The Masgutova Method was created by Dr. Svetlana Musgutova during the 1989 UFA train disaster that resulted in many children that were severely injured and traumatized. Dr. Musgutova figured out that these children were not responding to previously used, cognitive approaches to therapy. These children were not responding because the level of trauma they experienced

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Donnesa McPherson, AAS

“I’m sorry Mrs. Campbell, I am not sure what to tell you,” The doctor stated sympathetically, “Your son’s symptoms are not responding the way we had hoped. There is one treatment that we could try.”Mrs. Campbell looked up with desperate anticipation, “We would try anything to help our boy”.The doctor continued, “It is a controversial

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Rachel Andersen

This article is going to discuss the Cycles Approach speech therapy for autism. The Cycles Approach for speech therapy, also known as the Cycles Phonological Remediation Approach is a widely used speech therapy that can treat severe speech sound disorders (SSD) in early childhood and elementary aged children. The Cycles Approach for speech therapy is

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Donnesa McPherson, AAS

There are different types of therapies available to choose from and animal assisted therapy for autism has so much potential, depending on the individual with autism spectrum disorder. Therapy dogs, autism service dogs, equine assisted activities, and more are among choices parents and caregivers can select if searching for an animal assisted therapy. According to

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Donnesa McPherson, AAS

Professor Ying-Chieh Tsai, PhD, Chief Founder at Bened Biomedical, discusses the benefits of neurologically active products for autism spectrum disorder.  In TV ads and on grocery store shelves, it seems probiotics are everywhere. Most people understand that probiotics are “good” bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that live inside the intestines. They’re typically thought of as

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Professor Ying-Chieh Tsai, PhD

Parenting neurodiverse children often requires us to have contact with many different kinds of professionals. This creates, what can be, an overwhelming amount of appointments, and many appointments, that in and of themselves are overwhelming. We often find it necessary to put children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into situations that make them especially uncomfortable

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Rachel Andersen

Vocational therapy is a branch of occupational therapy. It uses work scenarios as a means of treatment to help strengthen and develop interpersonal skills in a workplace environment. Many young adults with autism who are getting ready to choose a career typically benefit from learning various skills beforehand. These skills can be taught and made

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Donnesa McPherson, AAS

The US Patent Office has approved a patent submitted by Arizona State University (ASU) for the use of Microbiota Transplant Therapy (MTT) for treating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. The news marks a big step forward in the realm of autism treatments but does not yet mean that MTT is US Food and Drug Administration

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There are very few prescription medications approved for autism spectrum disorders. Some feel this encourages off-label use of drugs to alleviate challenging autism symptoms of children on the spectrum. Clonidine is one such drug; frequently mentioned as a beneficial treatment option for sleep disturbances and behavioral challenges. Parents often experience frustration due to the lack

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Yolande Loftus, BA, LLB

What are the benefits of telehealth and Discrete Video Modeling (DVM) for families with autistic children across the globe? In the United States (US), an estimated 222 per 10,000 children received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2020—one of the world’s highest rates. Only South Korea (263) and Hong Kong (372) reported greater

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Bryan Davey, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA and Dr. Maria Gilmour, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA

The world of complementary and alternative medicine may seem a little mystical and vague. Search suggestions from Google emphasize what many parents want to know: “Does it actually work?” But, more specifically, is acupuncture effective in treating a complex condition like autism spectrum disorder? What is acupuncture? Acupuncture has been around for a long time;

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Yolande Loftus, BA, LLB

Some of us enjoy the occasional trip to the spa; not only is it a form of self-care but it also offers us the opportunity to relieve tension. Treatments offered can range from hot stones, to trigger point massages including vibration massages. It’s therefore hardly surprising that vibration therapy for autism is believed to soothe

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Andréas RB Deolinda, BA, BSc

Discoveries about the biological treatment of autism symptoms are growing and are hot topics for parents seeking solutions to assist their children. One area scientists have been looking into for some years with limited success is secretin as a treatment for symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The first study into the use of secretin

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Andréas RB Deolinda, BA, BSc

Intense tantrums, aggression, and self-injury are some of the most worrying symptoms associated with autism. These behaviors are usually addressed with therapy, but doctors may decide that medication is needed.  Risperidone is an antipsychotic sometimes prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Let’s explore what this drug does and whether it’s effective for kids

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Claire Delano, BA

Ever since my autism diagnosis 25 years ago, doctors and therapists have been a regular part of my life. I’ve run the gamut of antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs; I’ve seen countless therapists in my journey recovering from PTSD, social anxiety, and addiction. Despite keeping an open mind, when I was offered a course of hypnotherapy

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Lucinda Herbert, BA (Hons)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex condition with symptoms varying from difficulties in communication and interaction, to special interests and repetitive behaviors, to sensory sensitivities. For this reason, new autism treatment methods are regularly unveiled and often focus on different elements of the spectrum. It is important to note that, while scientists drive research

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Andréas RB Deolinda, BA, BSc

For some families at-home therapy, led by parents as primary therapists, became a necessity during lockdown. Relationship Development Intervention is a home-based, potentially effective treatment that may help parents promote dynamic intelligence, social skills and flexibility in their autistic children. Banana bread, zooming (that’s a verb now) in pajama bottoms, and doing everything from home

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Yolande Loftus, BA, LLB

How do we think about movement? Are the differences between healthy movement patterns and deficits easy to spot? How much do individual movement skills vary? Families of children with autism spectrum disorder are often confronted with technical terms and diagnoses related to physical abilities; “low tone”,“motor planning delays”,and “trunk stability deficits”. Physical therapy can provide

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Eric Chessen, MS

The wonders of modern medicine have led to a greater understanding of how our bodies function from the cellular level and how these manifest in the physical. In turn, this has lead to the evolution of suramin for autism as well as other drugs for neurological conditions. Several drugs have been developed over recent years and,

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Andréas RB Deolinda, BA, BSc

Parents seeking advice about herbs for children with autism may be entering a battlefield; with conventional, western medicine on one side and complementary and alternative medicine on the other… Many proponents of herbal, Chinese, complementary and alternative treatments view these remedies with an almost religious fervour. Sceptics, including many in the medical profession, roll their

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Yolande Loftus, BA, LLB

To be completely honest I had my doubts when we introduced online services at AIMS Global.  We, just like the rest of the world, had to adapt to a “new normal” and thus created training workshops to help our current therapists transfer their amazing “in-home” support to a virtual platform. With any change, anxiety increases

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in Autism Therapies and Treatments by Karla Pretorius, M. Psych and Nanette Botha, BEd