Omer

[beta502]

My son is 2 years old.  He was diagnosed with mod. to severe Autism in September.  He turned 2 in October.  Since then, we have him in speech 3x week (1 hr session).  Occupational therapy 1x week, and Applied Behavioral Analysis 15 hours a week.  He is on the GFCF diet, takes supplements,  vit b12 injections etc..  We have run labs on him as well.  Currently, he still runs in circles flapping his hands, climbs constantly on our table and chairs, has to close one door in house, turn on a certain light and does other non-typical behaviors.  Do these kids improve?  Do they become mainstreamed in schools?  What other therapies/interventions can I do to help him?  He is very loving and cooperative with instructors.  He only says mama and baba and babbles.  He does not respond to his name or follow 90 percent of commands.  Eye contact is very limited.
This is all really hitting me now.  He is a strong boy and If he does not improve soon, I don't know how I will be able to manage him well.

[Rachel Thompson, Ph.D., BCBA]

The great news is that you have arrived at a diagnosis early and have secured intervention at 2 years. The prognosis for children with autism is much better when appropriate intervention begins early. It is important for you to realize that there is no “quick fix” for autims. Applied Behavior Analysis is the only approach to the treatment of autism that has extensive empirical support, but this approach requires much hard work by children, parents, and ABA therapists. Do not be frustrated if you don’t see immediate improvement. It is also important for you to know that there is a national certification for behavior analysts to help provide consumers information regarding the training that clinicians have received. If one is available, I recommend that you seek the assistance of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Please visit the website of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (http://www.bacb.com/) where you will find a directory of service providers.

Many parents feel that they should try every available intervention to be sure that they have provided their child with every opportunity for improvement. But, it is important for you to become educated on those interventions for which there is research support, those that are likely to be ineffective or harmful, and those that are merely poorly understood. You may find it helpful to read the research reviews created by the research department here at The New England Center for Children (http://www.necc.org/research/newsletter.asp). These would be a starting place for collecting information about various approaches to autism treatment. Becoming an informed consumer may prevent you from wasting time (yours and your child’s) and resources on interventions with no research support.

[Angela77]

ABA, Speech and OT are great roads to take in terms of treating your child.  I agree with generi that you should sit in on a speech session if possible.  Doing the same for the ABA and OT sessions might be valuable too.  The behavior interventions used in ABA can be applied to your child's life outside of the ABA session.  Please keep a good eye on your child's diet.  New research has come out on boys with autism having thin bones and the GF-CF diet having determental effects on boys with autism.

Research Info:  
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

THIN BONES SEEN IN BOYS WITH AUTISM AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

[generi]

Good for you getting him into SP, OT, and ABA so quickly!  Yes, many autistic children do improve with these types of therapy and some recover quicker than others.  Yes, there are some autistic children who may need assistance their entire lives.  I have seen some autistic children in the type of programs your child is in who progress very quickly from the start, some who don't progress at all and then begin to progress later on, and some who do not show signs of progress for many years and may need therapy for the rest of their life.  

As a mother of an autistic child, you are doing great!  You may be able to find autism support groups in your area; getting together with other mothers of autistic children can provide great friendship and support.
As an ABA therapist, I would suggest that you learn as much about ABA as you can and watch your son's therapists at work with him.  See how they deal with his self-stimulatory (stymmy) behaviors so that you are able to shape them out of his every day life when he is not seeing therapists.  Sit in on some Speech sessions and use their techniques when you're alone with him.  He'll be able to get speech therapy with the SP Therapist and again at home or in the car with mom!
I have a client whose does 36-40 hours of ABA each week but when she is not with a therapist, her family allows her to stymm (rocking, hand flapping, etc.) almost non-stop without ever interferring.  It's hurting her progress.
I'm sure you are already very involved in your child's therapy and I just want to encourage you to remain involved!

Be Blessed!

[MaryannesMom]

I understand your fears, because we all have them with our special needs children.  There is no way to say how much your son will improve, but he is miles ahead of others because he has you for a Mom who appears to be trying everything she can to help him!  Hats off to you.  I will never understand the people who bury their head in the sand & refuse to even consider their child may have a "condition" for fear of labeling them.  Good luck on your journey, and know that you are not alone.