From the age of two, the parents ofautistic children should solicit their offspring and establish oral and physical communication, depending on the results of a study published in the medical journal The Lancet. This stimulation would reduce the symptoms of this disabling disease for at least six years.
Researchers from the University of Manchester in the UK compared the reactions and behaviors of 152 children divided into two groups. One benefiting from an early intervention and the other, the control group, which followed a usual care in specialized centers. The scientists conducted their study for an average of six years after the cessation of these treatments.
Effective stimulation in autistic children
The parents had 12 therapy sessions for over 6 months and monthly support sessions for the next 6 months. In addition, they also devoted 20 to 30 minutes a day at home to planned communication and play activities with their child. autistic.
Researchers analyzed improvements in children’s communication with their parents. And throughout the duration of the study, parents in the intervention group reported improvements in relationships with other children, social communication, and repetitive behaviors. In conclusion, there appears to be a 17% reduction in the proportion of children with severe symptoms in the intervention group compared to the control group.
On the other hand, there was no real difference in the mental health of the two groups of children (anxiety, depression, oppositional unrest, etc.). “It’s not a ‘cure’, in the sense that children who have shown improvement retain symptoms in varying proportions,” says Professor Jonathan Green from the University of Manchester.
Read also:
Infographic: everything you need to know about autism
Video: no, the handicap does not prevent the talent!
Regards crossed festival: the swordfish, a well-paced short!
