All Services are in person or optional Telehealth.

Autism Treatments

Autistic child with brown cat as one of possible Autism Treatments

Autism (ASD) is a series of brain development disorders that range from mild to severe. Though there is no cure for Autism, Dr. Diane® develops autism treatments that help manage many of the challenges that come with it.

Insurance Coverage by Approach

At Dr. Diane Brain Health, we use Conventional, Complementary and Alternative treatments. One type of treatment is not necessarily better than the others, instead it depends on what the client needs and what will be covered by health insurance.

Conventional Autism Treatments

Speech and Language Therapy

  • Speech Sound Production
    • Articulation
    • Apraxia of Speech
    • Dysarthria
    • Ataxia
    • Dyskinesia
  • Resonance
    • Hypernasality
    • Hyponasality
    • Cul-de-sac Resonance
    • Mixed Resonance
  • Voice
    • Phonation Quality
    • Pitch
    • Loudness
    • Respiration
  • Fluency
    • Stuttering
    • Cluttering
  • Language (comprehension and expression)
    • Phonology
    • Morphology
    • Syntax
    • Semantics
    • Pragmatics
    • Literacy
    • Prelinguistic Communication
    • Paralinguistic Communication
  • Feeding and Swallowing
    • Oral
    • Pharyngeal
    • Laryngeal
    • Esophageal
    • Orofacial Myology (including tongue thrust)
    • Oral-Motor Functions

Amy Karas is the Speech and Language Pathologist on our Brain Health Expert team and she is also a Cognitive Therapy Practitioner.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy uses exercises that help people on the autism spectrum improve muscle strength, coordination, flexibility, balance, and motor skills. First and foremost, treatment programs using physical therapy are unique to each person, and can help improve function. In addition, physical therapy uses massage therapy, heat or water therapy, and other methods that will help improve a patient’s ability to self-regulate. Ultimately, the goal is to promote functional independence in each person. Anthony Percoco is the Physical Therapist on our Brain Health Expert Team and he also provides Craniosacral therapy.

Occupational Therapy

On the other hand, occupational therapy looks at functional body movement, daily living skills, cognition, vision, and perception. It helps people on the autism spectrum adapt to school and workplace environments and helps to improve their fine motor skills, social skills, life skills, and various job skills. Together with the patient and family, an occupational therapist will find the best ways to grow and maintain these skills and point out equipment that can help the client with these skills.

Psychotherapy

“During psychotherapy, you learn about your condition and your moods, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Psychotherapy helps you learn how to take control of your life and respond to challenging situations with healthy coping skills.” – Mayo Clinic

Cognitive Therapy

  • Attention
  • Memory
  • Problem Solving
  • Executive Functioning.

Insight Therapy

This type of therapy looks at understanding your past in an effort to help change how you feel, which is very helpful in treating depression, anxiety, and trauma, as well as allowing self-exploration.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A type of psychotherapy that helps people on the autism spectrum change how they think, feel, or act. Thankfully, it can improve how they react to situations, reduce their stress, and achieve important goals. Some of these goals include reducing worrying, recognizing problem size, and improving executive function (i.e., reasoning, working memory and self-control).

The Three Parts to CBT are:

  • How you think changes your behavior
  • The way you think is monitored and altered
  • The desired behavior change is affected through changes in the way you think

Complementary Autism Treatments

Energy Psychology

Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT) and/or Thought Field Therapy (TFT) is a form of Energy Psychology that teaches you to tap specific acupressure points in a certain pattern to lower anxiety and stress. For many people on the autism spectrum, fidgeting with their clothing, hair, objects or flapping their hands can be very calming, and this often helps with self-regulation. Singing, dancing, making rhythmic sounds, tapping, or drumming are also very soothing.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is another form of energy treatment, as well as an ancient form of Chinese medicine that is centered on the body’s natural energy flow or chi. The subtle energy that flows through your body is as important to your health as your typical body functions. So when these energies become weak or out of balance, we feel physical and emotional symptoms. To ease these symptoms the energy must be restored and that’s where acupuncture helps. William Mogan is the acupuncturist on our Brain Health expert team.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is like looking in a mirror and seeing your inner responses instead of your outer self. Ordinarily, you cannot impact your brainwave activity because you can’t see it. However, when you see real time information about your brain function on a computer screen, you can then guide that function in a positive way.

Below are four types of Biofeedback and all of them use some type of monitoring device, along with electronic sensors to give information about what is going on in the body:

  • Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
  • Thermal
  • Muscular (EMG)
  • Neurological (EEG)

Neurofeedback

A learning method that uses a computer to show a person his or her own brainwave pattern in the form of EEG activity. First sensors are put on the patient, then the brainwave information is turned up and shown back to the trainee in the form of a computer game. When the brain is not working properly, proof of this will show up in EEG activity. When this happens, the brain will notice it and can make changes based on what it “sees” through computer images and sounds. This challenges the brain to learn to reorganize itself and therefore function better. Both Dr. Diane® and Paul Soper are Neurofeedback specialists and are part of the Brain Health Expert Team.

Water Therapy

Being in water gives a calming support and an even pressure that helps kids on the autism spectrum work on their sensory skills and helps with self-regulation. In the same way, it can help the client reach new physical milestones and build up their social skills. Dr. Igor Burdenko, Ph.D., is known around the world for his water therapy method, called the Burdenko Method, and he is a part of our Brain Health Expert Team.

Alternative Autism Treatments

Reiki

Reiki is a form of energy healing that is useful for stress, increasing energy, and treating injuries. It can also, in fact, be used independently to maintain health. Of course because it is relaxing and supports the healing process, it can help treat a wide variety of issues. Clara Diebold is the Reiki Master on our Brain Health Expert Team.

Schedule Your Consultation

Are you ready to relieve the pain and suffering caused by your traumatic brain injury? Contact Dr. Diane and her team of experts today, and get your life back on track.


Schedule Now

Find Help and Hope in Dr. Diane’s Book!

Coping with Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

If you're suffering from a concussion, or any other form of mild traumatic brain injury, pick up Dr. Diane's book Coping with Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and start healing today!


Buy Now
CONTACT DR. DIANE®

Dr. Diane® Roberts Stoler, Ed.D.
7 Hodges Street
N. Andover, MA 01845
Phone: (800) 500-9971
Sign up for our newsletter.

FOLLOW US ON:
CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Dr. Diane is a catalyst for change

Image Credit Elaine Boucher

Within each person shines an inner light that illuminates our path and is the source of hope. Illness, trauma, suffering and grief can diminish the light and shroud hope. I am a catalyst for hope and change, offering a way to rekindle this inner light.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This