Go-to sources for making autism treatment decisions
by Patricia
After the initial apprehension and anxiety of learning their child has autism, parents are often at a loss about what to do next. “What should we do?” is a fair question, given that when you Google the word autism you get 16 million hits!
In an article in the Huffington Post, jewelry designer Ariane Zurcher shared her family’s journey in autism treatment.
Desperation makes for odd decisions, and perhaps one can explain everything we’ve tried and done by simply leaving it at that. On the other hand, unless one is a scientist, and most parents of autistic children I know are not, how does one choose what will help one’s child when all we have to go on is anecdotal evidence?
I know that some of the treatments her family pursued have no evidence base. But how do families know what is and is not grounded in evidence? What makes one of those 16 million hits better than another?
As a professional I hope that my voice can provide families with a bit of guidance in discerning the plethora of content that gets promulgated. At least then, families will be better prepared to make informed decisions. They may still make decisions different than what I believe would provide the most benefit to their child, but again, I am not that child’s parent.
Here are some go- to sources to consider when making autism treatment decisions:
- Centers for Disease Control
- National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
- Association for Science in Autism Treatment
- National Institute of Mental Health
One other great tool for evaluating treatment options is an article from the Association for Science in Autism Treatment. The article, called A Road Less Traveled, (PDF) helps families to ask the right questions, gather the right information and make informed decisions.
As a professional it is my job to support families to make informed decisions. I will never really know what it is like to make a treatment decision for my child with autism, and I will never feel the angst parents experience in trying to evaluate those 16 million Google hits. I do know that I can be an informed voice, sharing expertise, and exhibiting compassion.