Research: Michael: A Child’s Journey through Autism

Behavioral therapy that uses photographs to engage children with autism may be helpful for improving communication skills.

This article tells the story of one boy with autism who had serious behavioral problems including avoidance. The therapist used a therapy approach called, “Ahsen’s picture approach to autism.” This therapy approach uses specific nature photographs to trigger the child’s interest and encourage interactions with the therapist. For 7-year-old Michael, the therapy helped him interact better with the therapist, and eventually his problem behaviors went away. The author describes Michael’s behaviors and conversations during the therapy. This article is the first of two articles that describe Michael’s experience.