies (ABA, SALT, OT etc) that helped your child the most? Very interested to hear your thoughts and stories.

Hi, we were in the same situation a year ago and I remember trying to figure out what the best support would be and going in circles! We started an ABA/VB programme very soon after diagnosis at 3. It has been an incredibly supportive process. Our son has made lots of progress- and learnt lots that we were really struggling to help him grasp. I think it's really important to find a good supervisor/ consultant. Our son's sessions are very flexible and play based and have really built up his language.
I would also recommend trying to find a supportive preschool or if there is a local one, a special needs pre school. This has been an incredible support also. We have a long way to go but these two things have been very useful. Xx

It is kind of horses for courses here and working out what your child needs and what is best for them - that will hopefully become clearer over time!
However my boy has ABA, OT and SALT.outside of specific OT and SALT sessions, the ABA tutors work on the targets set by OT and SALT using ABA principles (eg yoga poses part
Of ABA sessions!). So my point is all can
Work together.

ABA worked and works best for my boy, just a good teaching method

ABA worked best for our son. The real progress happened when I started employing the ABA thinking at home.

amunt what tools did you use for this? Did you have a therapist or use books etc? Thanks.

If you read the family stories on here, there is lots of useful stuff to try

www.abaa4all.com

ABA, SALT, going to nursery every morning from age 2 (with an ABA therapist). Unfortunately, it's incredibly expensive.

SALT and when he was older, CBT, art therapy and dramatherapy.

openupmyeagereyes It's been a bit of a process. I sat in on lots of sessions with the ABA therapist. The most useful skill I learnt was how to use reinforcement effectively. I have used A Work in Progress (Ron Leaf...), which was useful.

aba without doubt the single most helpful thing we did for dd

Realizing that good SLT is from parents mostly - so get skilled up! Get the Hanen program and simplify your language massively. Not just relying on therapies, get knowledgeable yourself too.

A whole life approach. Pick what works best out of a few therapies, floor based and building up slowly. But also don’t forget physical activity, a good structured day, exposure to as rich a life as they can tolerate.

Also what I found good was dedicating two hours a day to my child. In that time I’d stop talking, join in with him, let him lead but use it to enter his world and stretch him a little. So for example when he was 2, non verbal, he might be staring at his letter blocks. I’d sit beside him, look at them too. He’d pick one up, I’d use exaggerated facial expressions, I’d say ‘block’, he’d pick another one. I’d pick one and put it in another... see if he joins in, if not, I’d build three, knock it down and say ‘fall!’ etc.

I know the above sounds simplistic but it’s quite hard! But it gets them out of their own world. It’s proven to be quite effective.

www.bbc.com/news/health-37729095

Bananasinpyjamas11 that link was interesting but, typically, they don’t give any info or tips on the sort of things the parents were told to do instead.

I know sorry about that. It’s not very practical the link. I had to dig deep to find out more.

I just put it up to show there was some evidence that getting alongside your kid has some benefit. There’s another website on what evidence there is out there, or not, for different therapies.

www.researchautism.net/autism-interventions

Thank you everyone for their responses. I appreciate you all taking the time.

Lots to research by the sounds of it!

For the kind of stuff that BananasinPyjamas is talking about there is a YouTube SLT channel I really like called "Walkie Talkie". She shows videos of her therapy sessions and puts text on top to explain why she is doing what she is doing. It is "simple" in a way but I think it's a real shift in mindset to actually do it. But once you've got that shift there are so many opportunities when you are with them to use that kind of approach to engage in whatever they are doing and then stretch a little.
www.youtube.com/channel/UCgVbPm0Vzu9k6LhcPrJWfZg

Thanks @light I will try that link too!

Thanks LightTripper, will take a look. We’ve been doing intensive interaction as advised by the NHS SALT which is getting down on the floor too and it’s good to get some ideas. I don’t think I’m very creative so need some pointers!

I got some information sheets from our SEND team yesterday, some were useful. There was one about Identiplay, has anyone tried it? Its supposed to help develop imaginative play and role playing with others. It involves setting up play scripts using different groups of toys. You must have two identical sets of toys, one for you, one for the child. I’m not sure what I thought about it. It’s very contrived obviously.

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