Start intervention as soon as a diagnosis of Autism is received:

While early intervention started at a very young age is considered critical to the child’s learning, the reality is that every child with Autism can learn and progress with appropriate intervention. Regardless of the age at which diagnosis is received, intervention always gives positive results. Parents are therefore advised to start intervention as soon as a diagnosis of Autism is received.

Treatment plan vary from child to child:

The way Autism affects each child is different, the treatment plan too will vary from child to child, as well as for the same child at different stages of his or her development.

Early intervention has to enable the child enjoy the process of learning:

Early intervention has to enable the child enjoy the process of learning. It has to address the core areas of Autism in the areas of social behaviour and communication. Some children with Autism use speech and some do not. Some children who might have spoken as infants and then lost their speech. Many, who do speak, do not use their speech in a meaningful way.

Treatment should enable the child lead an inclusive life:

Treatment should aim at helping an individual lead as ‘inclusive’ a life as possible. To achieve this, the core areas of impairment need to be targeted through specialized programmes developed over years of research, training and adaptation to the Indian context. Having said this, parents have to be advised to stay away form any treatments that suggest that they are somehow responsible for their child’s Autism.

Support programme should be need based:

Educational programme that provide educational support only in the area of academics may not be the best fit for most children. The nature of support should be based on the needs of the specific child. Clearly, teaching functional math skills may be more realistic for one child while another may be more than capable of complex higher skills.

Intervention programmes help enhance child’s independence:

An intervention programme aims to enhance the child’s independence and give more opportunity for personal choice and freedom in the community. To achieve this, it is vital to develop functional daily living skills at the earliest possible age. This could range from feeding and dressing oneself, to learning to cross a street safely, to making a simple purchase, asking for assistance when needed, or to simply responding with an “I don’t know,” when asked a question to which the autistic individual does not have the answer. These seemingly simple but critical skills may be difficult despite average intelligence levels.

Majority of them benefit from life skills instruction which might include learning purchasing and shopping, cooking, budgeting and banking, crossing the street and safety and first aid. These would also include the ‘soft skills’ of basic interpersonal relationships. For instance a student with Asperger Syndrome, who receives good grades in computer science classes, but does not know how to engage in a social conversation in the school cafeteria needs life skill and social skill instruction.