Hi, my name is zeitgeist49! What I learnt from working with autistic children

zeitgeist49

I worked as a licensed professional in psychiatry for 40 years (1969 - 2009 ).  I specifically worked with autistic children from 1973 to 1977. One observation which amazed me during that time was the frequent mis-diagnosis of autism. And the over - diagnosis seems to have gotten worse in the past few decades. My observation is that autism syndrome incidence truly hasn't changed much in the past 50 years. The following are primary symptoms I observed : repetitive, compulsive behavior with the purpose to engender predictability ; absence of mutual interactions and game playing; severe communication deficits; avoidance of the use of the pronoun "I"; behavioral tantrums were encountered when any type of disapproval was perceived by the autistic child or hearing the word, "No". My clinical experience and therapeutic knowledge of autism confirms that utilizing unconditional acceptance is the most effective approach in treating autistic children. Developing a close, trusting relationship is a primary goal. Clearly, the earlier the commencement of treatment, the more favorable are the therapeutic outcomes. My experience also confirms that medication and behavioral treatments, as primary modes of treatment, have proven to be ineffective for several decades. Utilizing unconditional acceptance, in interacting with the autistic individual, takes a great deal of time, focus, effort and patience. Certainly more so than behavioral methods and medication. This is primarily why this treatment approach is not utilized nearly as often as these quick fix, ineffective approaches. Obviously, using a behavioral treatment strategy is antithetical to unconditional acceptance. A word of caution here : just because some Harvard study or other prestigious university study is published doesn't mean the study provides valid results. Unfortunately, many studies with autism are confounded and fixed to meet the clinician's /scientists expectations. I urge parents of autistic syndrome children to consider exploring this alternative treatment approach and to always ask questions ... rather than always accept the so called "experts" advice on treatment. Also, don't assume your "expert" professional has accurately diagnosed your child.