Early Intervention Autism Spectrum Disorders

Early Intervention with Autistic Children

Abstract

Over the past few years, there has been a marked increase in the number of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses amongst school-age children. To a large extent, children diagnosed with autism often struggle in a number of realms including, but not limited to; emotional control, management of time, memory, organization, attention, interpersonal relations, as well as focus. It is important to note that although there is no cure for autism at present, various intervention mechanisms have been proposed in the past. To a large extent, the efficacy of some of the said interventions is yet to be fully established. However, there is evidence indicating that the choice of intervention(s) and the point at which it is implemented can have a significant impact on not only the alleviation of autism symptoms in the short-run, but also the development of later skills. The present research seeks to establish whether early diagnosis of autism, and thereafter the implementation of the relevant intervention measures is of any relevance in as far as the achievement of better outcomes is concerned. More specifically, the study assesses whether success in the management of autism is anchored upon early intervention. The study applies a number of primary instruments in this endeavor. The said primary instruments are related to language, communication, and cognitive ability. In the final analysis, a finding is made to the effect that that the relevance of early diagnosis of autism, and thereafter the implementation of the relevant intervention measures cannot be overstated. This is more so the case owing to the fact that in comparison to older children, children of a younger age tend to be more adaptable on the behavioral and learning fronts. These findings are instrumental even as efforts continue to better understand autism spectrum disorders, and thus develop better intervention mechanisms.