According to the National Institutes of Health, early interventions for autism "are more likely to have major long-term positive effects on symptoms and later skills" for children on the spectrum.

Why Early Intervention for ASD?

Some children show signs of autism before the age of two, which enables professionals to diagnose early, while others start regressing around that age. Though there are parents who choose to wait for their child to "grow it out," the benefits of beginning intervention as early as possible are many:

• It provides the child with the best chance of developing to their full potential
• The brain is more "plastic"; it has more flexibility than later in life
• A better rate of long-term success
• An increased chance of learning and progressing
• It addresses maladaptive behaviors such as tantrums and meltdowns
• It can reduce the incidence of self-harming behaviors
• It empowers parents with coping and teaching techniques
• It can help improve socialization

How Early Intervention ABA Therapy Can Help

Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA therapy specifically helps infants and toddlers with autism develop skills through individualized programs. These skills may include:

• Socialization
• Language and communication
• Self-awareness
• Self-help
• Self-regulation
• Cognition

Both neurotypical and neurodiverse babies learn skills through imitation, observation, joint attention, symbolization, and play. However, an ABA therapist will use an evidence-based approach to foster the acquisition of the skills your individual child needs. This is so your child will have the most success with their ABA therapy and also reach their full potential.

Though it is not the only factor that affects the outcome, early intervention is a common denominator in many cases of toddlers who later go out of the spectrum. Other factors include a higher IQ and better motor and language skills. By providing your child with autism therapy early on, you are also offering them endless development possibilities.

If you are interested and ready to learn more about ABA therapy for your child, ACES is here to help. For over 25 years, we have been helping individuals with developmental disabilities to reach their full potential and improve their lives through autism therapy. So if you are ready to get started with ABA therapy or autism therapy, contact us today or find an ACES location near you!

You're Not Alone. ACES is Here For You.

Learn more about ABA services, signs of autism by age, and about ACES.

Our goal is simple help people with autism and other developmental disabilities fulfill their full potential. We understand that this journey can feel like an insurmountable obstacle, especially at the beginning, and especially if you're a parent. But that's why we're here to help, because nobody should have to do it alone. Contact us to get started!