Here are the 10 golden rules of autism recovery.
Rule one – Have hope
The first and most important rule of autism recovery is to have abundant hope. If, after making the diagnosis of autism, a doctor concludes or says directly to the parents that there is no recovery path for autistic children, that is not correct. Saying that autism cannot be fixed and dashing parents’ hopes is unfair, as recovery does occur in cases of autism, as other recent research shows. It is only hope that keeps parents optimistic, keeps them going, and prompts them to try different treatment options, such as medications, therapies, and engagement, while waiting for recovery. Having strong enough hope is a key to recovery from autism.
Rule Two – Acceptance
The second rule is the acceptance of the doctor’s diagnosis, which is very important. To be more precise, early acceptance of the diagnosis is of great importance. This is because early acceptance of the diagnosis and early intervention and treatment are directly proportional to the chances of recovery. It means accepting the problem early and starting treatment, which increases the chances of recovery and vice versa. This rule also applies to cases of mild autism, as even mild cases cannot be resolved on their own and require treatment. Crucial time should not be wasted once the diagnosis is confirmed, as starting treatment early is of utmost importance to increase the chances of recovery.
Rule three – Start with homeopathic medicines
The third golden rule is about the homeopathic treatment of autism. Homeopathy can be a boon for treating cases of autism. Many cases of autism can recover with homeopathic medicines, but at the same time a large number of cases may not respond. But for those that do respond, it can be life-changing. The age of the child is a very important determinant of recovery. The chance of recovery is greater if treatment is started at an early age, when the child is about 2-3 years old. Some of the homeopathic medicines used in homeopathy for the treatment of autism are Baryta Carb, Carcinosin, Hyoscyamus, Veratrum Album, Stramonium and Tuberculinum. The mention of these medicines is for information purposes only. It is strictly advised to avoid using these medicines on your own without consulting an experienced homeopathic doctor with expertise in the field of autism.
Rule four: engage, engage, engage
The fourth rule is involved, involved, involved, which means that the child must remain in a constant state of connection throughout the day. Just being with the child is of no use and active involvement is required. Being left alone gives the child time to slip into his own world.
Rule Five – Therapy is not rocket science
The fifth rule is therapy that is not rocket science. There are no technicalities in therapies and the basis behind them is very simple. The goal of therapies is to keep the child connected to his environment by doing the right things. Once the child is connected to the environment around him, he will start learning things on his own. Here, doing the right things means playing and doing fun, engaging activities, in a simple way, very valuable instead of expensive therapies. A common mistake one should not make is avoiding teaching and letting the child learn things. This is because 90-95% of learning is passive, meaning we passively learn from our environment on our own by being in a state of connection with the environment. Actively learning what is being taught is not easy for a child, especially if he has a developmental problem. Our first goal should simply be to connect the child primarily with his immediate environment, and independent learning will eventually follow over time. In short, keep the child playfully engaged all day long by doing fun activities. Teaching the child should be avoided.
Rule six – connection and happiness
The sixth rule is to keep connection and happiness together. The child must stay connected through happiness. This means that the child must be happy when we try to involve him. Under no circumstances should he/she be sad, irritable, frustrated or angry, because then it will not produce the desired result. To keep him happy and connected at the same time, the most notable rule is to avoid pushing the child’s boundaries to keep him connected. This will help prevent anger, tantrums, irritability and hyperactivity in the child.
Rule Seven – Avoid Negative Effects
The seventh rule is to avoid a negative effect. Giving therapies for an hour or two and leaving the child in his own world for the rest of the day can have a negative effect. Ignoring here means that leaving the child in his own world will negate the positive effects we have achieved through the efforts we have made through therapies. Although this is difficult, ensure that the child remains constantly connected throughout the day and does not allow the child to enter their own mental space to avoid a negative effect.
Rule Eight – Understand his emotions
Rule eight concerns understanding the child’s emotions, which is the most important rule. This is because various emotions like crying, anger, excitement and throwing things by a child act as a hindrance to the child’s improvement as such emotions make the child go into his/her shell and he/she doesn’t bother with it anymore is. So we really need to understand that if a child is crying, irritable, anxious or showing any other form of negative emotions as mentioned above, then something is definitely bothering the child. That disturbing factor, which could otherwise become an obstacle to recovery, must be discovered and removed.
Rule Nine – Control his sugar
The ninth rule is to reduce the child’s sugar intake. This is due to the fact that sugar intake can increase hyperactivity in the child. As a result, concentration is affected, preventing the child from receiving therapies. It is therefore advisable to keep an eye on the amount of sugar the child consumes.
Rule Ten – Make your home a therapy center
The tenth rule is to turn your home into a therapy center. Do not send the child to a regular school, as this takes up a large part of the child’s productive time each day. About 80 percent of an active day is lost (if we calculate the time from the child waking up in the morning, getting ready, the travel time to get to school, going to school to coming home and sleeping after leaving school comes). However, if the school has an integrated plan where active involvement, active therapies such as ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) are applied and the child is involved on a one-to-one basis and the child is happy in a real sense, then one can say the child at such a school. But it’s wise to avoid a regular school and turn your home into a therapy center. Also keep in mind that if the travel time to the therapy center from your home is longer, it is not worth spending energy and money. In that case, you can turn your home into a therapy center and keep your child constantly engaged through fun, playful activities.