3 Intervention Programs Aimed At Children With Autism
Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are usually characterized by having problems in the development of language and communication (both verbal and nonverbal), by manifesting difficulties related to social skills and by presenting inflexible, rigid and absolute thinking. This affects them on a daily basis, significantly.
Fortunately, there are several intervention programs aimed at children with autism today that aim to work to improve these deficits. Below, we will introduce some of them.
However, before that, you must understand that the difficulties mentioned above can appear to a greater or lesser degree, depending on each person with ASD.
Therefore, the psychopedagogical intervention must be adapted to the special needs of the child in question. That is, there must be a specialized and personalized intervention according to the characteristics of the child and the environment around them.
3 intervention programs aimed at children with autism
The ABA method
The ABA Method ( Applied Behavior Analysis or Applied Behavior Analysis ) is an intervention model aimed at children with autism that aims to allow them to improve and develop new skills, generalize appropriate behaviors in other situations and reduce unwanted behaviors.
This method is based on operant conditioning, since it consists in stimulating the child in a positive and systematic way, granting rewards (food, praise, music, games, etc.) whenever he presents certain desirable behaviors related to the following areas :
- Adaptive skills.
- Motor skills.
- Language.
- Social Skills.
- Cognitive abilities.
- Executive functions.
- Academic skills.
- Game Skills.
These areas, in turn, are divided into smaller tasks to facilitate execution and so that the individual’s maximum level can be reached.
The TEACCH model, one of the intervention programs aimed at children with autism
The TEACCH ( Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children ) model is based on:
- Structuring the environment : ideally organizing physical spaces, schedules, materials, etc.
- Use of materials and visual cues.
- Family collaboration, using the same materials and techniques at home.
This method is perfectly adapted to the special needs of children with autism, thus facilitating their learning and the good development of social and communication skills.
PECS Program
The PECS program ( Picture Exchange Communication System or Picture Exchange Communication System ) aims to teach certain communication and social interaction strategies for children with autism.
In this way, the little ones will be able to acquire, gradually and progressively, the necessary skills to communicate naturally through the exchange of pictures or images.
It is important to emphasize that these psychopedagogical intervention programs must always be applied by specialized professionals. However, the involvement of the family is essential for them to be successfully developed and for positive results to be obtained.
