Autism is a growing problem which affects children.  It usually begins at birth and carries through their entire lives.  Fortunately there are a number of effective treatments to help these individuals and families deal with this problem and help the sufferers to achieve a good quality of life.  Many schools have been established in Kuwait and around the world to deal with this issue and effective autism teaching methods have played an important part in the success of many programs.  We’ll explore this topic further.

One of the most predominant teaching methods is Applied Behavior Analysis (or ABA).  It is a method which is based on the premise that behavior such as speaking, academics and overall life skills can be taught through scientific principles.

This method assumes that children will tend to repeat behaviors or responses which are rewarded or positively reinforced.  And consequently these children are less likely to repeat behaviors which are not rewarded.  The process allows reinforcement and desired behaviors to occur without constant reward.

The research shows that this type of teaching method works very well with autistic children.  Over thirty years of research has supported the effectiveness of this method to reduce inappropriate behavior and improve communication, learning and good social behavior.

One of the most popular and well known form of ABA is called discrete trial training.  The skills to be taught are broken down into very small tasks and they are taught individually.  So, separate activities may be required to teach eye contact, fine motor skills, academics, language or conversation.  The students start with simple tasks and progress to more complicated activities as each one is mastered.

The ABA method can occur in the home or at school.  However it should normally be supervised by a consultant or behavior analyst who is well trained and equipped to monitor, manage and modify the training as required.

A modified form of ABA is called applied verbal behavior.  It uses verbal behavior to teach and reinforce speech along with some other skills.

This technique helps to teach children to get what they want through effective language and communication.  Most of the verbal behavior programs feature errorless teaching methods which provides for positive rewards every time a desired response is made.

There are some excellent web and reading resources to provide you with much more information on ABA and VB methods.  Do a Google search on the topic and you’ll find excellent options to pursue further.

Another teaching method which has shown good success and is becoming more popular is called Floortime.  This method was developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan who is a child psychiatrist.  The method is a form of play therapy which uses different interactions and relationships to help improve a child’s relationships and senses.

This method encourages interaction with the child.  It is a great option for people who enjoy a play based therapy.  While this method is not normally used as a primary teaching method, it can be very effective along with some other methods.