Exchange and Development Therapy as an Intervention Approach for Children with Autism

Abstract

At time when the field of autism spectrum disorder, as designated in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), continues to undergo substantial changes in scientific and academic research at both the theoretical and practical levels, the field of therapeutic interventions, Treatment and rehabilitation ones, in turn, witnesses a remarkable progress in the search for the latest techniques and tools with the aim of facilitating and raising the children’s learning opportunities, and, likewise, the development of their cognitive skills and abilities including the linguistic and social ones, and most importantly, reducing their undesirable behaviors. Based on the process of free acquisition, psychological curiosity, possibilities and desire to learn, the exchange and development therapy, recommended by High Authority for Health (HAH), aims at an early therapeutic intervention for the sake of helping children with autism learn and be independent. To this end, these children are meant to be exposed to favorable and appropriate conditions with the intention of facilitating the process of acquiring the basic skills they need. It is, then, a technique that aims at strengthening this environment in which the discovery and enjoyable learning are met. Therefore, through the presentation of this therapeutic model, we are not limited to presenting and discussing the theoretical and academic package related to this field, but, basically, we aim at tackling the mechanism and tools needed to apply this technique in correspondence with the scientific standards agreed upon by the bodies and organizations specialized in the field of autism.