When your child is given a diagnosis of autism one of the first things that you try to find out is the best ways to help and support their needs. One common suggestion is therapy.
When it comes to therapy there are lots of different kinds that are made to help with different issues. Some of the common examples are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Speech and Language Therapy, or Occupational Therapy. Depending on your child’s needs these could all prove to be helpful.
But is therapy really something that will help your child? The honest answer is that we don’t know. Every child is different, they each have different needs and different personalities. While therapy may be incredibly beneficial to some children with autism, others may not respond well to it at all. Every child needs an individualised approach to their care.
How can I tell if Therapy is Helping my Child?
As stated earlier, every child is different and they may respond to therapy in different ways. It can often be hard to tell if therapy is helping your child, but there are a couple of things that we recommend looking for.
One of the most obvious things is your child’s enjoyment level. While this can be difficult to assess, but when you know your child it is a lot easier. Not every part of life and therapy can be fun, but if your child appears to be uncomfortable, scared or stressed then therapy may not be the best course of action for them.
Another way to tell if therapy is working for your child is if they are actually learning tools to help them in life or are they just ‘performing’ to make both you and their therapist happy. There is a very subtle difference between the two but one of the ways to tell is if your child is making connections on their own, or are they just being given “performance and reward” training sessions.
When engaging in therapy does your child get stressed and confused? If they are then the therapy is unlikely to produce positive long-lasting results. Sometimes it just isn’t the right method or the right chemistry between your child and the therapist.
The best way to tell if therapy is working for your child is to be attentive. They will communicate to you if therapy is right for them, whether it’s through words, tears, gestures, laughter, or body language. Trust your instincts, if your gut is telling you that therapy isn’t the right fit then trust yourself.
Bright Futures Care
At Bright Futures Care, we offer a wide range of support and education to children and adults to accommodate each of their personal needs. We tailor all of our support to each individual as everyone requires different kinds of help. We even offer support to their family members where required. To find out more about the range of therapy check out our blog post The Different Kinds of Therapeutic Support.
You can find out about all of our services by visiting our website: https://brightfuturescare.co.uk/childrens-care/therapeutic-support/. If you have any questions please get in touch with us.
