Currently, there are a large number of methods of correction and adaptation of children with autism. Most of them were developed abroad. Methods of correction and adaptation differ significantly from each other, as do theories about the causes of autism. There are psychological, medical, biological methods of correction. Most often in the literature there is a description of the following biological methods: Normalization of nutrition, excluding foods containing gluten and casein from the diet. Chelation - removal of heavy metals. Drug and homeopathic treatment. In addition, various specialists offer a variety of methods: communication with animals, sand therapy, music therapy, osteopathy and others. Below is an analysis of the most popular and common psychological methods for correcting autism. Conventionally, these methods can be divided into: - educational methods (ABA therapy, TEACCH), - methods that restore emotional connections between mother and child with autism (FLOORTIME, holding therapy) - neuro-correctional methods (sensory integration). ABA - Applied Behavior Analysis The program was developed by Ivar Lovaas, professor of psychology at the University of California. The program developed by Dr. Lovaas is based on behavior analysis techniques used by behavioral psychologists. Behavior therapy is based on a system of rewards and punishments that promotes correct behavior and discourages irrational actions. However, in the early stages of its use, the Lovaas method was criticized because the method of punishment for children with autism was very harsh, in some cases even using electric shock. Over time, the system of punishments was changed, and thanks to a flexible system of reinforcements, it is possible to consolidate the desired behavior and reduce unwanted and destructive behavior. Training within the framework of this program is carried out according to the following scheme: each social action that the child cannot master is broken down into short steps. Each step is taught through special instructions. Repeating the “correct” action without prompting from an adult indicates the consolidation of a particular skill. Incorrect reaction: aggression, stereotypy, are carefully analyzed, identifying the reasons for such behavior. The acquired skills are practiced regularly in various unplanned situations. Success in teaching this program depends on the regularity of classes, the qualifications of a specialist, the sequence of procedures in a familiar environment, with familiar people. Specialists working within the framework of this approach were faced with the problem of transferring the acquired skills to an outside educational environment and the child’s dependence on an adult who reinforces the appropriate behavior. The advantage of this approach is the fact that children studying in the ABA therapy program acquire self-care skills and learn the actions necessary for life in society. This significantly reduces the burden on the adult caring for the child. On the other hand, this approach does not affect the child's communication skills and his ability to establish relationships with other people. Namely, these skills are highlighted as the main signs of autism according to existing diagnostic systems. Purely subjective If you take away political correctness, then ABA therapy in its pure form reminds me of dog training. I enthusiastically used the method when raising my pet. Human relationships cannot be trained, as well as interest in life. However, this does not prevent me from turning to the principles of therapy in those moments when it is relevant, for example, when it is necessary (really necessary) to distract the child from his own process for an exercise, activity, etc. TEACH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children - Treatment and training of children suffering from autism and communication disorders) or structured education. The primary emphasis is on the formationthe child's ability to stay in place and focus on a task. Such behavior is called working, because is a necessary prerequisite for independent activity of a child with autism, independent of adults. The ability to focus on a task is trained by structuring the space in which the child learns and visualizing the learning process. A structured learning strategy will enable a learning child with autism to learn to focus on visual cues in a variety of environments and situations and thus increase the level of independence in a variety of activities. Specialists of this approach successfully combine TEACCH with other various training and therapy systems: sensory integration, picture communication system, Greenspan play therapy, ABA. It should be noted, however, that although specialists working on the TEACCH program believe that visual organization environment reduces the child’s dependence on the adult; there is a danger of dependence on the organized situation. When placed in an unstructured environment, a child may find himself helpless. And although the approach itself is aimed at learning and social adaptation and does not affect the communication skills of a child with autism or ASD, the authors and specialists of this approach believe that if such a child is given the instructions necessary to live in society, the child himself will come to high-quality interaction with people . But still, despite this, the principles of organizing the learning environment, developed within the framework of the TEACH program, represent a useful experience that could help in solving the problem of social adaptation of children with autism. The skills children acquire through learning in this approach can be a good resource that a child with autism can draw on when building relationships with others. FLOORTIME. Greenspan's play therapy The Greenspan method (DIR method) is based on three main concepts: evolution (D), the child's individuality (I) and relationships with him (R). The premise for this technique was the idea that the basis for a child’s learning is formed by the exchange of emotional signals that initially occurs between the child and the mother. Stanley Greenspan, using this technique, was able to teach parents and teachers to evoke emotion even in those kids who were initially the most withdrawn. Parents and teachers knelt down before the kids who had barely learned to walk and entered their world, while helping to transform any repetitive actions into cheerful interaction. Greenspan identifies six stages that a child goes through in his development: Stage of adaptation and interest in the surrounding reality - age: 3 months. Stage of formation of attachments and interpersonal relationships - age: 5 months. Stage of mutual communication - age: 9 months. Stage awareness of one's own self and organization of behavior - age: 13-18 months. Stage of awareness and expression of one's own emotions - age: 24-30 months. Stage of emotional thinking - age: 36-48 months. Children with autism, according to Stanley Greenspan, do not pass all stages, but stop their development in one of them. These children need to be helped through all the stages through play time. It is possible to achieve two-way communication when the child responds to the actions performed by the therapist. When such a reaction occurs, one circle of communication closes. Anyone working with a child should strive to ensure that there are as many such closed circles as possible. In this case, the therapist acts as the child’s assistant, and the child himself becomes the main one, which allows him to develop as a person. In a game, the therapist develops the ideas that the child offers, pretends not to understand, and thereby encourages the child to explain the rules of the game. Thus, an analysis of actions occurs and emotional thinking develops. Greenspan says that one should not interrupt the child even in thosecases when he shows aggression in the game. The child can speak out in this way, which teaches him not to be afraid of his emotions and himself, to manage them. The advantage of this approach is that its goal is the ability of a child with autism to establish relationships with people. FLOORTIME – therapy directly corrects those behavioral reactions that are recognized by diagnostic systems as signs of autism. Restoring a child’s communication abilities can be a valuable resource for him and his parents in the process of growing up and social adaptation of the child. Sensory integration The central idea of ​​sensory integration therapy is the stimulation of sensory systems and control over sensory channels, aimed at ensuring that the child spontaneously forms adaptive responses that integrate different types of sensations... Therapy is most effective if the child himself directs his actions, and the therapist only unobtrusively changes the situation. Typically, integration occurs when the child seeks sensations and does something to get them. If a child is interested in an activity, his brain is usually able to organize the sensations from this activity... With autism, a child needs external guidance and structuring of life more strongly. Self-control can be interfered with by fear, aggression and other emotions. In other words, the therapist helps the child manage negative responses and emotions while he masters the sensory experiences he needs and forms adaptive responses leading to the organization of impulses. Thus, therapy based on sensory integration does not form specific everyday or social skills and is not aimed at establishing emotional relationships does not directly affect the child’s behavior. Its goal is to improve the processing of sensory information to more effectively register and modulate sensations, as well as to help develop adaptive responses as a way to organize behavior. Year after year, sensory integration therapists note that the number of children with autism in their clinical practice is increasing. For some, therapy helps significantly, for others it doesn’t help much or doesn’t help at all. Any positive change in brain function in a child with autism is welcomed. (Ayres D. The Child and Sensory Integration) The advantage of this approach is that it aims to correct the disorder that is most likely to cause autism. And such a correction can affect communication skills, the child’s social adaptation, and his behavior and learning. On the other hand, sensory integration specialists note that not all of their experiences are successful. Also, such a correction can be lengthy and require a lot of patience and strength from the child’s parents. Holding therapy Holding therapy was developed by American psychiatrist Martha Welsh and first introduced at the Mother Center in Greenwich, USA in 1978. Holding therapy is aimed at restoring emotional attachment between the child and mother, relieving anxiety and restoring a sense of security. In the classic version, the holding therapy procedure was as follows: the mother takes the child in her arms and hugs her tightly. The child should sit on the mother's lap in such a way that she has the opportunity to look into his eyes. Without weakening the hug, despite the child’s resistance, the mother tells him about her feelings, her love for him, how she wants to overcome this or that problem. Russian experts comment on this type of therapy as follows: “It is usually long-term, physically and a mentally painful procedure, both for parents and for the child himself. However, as a result, at the end of it, the child develops behavior that is adequate to the situation: he begins to look into the mother’s face, cuddle up to her, and smile.” (Lebedinsky V.V., Nikolskaya O.S., Baenskaya E.R., Liebling M.M. Emotional disorders in childhood and their correction) Calling the procedure itself “cruel”, they do not deny its effectiveness and.