Overview of Various Treatment Approaches and Their Impact on Several Difficult-to-Treat Conditions

Abstract

Several therapeutic approaches including medical, nutritional, sensory, and behavioral are reported to be effective in treating debilitating conditions often associated with autism. An overview of these approaches is discussed within the context of three difficult-to-treat conditions including anxiety, self-harming behavior, and sleep disturbances.

Understanding Challenging Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multi-Component, Interdisciplinary Model

“…Setting Event Antecedent Behavior Consequence Stomach > Math task > Aggression > Escapes working Pain on task Numerous medical comorbidities have been associated with autism, including allergies, anxiety, constipation, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), migraines, otitis media, rhinitis, sinusitis, and sleep disturbances [10,[32][33][34][35]. Research has also documented that many of these comorbidities co-occur with various challenging behaviors [3,9,[36][37][38].…”

“…Over the past 50 years, researchers have identified operant conditioning, and more recently medical comorbidities, as major contributors to challenging behaviors [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. In this model, medical and behavioral factors as well as impaired interoception are utilized to explain why many ASD individuals engage in challenging behaviors.…”