Can autism in children be cured?

The word "autism" has become particularly popular on the Internet recently, which is mainly due to the memes in e-sports. In fact, to put it bluntly, autism means not communicating with the outside world and just living in one's own world. From a psychological perspective, autism is a relatively common disease, and even some children may suffer from autism. If it is not treated in time, the consequences will be disastrous. So, can childhood autism be cured?

Autism, also known as childhood autism, is a subtype of pervasive developmental disorder. It is more common in males and begins in infancy. The main manifestations are varying degrees of speech development disorders, interpersonal communication disorders, narrow interests and stereotyped behaviors. About 3/4 of the patients have obvious mental retardation, and some children have good abilities in certain aspects despite their general intellectual disability. Psychotherapy is the main treatment method.

Training intervention methods

Although there are many intervention methods for autism, most of them lack evidence-based medicine. There is no optimal treatment plan yet, and the best treatment method should be individualized. Among them, education and training are the most effective and main treatment methods. The goal is to promote the patient's language development, improve social interaction skills, and master basic life skills and learning skills. Because autistic patients are generally unable to adapt to life in ordinary kindergartens before school age, they receive education and training at home, in special education schools, and in medical institutions. After school age, the patient's language and social skills will improve. Some patients can go to ordinary primary schools to receive education with children of the same age, while some patients may still remain in special education schools.

The training intervention methods currently recommended and used by mainstream medicine internationally provide direction for the standardized treatment of autism. These mainstream methods mainly include

(1) Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

It advocates using behaviorist principles and behavior shaping principles, with positive reinforcement as the main method to promote the development of various abilities of autistic children. The training emphasizes high intensity, individualization and systematization.

(2) Training in Therapeutic Education for Children with Autism and Related Disorders (TEACCH)

This course designs individualized training content based on the abilities and behavioral characteristics of autistic children, and provides targeted education for children with defects in language, communication, sensory perception, and movement. The core is to enhance autistic children's understanding and obedience of the environment, education, and training content.

(3) Interpersonal relationship training methods include floor time therapy and relationship development intervention (RDI).

The above-mentioned treatment methods have been implemented in some autism rehabilitation institutions in China and have achieved good treatment results, but further research and demonstration are needed.