Fixing Alphabet Soup
A Parent's Guide to Raising a Child
with ADHD, Anxiety, Autism,OCD SPD, Tourette's,PANDAS, or
Behavior Disorders
Mainstream Treatments:
Mainstream treatments are those which have extensive research to prove effectiveness. They are widely accepted in the medical community and your medical insurance will usually pay for at least part of them.
ABA- Applied Behavior Analysis
Most commonly used for: Children with ASD
What the treatment involves: Therapist use positive reinforcement and motivators to encourage skills and target behaviors to reach specific goals.
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CBT- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Most commonly used for: Children with Anxiety, OCD, ODD, bipolar, ADHD, depression, eating disorders.
What the treatment involves: CBT is talk therapy with a psychologist. It helps a child become aware of negative thinking so they can respond in a more effective way.
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OT – Occupational Therapy
Most commonly used for: Children with SPD, ASD, ADHD or any child with trouble with fine motor skills, sensory integration, or self-help skills
What the treatment involves: An Occupational Therapist targets skill deficits and does exercises, activities, and games to practice the skills that are lacking. They can determine sensory needs and create a plan to increase sensory imput.
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SLP – Speech and Language Therapy
Most commonly used for: Children with any form of speech or language delay. Almost all kids with ASD need SLP.
What the treatment involves: The SLP targets language goals and does language activities using songs and games to encourage children to practice these skills.
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Medications
Most commonly used for: Doctors will prescribe a variety of medications to address symptoms of all mental health disorders. Few of these medications get to the root problem, but some help symptoms significantly.
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