According to the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition). It states that an individual with Autistic Spectrum Disorder has persistent defects in the social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts. They have restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities. For a diagnosis to be made, symptoms must be present in the early developmental period. Symptoms can cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability or global developmental delay [1].…show more content… This was because of the lack of understanding of mental health during this period [4]. The United Kingdom adopted this method of treating the mentally ill from Islāmic countries that looked after their mentally ill based on quotations from the Quran [5]. However unlike Islāmic countries, who in some areas treated their mentally sick humanely, with treatments such as music theory, the UK took a more harsh approach. In the first half of the 1900s Mental Health patients became test subjects in many controversial and crude treatments [6]. These treatments included Hydrotherapy and Ergotherapy…show more content… This therapeutic technique consisted of such methods as continuous baths, wet sheet packing and spraying. It was thought that water would be an effective treatment as the temperature could be controlled and bath temperatures typically ranged from 33°C to 36°C, so as not to cause injury to the patients. When water was applied to the skin, it could produce various reactions throughout the body. Those who were suicidal, truculent, overly excited, agitated or suffering from insomnia, a warm continuous bath was a method of calming unwanted behaviour. This treatment could last from several hours to several days, or sometimes even overnight; it most effective when held in a quiet room with little stimulation, thus allowing the patient to relax or fall asleep. Another form Hydrotherapy is packing. This somatic therapy consisted of sheets dipped in varied temperatures of water, which were then tightly wrapped around the patient for several hours depending on the case. This treatment was frequently used for agitated patients because the warmth and immobilization were soothing and relaxing to the patient. In addition to these methods, spraying was often used. Spraying functioned like showers, and used either warm or cold water. Patients were told to stand naked and then were sprayed by water in order to stimulate them. The water was often cold, at about 8°C and was used to treat patients
