(dailyRx)
Think about your last misunderstanding and the "a-ha" moment felt when enlightenment occured. Could this type of realization regarding mental health disorders change children's perspectives?
According to recent studies, training to the peers of autistic students may provide greater social benefits than socialization training for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health funded a study promoting a shift away from traditional interventions to those focusing on developing understanding among the general population of children.
Typically, autism social skills interventions involve direct training of children with social challenges, not limited to ASD. These occur at clinics and occasionally at schools, with the option of one-on-one counseling. Peer training interventions take place less frequently, and focus on training classmates of socially underdeveloped youth to understand the reality of the situation and show tremendous results.
Both treatments shown previous success within the lab, though were yet to make it into a community setting. Thomas R. Insel, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, notes regarding their study, "real life doesn't happen in a lab, but few research studies reflect that. As this study shows, taking into account a person's typical environment may improve treatment conditions."
The study, published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, compares two interventions within 56 classrooms and 30 schools. The two interventions were crossed to yield a control, peer-mediated (PEER), child-associated approach (CHILD), and both PEER and CHILD groups. Interventions involved twelve sessions administered over six weeks with a three-month follow-up, all involving self, peer, and teacher social skills feedback. Sixty children participated.
All ASD children whose peers received training spent less time alone on playgrounds and were deemed a "friend" by more classmates. Reports from teachers also highlighted significantly better social skills among peer-trained ASD students.
At a three-month follow-up, despite a typical change in classroom and classmates, peer-trained ASD kids continued to outshine students receiving only CHILD intervention or no intervention at all. The findings indicate peer-interventions provide outcomes which remain more persistent than child-focused strategies.
Lead-author of the study, Connie Kasari, Ph.D., and colleagues note, "these data suggest that significant improvements can be made in peer social connections for children with autism spectrum disorder in general education classrooms with a brief intervention, and that these gains persist over time."
Speak with health practitioners and school counselors about autism training for schools in your area.
Recent statistics suggest that 1 out of every 110 children, 1.5 million people, born every year in the United States will be diagnosed with some form of an autism spectrum disorder. Boys are three times as likely to be affected as girls. Autism is a complex developmental disorder that causes impaired social interaction and communication, as well as causing restricted and sometimes repetitive behavior.
Symptoms are suspected when a child around 18 months has delayed speech development, and has difficulty playing with other children. Genetic causes are suspected to be a large factor, as well as some environmental causes, but a definitive cause is not known.
Treatment consists of several different types of therapy geared towards each patient's needs, such as physical therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral analysis and modification. Some medications may be appropriate such as anti-anxiety medicatinos (Klonopin, Ativan, Xanax), medications for hyperactivity ((ex. Concerta, Ritalin, Strattera), and risperidone (Risperdal) for irritability and aggression.