Medical disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Everything I share here is based on our personal experience navigating autism therapies with our son. Talk to your child’s developmental pediatrician, school district, or a licensed therapist before making decisions about your child’s care.
Key Takeaways
- There is no cure for autism — therapy supports skill development, communication, and daily functioning. Autistic children grow into autistic adults.
- Early intervention (birth to age 3) is one of the most consistently supported approaches in the research. Getting on the waitlist early matters.
- Most families use more than one therapy at a time — OT, speech, and developmental preschool often run alongside each other.
- ABA is the most debated option. Before deciding, listen to autistic adults, and specifically to Black autistic voices, since race affects how these therapies are applied and experienced.
So, you have a diagnosis. Well, where do you go from here? If you are like me, you have probably already gone down the rabbit hole that is the autism community. You are looking for any and all information you can get your hands on. Just take a breath. One of the main things I hope to do with this blog is be completely transparent, so that anyone going through the same thing can feel like somebody else gets it. It can get really overwhelming trying to absorb all of this new information, and trying to sift through what’s considered helpful and what isn’t.
If you have been following us, you know our son Santana has autism spectrum disorder and sensory processing disorder a diagnosis he received from a developmental pediatrician. If you are still in the process of getting a diagnosis, I have a post on how we got our son’s diagnosis that might help you understand the process. But once you have it — what do you do next?
Can Autism Be Cured with Therapy?
No. There is no cure for autism. Autistic children grow into autistic adults. Therapy does not remove autism from a person — it helps autistic individuals develop skills, communicate more effectively, and navigate daily life in a world that was not always designed for them. The CDC estimates that 1 in 36 children in the United States is identified with autism spectrum disorder. That number is not going down. What changes with early support is what a child is able to do — not whether they are autistic.
I can’t speak for every therapy or every family. What I can tell you is what we are doing, how we ended up here, and what has made a difference for Santana specifically.
According to the CDC’s 2023 Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network report, approximately 1 in 36 children (about 2.8%) in the United States is identified with autism spectrum disorder. Early behavioral and educational intervention is associated with improved outcomes in communication and adaptive skills, though no intervention eliminates autism itself. (CDC, 2023)
What Are the Main Autism Therapy Options?
There are a lot. And the research, the opinions, and the access all vary enormously depending on where you live, what your insurance covers, and who your child is. I’ll walk through the ones we have direct experience with, and the ones you are most likely to encounter in the early years after a diagnosis.
Early Intervention Services (Birth to Age 3)
If your child is under three and you have any concerns at all, get on the early intervention waitlist now. Early intervention services are publicly funded in the US and can include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy delivered at home. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months. The earlier a child accesses support, the more time they have to build foundational skills during a period when the brain is most responsive.
We had a rough time getting Santana evaluated. By the time we actually got an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), he was only a few months from aging out of the birth-to-three window. It was still worth it. The therapists we met through that process helped guide us through everything that came next.
Developmental Preschool (Ages 3 to 5)
I would not categorize developmental preschool as a treatment exactly, but it has helped Santana more than almost anything else. It is an inclusive classroom, typically developing children alongside children who need specialized instruction, for kids aged three to five. In Santana’s class, there is a special education preschool teacher supported by two other professionals, plus a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist available as part of the team.
At the start of the school year we met with everyone and set goals for Santana. We also requested specific supports — a trampoline, headphones, a stability ball, and a few other items — and they made all of it available. The social piece matters a lot too. Kids learn from each other, and the social skills groups in a developmental classroom are specifically designed to help autistic children practice interacting with typically developing peers.
Occupational Therapy
Even though Santana gets OT at school, it has not been enough on its own. So we also get him OT outside of school, in a natural setting at home. Occupational therapists help people with basic life skills — and that means a lot more than writing or putting on shoes. I have posted videos on social media of Santana in his sessions and people always say he looks like he is just playing. That is intentional. Structured play approaches like Floortime build intellectual, emotional, and physical skills at the same time.
He often swings on an acrobat swing, which provides vestibular input in a familiar, comfortable space and helps him manage his body in space. These are sensory integration interventions that directly target his sensory processing disorder. If you want to extend that sensory work at home, I have ideas in my sensory room post. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has additional resources if you are looking for a certified OT in your area.
Speech Therapy
Speech therapy addresses challenges with language and communication — verbal, nonverbal, and social. When Santana cannot communicate what he needs, it often results in a meltdown. That is not a behavior problem. That is a communication gap. One of the first things I noticed was that he was not saying as many words as other kids his age, and the words he was saying were not very clear. He also would not use two- or three-word combinations.
What I want people to understand is that challenges vary from person to person. There are kids in his class who are talkative but struggle with body language. Speech therapy addresses both ends of that spectrum. We have also incorporated sign language into our routine — it has made a real difference in how Santana communicates with us, and it is something I would recommend even before formal speech therapy begins. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has a breakdown of what speech therapy for autism typically includes.
ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)
ABA is described as “therapy based on the science of learning and behavior.” In practice, it uses structured techniques to increase positive behaviors and decrease behaviors that interfere with daily life. An assessment comes first, then a treatment plan. A BCBA (board certified behavior analyst, credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board) oversees your child’s progress and goals. Most ABA programs recommend a significant number of hours per week — often 15 to 40 depending on the child’s needs and insurance coverage.
ABA is by far the most controversial of all the autism therapies and I am not here to tell you what to decide. I am going to tell you what I tell every Black parent who asks me: do your research, and make it a point to listen to autistic adults. Specifically, Black autistic adults. Race does matter in how these therapies are applied and experienced, and the Black experience of ABA is not always the same as what shows up in mainstream resources. I encourage you to read a post I wrote with Tiffany Hammond, a Black autistic mother, where she describes her experience and perspective on ABA. Read it before you decide.
Which Therapy Is Best for Autism?
There is no best. As you can see from what we do, we are not doing one therapy — we are doing several at the same time, and we have adjusted the mix over the years as Santana has grown. “If you have met one child with autism, you have met one child with autism.” That line is repeated so often in autism communities because it is true. It is a spectrum for a reason. Treatments will not all have the same effect on every child, and the combination that works for our son may not be the right fit for yours.
What I do believe applies across the board: early intervention matters, and you should not wait until everything feels certain before you start asking for services. The waiting lists are long. Get on them.
How Do We Navigate All of This?
If you take one thing from this post, let it be that treatment is not a one-time decision. It is ongoing, and it shifts as your child shifts. Some years we have leaned more on OT. Other years speech has been the priority. We adjust based on what Santana needs, not what any fixed plan says. For more on what Panamanian autism parenting looks like in practice, see my post on activities we do with Santana and the questions I ask at every IEP meeting — those two posts are the practical companion to everything I just described.
It can feel overwhelming, especially in the beginning. Find a support system — other parents, therapists who will actually talk to you, school staff who listen. You are not going to figure all of this out in one afternoon, and you are not supposed to. At the end of the day, you do what works best for your child and your family. That is the only standard that matters.
Frequently Asked Questions About Autism Therapy Options
Yes, and most do. OT, speech therapy, and developmental preschool often run concurrently. ABA is sometimes added alongside those. Your child’s IEP team can help coordinate services so the approaches reinforce rather than conflict with each other. The key is communication between providers — make sure your OT and your speech therapist know what each other is doing.
What is an IEP and how does it connect to autism therapy?
An IEP — Individualized Education Plan — is a legally binding document developed by your child’s school team that outlines goals, services, and accommodations. It is the mechanism through which most school-based therapy (OT, speech, developmental preschool) is delivered and funded. You have the right to request an evaluation and to disagree with the team’s findings. I have a full post on questions to ask at an IEP meeting if you are heading into one for the first time.
For speech therapy, look for an SLP (speech-language pathologist) with experience in AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) if your child is minimally verbal. For OT, look for a therapist who specializes in sensory integration. For ABA, verify that the program is supervised by a BCBA — not just a technician. Your child’s developmental pediatrician is the best starting point for referrals. School districts are also required by law to provide evaluations at no cost to you.
SPD (sensory processing disorder) and autism frequently co-occur but they are distinct. Autism affects social communication, behavior, and sensory processing. SPD specifically affects how the brain processes sensory input — touch, sound, movement, light — and can occur independently of autism. Our son has both. OT with a focus on sensory integration addresses the SPD piece specifically.
Start with what is publicly funded. Early intervention (birth to 3) is free under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Developmental preschool and school-based OT and speech therapy are also provided at no cost through the public school system once your child has an IEP. Private therapy supplements school services but is not the only option. Many states also have Medicaid waivers specifically for autism-related services — contact your state’s developmental disabilities agency to ask about eligibility.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Kisha.
I’m a Black mom of two and the voice behind The Kisha Project, where I share honest reflections on motherhood, neurodivergent parenting, style, and culture. I am an autism advocate, early childhood educator, and lifestyle blogger based in Phoenix, AZ. I have navigated in-home OT and speech services firsthand, including coordinating services around siblings and building therapy into the rhythm of daily family life. I write about Black autism parenting, IEP advocacy, and sensory strategies at The Kisha Project. My work has been featured in the Associated Press, Parents Magazine, and AZCentral.
Read more about me
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