| The word "remediation" is very important in the work | | | | appropriately in the classroom or at church, learn |
| my colleagues and I do with families affected by | | | | academic skills, play on the playground equipment, wait |
| autism and other neuro-developmental disabilities, but it | | | | in line without becoming upset, greet others when we |
| is a word that is unfamiliar to many people. I thought I | | | | see them, etc. While we may also look for ways to |
| would take a moment this week to talk about what | | | | support their communication and to improve their |
| remediation means in general, and specifically in the | | | | relationships with others, we do this on a very surface |
| realm of autism. | | | | level without really understanding the obstacles that |
| Let's start with some basic dictionary definitions: | | | | create those problems in the first place. And, because |
| Remediate (verb) - To remedy a problem | | | | we don't really understand the root issues that create |
| Remedial (adjective) - Intended to correct or improve | | | | these problems, we resort to compensation techniques |
| one's skill in a specific field; therapeutic, corrective, | | | | rather than remediating the root causes. |
| restorative | | | | When you look at the history of treatments in the field |
| Remediation (noun) - Use of remedial methods to | | | | of autism, it has been primarily about compensation. |
| improve skills; the act or process of correcting a | | | | While research on the brain and autism has continued |
| deficiency | | | | to move forward and provide us new information, our |
| Dr. Steven Gutstein's definition of remediation: | | | | treatment approaches have stagnated. The methods |
| Correcting a deficit to the point where it no longer | | | | we were using 30 years ago are still the methods |
| constitutes and obstacle | | | | being used today, despite the fact that we have a |
| My definition: Work ON something, not just around it | | | | whole host of new information available to us. We |
| Whether you are a parent or professional, it is critical | | | | now have the capacity to take what we know about |
| to understand what remediation is, and the distinction | | | | the disorder of autism and how it impacts brain |
| between remediation and compensation. Perhaps the | | | | function, and develop new techniques and approaches |
| most common application of this distinction is in the | | | | that move beyond compensation and actually work to |
| area of reading problems. If a child is diagnosed with a | | | | remediate (correct) the primary features of the |
| reading disability, we typically apply remediation | | | | disorder. This is one of the exciting things about newer |
| approaches to help them learn to read. At various | | | | approaches such as the Relationship Development |
| points we may use compensations, such as books on | | | | Intervention (RDI)Â(R) Program, which focuses |
| tape, to support them. However, our goal is to | | | | on remediating, rather than just working around, the |
| remediate, or correct, the problem that is preventing | | | | core deficits we see in individuals with autism and |
| them from reading so they can become functional | | | | other neuro-developmental disorders. |
| readers. In my professional experience, I have yet to | | | | It is time to move beyond thinking about treatment as |
| come across a situation where adults believe that if an | | | | merely capitalizing on strengths, and begin thinking |
| 8 year old child is not yet reading, that we should just | | | | about how to strengthen areas of weakness. |
| compensate for that and give them books on tape to | | | | Research has shown us that autism is primarily a |
| listen to for the rest of their lives. Remedial efforts are | | | | disorder of connectivity in the brain-with some portions |
| taken to get to the root of the problem and overcome | | | | over connected and others under connected. What is |
| the issues that are preventing successful reading. | | | | so exciting about this is that we know that neural |
| Now take this same concept and apply it to individuals | | | | connectivity can change throughout the lifespan. The |
| on the autism spectrum. By definition they are | | | | human brain has an enormous capacity for developing |
| struggling in many areas: socialization, communication, | | | | new connections and changing the patterns of |
| thinking flexibly, and the list goes on depending on the | | | | connectivity when given the right types of stimulation. |
| person. What approach do we usually take to these | | | | This is what allows us to look at autism treatment in a |
| deficits? By and large, we take a compensation | | | | new light. It cannot be merely about strengthening the |
| approach. We find ways to work around these | | | | areas that are already strong. Effective education and |
| problems so that the students fit into the mold of what | | | | treatment must be focused on building new |
| we do at home and in school everyday. Our main | | | | connections in the areas where connectivity is |
| motivation becomes applying strategies that help them | | | | deficient. This is the essence of remediation. |
| exhibit what we consider to be "typical" behaviors -sit | | | | |