What Is the Best Treatment for Autism?

There is no cure for autism—and, in fact, a "cure" isn't the goal of treatment. Autism is a type of neurodivergence, a way of being that differs from what society considers normal. It is characterized by traits that can be positive, neutral, or lead to challenges with communication, behavior, and functioning that can be disabling.

There are therapies and medications that can help overcome these challenges. At the same time, some therapies and medications can actually cause harm.

This article explains a number of autism treatments. It will help you to understand therapy options for an autistic child and discuss them with confidence when talking with their healthcare team.

Choosing Autism Treatment

For most families, choosing the best therapies is a process of trial and error, with final decisions depending on a variety of factors such as availability, cost, and the abilities, challenges, and interests of the autistic person.

In general, autistic children are best served by therapies that:

• Start as early as possible
• Are provided intensively (for multiple hours per week)
• Are based on research
• Have clear goals and milestones
• Are provided by a qualified therapist who connects well with the child (and with the parents or guardians)
• Engage a child in a positive way (the child should enjoy therapy)
• Address core autism traits: social skills, sensory dysfunction, emotional regulation, verbal and non-verbal communication, physical challenges, play skills, mood issues, attention and focus

There are plenty of options available, and many therapies that can work well for any given child.

Therapies Covered by School or Insurance

Autism therapies, when paid for out of pocket, can be prohibitively expensive. Top-notch therapists can charge $60 to $100 an hour (in some cases even more), and many therapies are most effective when provided for many hours a week. For many families, the "best" autism therapies are those that are both available and free or low-cost.

While there are dozens of autism therapies, only a few are provided through schools or paid for through medical insurance. While these are not necessarily the only effective therapies they are, for obvious reasons, the most popular. If your resources are limited, these therapies can be the best available. Often, in combination with other treatment types, they can be quite effective.

Medications

Many autistic people take medications that reduce anxiety, increase focus, or manage aggression. These medications, generally available by prescription, can be a cost-effective means of managing difficult autism traits. In some cases, medication isn't necessary, but when it is helpful, it can make a world of positive difference for an autistic child.

Be sure to work closely with a healthcare provider to monitor the effects of the medications, however. With all types of treatment (including medications), what works well for one autistic person may not work well—or may even be harmful—for another person.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapists address a range of issues for autistic children. They help people who begin speaking later than average to acquire spoken words. In addition, they also help autistic children with low support needs (higher functioning children) to ask and answer questions, use appropriate prosody and body language, and learn to recognize jokes, sarcasm, teasing, and friendly "joshing."

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists for autistic children are usually provided through the school and/or paid for through insurance. Today's occupational therapists help children with a variety of developmental challenges. Many have a wide range of skills and training that allow them to work on sensory challenges, interactive play skills, cooperative interaction, and much more.

Physical Therapy (PT)

PT is usually prescribed by a healthcare provider. As a result, it is usually paid for by health insurance and/or provided through the school. At first glance, it may not seem obvious why an autistic child would need physical therapy—but the reality is that many autistic people have low muscle tone and compromised motor skills and coordination.

Physical therapists can also work with children in a natural environment such as a playground or gym, helping them to build the skills they need to join in physical games.

Behavioral Therapy

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and related therapies are usually considered to be the "gold standard" of autism-specific treatment. Many districts offer ABA classrooms or provide ABA therapists as part of the school's disability program.

ABA can teach skills and behaviors that are critically important to success in a typical school or work environment. Keep in mind, though, that ABA can be controversial due to its emphasis on behavior modification. Some autism advocates find ABA practices harmful because they're designed to "fix" behaviors that they view as traits of neurodivergence that should be more accepted.

Cognitive Psychology

For some autistic children with low support needs, a psychologist with experience working with autistic clients can help sort out feelings, suggest techniques for handling frustrations, or otherwise help a child to cope with the realities of an autism diagnosis.

Autism Therapies Worth Paying For

In some scenarios, an autistic child may be receiving therapies through school and/or health insurance, but you feel they're not progressing at a reasonable rate. Or, you've watched the school therapists at work and feel that their approach is not the right fit. Some families may have even asked the school for specific therapies and they haven't been helpful in providing outside resources.

If any or all of these issues sound familiar, families may want to consider paying out-of-pocket for therapies that can be helpful depending on family budget, the child's interests, and the child's learning style.

Developmental Therapy

While behavioral therapies work on skills and behaviors, developmental therapies can help a child build emotional skills and relationships, expand abstract thinking, and bond with others. Some of the best-regarded developmental therapies include:

• Floortime
• Relationship Development Intervention (RDI)
• Social-Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support (SCERTS)

Parents or guardians will have to pay for these therapies out of pocket at first, but the good news is that most parents or guardians will be able to provide the therapies themselves once they get the hang of how they work.

Social Skills Therapy

While some schools offer basic social skills therapy, it's a rare school that provides in-depth social thinking programs. Social thinking is tough for autistic children because it requires "theory of mind," or the ability to imagine what another person might be thinking or feeling.

There are many different social skills and social thinking programs available; it's worthwhile to explore them before making a selection. The right social skills group can help a child make connections, build friendships, and establish a healthy social circle.

Arts Therapies

If a child is interested in music, visual arts, acting, or dancing, they may respond well to arts therapies. While families will likely have to pay out of pocket, some arts therapies help autistic children expand their boundaries and even build skills that can be used in settings such as band, drama club, or chorus. Some low cost or free programs tailored to autistic people may be held at local museums or theaters.

Animal Therapy

From hippotherapy (therapeutic horseback riding) to support animals and service dogs, animal therapy has been found to have a significant positive impact on autistic children.

Animal therapy can help children build confidence, expand their social skills, and even increase core body strength. Some animal therapies may be paid for by insurance policies, but expect to pay some or all of the cost yourself.

Nutritional Therapy

In some cases, autistic children do have intolerances to certain foods. In other cases, they are just picky eaters that may lack essential vitamins and minerals in their diets. It may be worth consulting a pediatrician to look into any diet-related challenges that may be impacting a child's physical comfort or mental state.

Autism Therapies to Avoid

Since there is no known cause or cure for autism, there are many so-called "treatments" or "cures" out there that may sound like they will be effective. In reality, some of these are hoaxes that can be useless or even risky. Many such treatments are built around debunked or unproven theories about the cause of autism.

Some popular theories include the idea that autism is caused by vaccines, by poor diet, by a lack of a particular nutrient, by pathogens or parasites in the gut, and more. The outcome of using these therapies or treatments can be devastating, both physically and financially.

Chelation

Chelation (using drugs to remove heavy metals from the body) was developed to treat certain types of toxicity such as lead and mercury poisoning. Some use chelating drugs to "treat" autistic children based on the belief that their autism is a result of heavy metal poisoning. Chelating drugs are potent and can be risky, especially if used improperly. They are also useless for improving traits of autism.

MMS Enemas

MMS is a chemical compound that contains some of the same chemicals as bleach. This so-called "miracle cure" actually has no research to back its claims to cure any physical or mental conditions. It was popularized by various testimonials of participants, but due to the fact that it contains a type of bleach, this is really a potentially lethal substance to use.

Detox Baths

Detoxifying clay baths are supposed to draw toxins out of autistic children, thus curing them of the disorder. Although less risky and less costly than other ineffective therapies, clay baths will simply make your child's skin a bit smoother. They will have no impact on autism.

Clay baths and other popular methods target autistic people or their caregivers, urging them to spend money on ineffective treatments. There are dozens of similarly pricey, useless, and potentially risky products available on the market.

A few further examples include hyperbaric oxygen chambers, stem cell therapy, raw camel milk, and homeopathic medicines. While some of these are more expensive and riskier than others, all are based on flawed ideas about what causes or treats autism.

More Treatment Types

As families start to research treatments, they will find many types of behavioral and developmental therapy, social skills training, and so forth. Many of these are legitimate therapies that are based on research but include unique elements developed by individual therapists or groups. A few examples include:

• Pivotal Response Training: a form of behavioral therapy that is used in natural settings and incorporates some developmental elements
• Social Stories: a tool created to support social skills training programs
• Social Thinking: a curriculum created by a well-regarded therapist to work on specific challenges facing autistic children in social settings.

All of these, and many others (the Denver Model, SCERTS, and more) are worth exploring if families have the interest and money to do so and feel that the particular approach may be appropriate for the autistic child in their care.

A Word From Verywell

Before diving into any type of autism treatment, always do basic research to be sure the approach is built on a real understanding of autism, ensure the treatment is supported by legitimate research, and that it's provided by well-regarded therapists or professionals.

If unsure, ask a trusted healthcare provider. Relying solely on other parents or guardians, or online personal testimonials, for medical information can lead to poor (and deadly) decisions.