Posted inEarly Intervention Introduction Therapy

Is it Necessary to Send a Child with Autism for Therapy?

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Caring-Once You Have Learned...

Need to Send for Therapy?

Many times I heard parents asking “Do  I need to send my son/daughter for therapy?  Could they just “out-grow” the issue? “.  And many also commented “They will just be fine when they grow older, no need to see any doctor….”

I would rather like to approach this question another way by asking “What happens if you do not send your child for early intervention?”

If you Do Not Send for Therapy

What happens if autism is left untreated? If left untreated,  some of the life essential skills will not be fully developed.  For example, autistic children’s social skills and speech skills will not develop effectively. The number of children who recover from autism without any help is extremely low.    The chances of “out-grown” the problem is slim and the challenges is usually worsen as the child get older.

Autistic person may be blunt, shunt from friends and lack of many of the social interactions and awareness around them.  A person on the autism spectrum can hurt others’ feelings, ask inappropriate questions, act oddly without realising it themselves. This could cause undesirable consequences such as generally open themselves up to hostility, teasing, bullying and isolation. This could also cause lower self-esteem and also embarassment at times for the family and friends around them.


If Send for Early Intervention

Although it is said that Autism is without cure, early intervention programmes help the child to cope with his problems and prevent to a certain degree a further deterioration of his condition. At the same time, the programmes aim to assist the child in catching up with his learning and other developments, which could have been delayed due to obstacles posed by his impairment(s).

Therefore, early intervention programmes are integral in helping a child develop his full potentials and prepare him for better integration into the society later on. 

Conclusion

The earlier the intervention the better,  as the child get older, the differences from “normal”  magnified and  the harder they will adapt to the changes needed.

Therefore, early intervention and therapy is essential and not optional!

1 Comment

  1. Mary
    September 28, 2009,

    Hi Michael,
    Your website is great! Very informative and helpful for parents and professionals, too. I think you are doing alot to bring awareness to Autism in Singapore. I would like to add that complementary therapies such as Reiki, Craniosacral therapy, Music therapy, Naturopathy, and Homeopathy are gaining in popularity here in the northeastern US. As a Reiki Master practitioner, I find that, although it doesn’t cure Autism per se, it helps alleviate many of the symptoms, such as sleep problems, anxiety, self stimulation and repetitive behaviors, as well as increasing social skills.

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