Autism spectrum disorders

At the kbo-Kinderzentrum München, autism spectrum disorders are treated both on an outpatient basis in the sociopaediatric centre (SPZ) and on an in-patient basis in the Special Sociopaediatric Clinic.

Outpatient treatment in the SPZ

The sociopaediatric centre (SPZ) specialises in the early diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders in the first years of life and in autistic disorders in combination with global development disorders and genetic syndromes.

The early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders comprises a neuropaediatric clarification of the causes and a genetic investigation. The diagnostic investigation in the SPZ is based on the established investigation method of autism-specific diagnostics and looks at early social and communicative development, general development status and development anomalies. It is carried out by a team of paediatricians, qualified psychologists and specialist therapists.

In-patient treatment in the Special Sociopaediatric Clinic

If outpatient therapy is insufficient, treatment can also be provided on an in-patient basis in the parent-child ward or the children's ward. On the parent-child ward, the child and parents are admitted together, so that it is possible to work on treatment intensively with the parents. The aim of in-patient treatment is to clarify the causes and influences of the development disorder in the somatic and psychosocial areas, and to compensate or reduce obvious development symptoms. Diagnostic and therapeutic measures are closely matched to each other. Parents are provided with in-depth advice and thorough interaction-oriented parent training. The intensity of the treatment means that it is possible for an autistic child to agree, often for the first time, to imitation exercises or function games, or for a serious eating disorder to be addressed or approaches to verbal or non-verbal communication to be triggered in a child with multiple disability. This can form the basis for out-patient therapy building on this in the kbo-Kinderzentrum München.

The following main therapies are used for the treatment of autistic children as in-patients and outpatients:

• Paediatric and paediatric neurological examination
• Provision of psychological advice for parents for support in everyday life
• Parent training on dealing with social behaviour problems and on social and cognitive development
• Guidance on providing everyday care with a view to encouraging independence in terms of playing, eating situations, toilet training, etc.
• Development-oriented music therapy to develop social contact behaviour and communicative skills
• Physiotherapy to treat motor disorders 
• Occupational therapy to treat developmental deficits in motor skills, perception and cognitive development
• Therapeutic education support in the field of Montessori therapy
• Speech therapy to treat communication and speech disorders
• Development of thods of supported communication (gestures, visual aids, computer-aided communication)
• Socio-education advice