Autism Therapies:
Starting Your Journey

As any special needs parent knows, raising a child with autism is a journey unlike any other. It’s an experience filled with unique challenges, but also incredible rewards.

To help you on this journey, we’ll explore some lesser-known autism therapies and services that can make a significant difference in the lives of children with autism.

These strategies are backed by peer-reviewed research and expert advice, providing traditional and holistic approaches to support your child’s development at every stage.

While the autism community has new and innovative medical treatments and therapies every year, many traditional and holistic-based therapies and supports are available that many parents don’t know about. These unique therapies assist autistic children and ensure they develop important life skills.

The following list summarizes the main autism therapies and supports, including behavioral, family-based, therapy-based, and alternative. Some therapies and supports are related to others, and some are combined.

In each category, we cite peer-reviewed research to discover how effective a therapy might be for your child. Remember that these therapies and supports are always more effective with a family’s input. After all, as a parent, you know your child best.

1. Behavioral Therapies and Supports

Behavioral therapies and supports for autistic children utilize structured techniques to help children understand new behaviors or skills. These protocols are also known as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and other similar therapies are based on Applied Behavior Analysis theory used in various teaching therapies for autistic children (Arim RG., Miller AR., 2017). Skills are condensed to their most basic units and taught to children step by step. Children aged 2-6 years are often the focus, but it can be used for people of any age.

ABA is not without controversy. Many older autistic people who experienced ABA-type therapies when they were children believe ABA supports “masking” autism with the idea that autistic children should behave like normal children (Jessel J., Hanley GP., 2016). ABA doesn’t include neurodiversity in its philosophy because it doesn’t accept the differences in how brains function in the real world.

Other forms of ABA therapies include Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI), Incidental Teaching, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), and Positive Behavior Support (PBS). They all share similar philosophies, such as simplifying skills and teaching step by step.

2. Family-Based Autism Therapies

Perhaps one of the most important therapies and supports is the family-based concept. As a special needs parent, you are the authority of your child, perhaps more than any professional therapist, doctor, or teacher (Heidary A, Shahidi LH., Mohammadpuor A., 2015). Because it involves the support of family members, family-based therapy can be a remarkable adjunct to meeting your child’s developmental needs.

While there are many family-based therapy programs, a good example is More Than Words. This family-oriented program, and others like it, focus on group-based training with families. At its core, parents are taught solid communication skills so they learn to communicate better with their autistic child. The program also strengthens a child’s interactions, so they are better equipped to handle real-life social situations.

3. Therapy-Based Supports

Therapy-based supports zero in on specific areas or skills. Like other therapies, they often use combined approaches for behavioral and developmental protocols. The physical or mental therapies enhance a child’s interaction skills, dexterity, problem-solving, and group participation (Tanaka M., Szabó, 2022). Examples of therapy-based supports include:

• Occupational therapy to build brain and muscle-eye skills for daily living tasks
• Physical therapy for improved strength, balance, and coordination
• Speech therapy to improve language and interpersonal skills
• Sign language therapy for the hearing impaired (this is a vital therapy to begin as early as possible for improved communication)

In addition to traditional therapies, alternative therapies are available that place perspective on the emotional and sensory components of living with autism. Light and sound sensitivity, emotional triggers, and touch deficits can all be helped with these simple yet effective programs. Here are just a handful of possibilities:

1. Music Autism Therapy

Music therapy is often unknown to parents, but it’s a remarkable tool for calming autistic children and adults. Sessions use the eloquence of music to promote better communication, improve social skills, and balance emotional expression. Structured music sessions encourage children to express themselves and connect with peers in a non-verbal yet exciting way. Research shows that music therapy helps improve communication and emotional control for children on the spectrum (LaGasse et al., 2019).

2. Animal-Assisted Autism Therapy

Current studies suggest that animal faces provide more social and emotional reward when compared to human interaction (Stevenson K., et al., 2015). The reward sections of the brain—the amygdala and putamen, respectively—show remarkable activity when autistic children interact with animals (Whyte, S., et al., 2015).

Supervised animal-assisted therapy involves dogs or other animals. Children interact with the animals, either by holding or playing with them. The trusting, gentle presence of the animals has a profound effect on autistic children, and the animals help reduce anxiety and encourage social interaction. Other positive outcomes include stress reduction, emotional well-being, and fewer outbursts.

3. Yoga and Mindfulness for Autistic Children

Teaching your child guided yoga and mindfulness practices helps autistic children develop self-control and emotional intelligence. This therapy can also be a rich, family-based activity with family members involved. While research is ongoing, preliminary studies demonstrate that yoga and mindfulness help stress reduction, impulse regulation, and improvement of social skills (Chan et al., 2016).

Other alternative therapies include Equine-Assisted Therapy, Sensory Integration Therapy, Art Therapy, and Wilderness Therapy. Special autism camps exist throughout the United States that offer monthly or weekend “stay and play” programs that include all of these autism therapies and more. Many are often funded by grants or autism organizations.