You don't need a decades-old therapy package to utilize this basic common sense. Ironically, it was the panic caused by professionals' low expectations and negativism which fueled her search for help. In fact there is another way. A developmental approach, based on the premise that the child's physiology has predisposed him or her to relationship and communication problems, approaches treatment as an opportunity to build a relationship with two-way communication. Emphasis is placed on working around and with the child's sensory processing and regulatory difficulties to reestablish joy and pleasure in self-motivated interactions, allowing the child's developmental sequence to get back on track.
Communication is a paramount concern in the developmental approach.
Language-based interventions have repeatedly demonstrated excellent outcomes for students with autism, enabling them to be fully included in regular classrooms. If the child cannot speak, or has great difficulty speaking, facilitated communication and related supports can be employed. Remember that speech and language therapy is crucial to early intervention. If your child is nonverbal or has serious difficulties with speech, introduce him or her to the process of facilitated communication. Check out the latest research on positive approaches to individuals with sensorimotor disturbances, and consider whether sensorimotor integration therapy might make your child's world seem like a less daunting and stressful place.