Autism and Choosing Therapies for Your Child

When parents learn of their child’s Autism Spectrum diagnosis, they may begin in earnest a journey of discovering which forms of assistance, therapies and interventions may be required, recommended to them or proposed as being effective in the treatment of their son’s or daughter’s presentation of Autism.

 The days and months post the diagnosis, can be a time of overwhelming emotions, perhaps mixed with sadness, grief and a feeling that life has just been turned upside down and landed in a fourth dimension of our universe. Though, for some parents, discovering the diagnosis has also confirmed their sneaking suspicions that their son or daughter just may be on the Spectrum and the transition into the next phase of potentially seeking therapies and/or interventions may be an emotionally smoother process. Many families also experience deeply felt emotions, whether they suspected Autism or not, as a result of the diagnosis and may be left with the thought of, “What next? Where do we go from here?”

 As parents search through the plethora of information regarding the many therapy genres and decide who may be the most preferred provider of such assistance, confusion and frustration can become quite consuming as one decides from where to begin this important family journey.

 Coinciding with this new and involved experience of sourcing resources and combined with the accompanying emotions, parents and their newly diagnosed child may be vulnerable to accepting or following inappropriate or unproven therapies and treatments.

Some parents may receive or are offered quality and relevant referrals to appropriate genres of assistance, information and interventions. Such may be well considered, pertinent and appropriately applied to their child’s needs.

 When seeking, evaluating and employing various interventions, on behalf of and for their autistic children, parents can be assisted in gaining clarity and certainty in choosing the most appropriate interventions by potentially considering some of the following suggestions.

 It is imperative to determine the most appropriate therapies for an autistic child, teen or adult. An ill considered choice of intervention and their application can be time, money and effort wasting. This can also produce increased anxiety, frustration and feelings of disdain for both the parents and the autistic individual. The worst case scenario could be that the therapy could even be harmful, by degrees, for the autistic child/ teen or adult and cause a potential regression of symptoms or induce more behavioural and emotional difficulties; also further distressing parents.

 A helpful beginning point, when accumulating ideas or a list of potential therapy interventions and providers, is to really understand what the challenges are that the autistic child/teen/adult experiences. By reaching clarity regarding such dynamics, the number of the fields of investigation and services to be acquired may be reduced and the whole experience of gaining assistance for the autistic person is more manageable emotionally, physically and even financially.

 When choosing a therapy suited to the autistic child’s needs, one can consider the ethics, cost, relevance and time involved or surrounding the application of its genre. Other important aspects to evaluate are the service provider’s qualifications, credentials, experience, reputation and expertise.

 Other qualitative elements concern the individuals who conduct or provide the service for the autistic client. Questions one may ask could be for example;

 * Does the therapist display empathy, understanding and respect for the parents and the autistic child?

 * Do they have a clear and evident knowledge of the Autism Spectrum and allow for and tailor the service to the individual needs of the client?

 * Are they willing to listen to the parents (and the autistic child/teen/adult) concerns, input and answer questions posed to them?

 * Do they welcome and include parents as part of the therapy process?

 * Does the therapist give credence to and accept parental input and ideas?

 * Does the service provider recognise the limitations of their own skills and/or   expertise?

 * Maintain a willingness and commitment to their own professional development and education regarding up-to-date information on Autism and the validity of current practices?

 * Are they able to be flexible in their approach and therapy plan? And be willing to try alternatives (within their professional and legal bounds) to attain the best results and realistic goals for the autistic child/teen/adult?

 Another consideration for parents, when vetting potential therapies or interventions, is the value-for-money in utilizing the service/s. Does the fee charged for the service correlate with the promoted expertise, skill and potential (and highly expected) outcome of the therapy?

 An invaluable element, which can lead to a successful achievement of goals for the autistic client and his/her parents, is that the service provider is genuinely interested in the dynamics of Autism, the uniqueness and individuality of the autistic individual and the overall family unit. Without such authenticity and positive regard, a harmonious and effective life-changing relationship between the professional/therapist and the family may not occur.

 As our autistic children grow into and through various developmental stages; experience increased abilities and fewer or alternative challenges; their needs, desires and wants change, the various forms of therapies and/or assistance may diversify or cease to be required. Previously appropriate and utilized therapies may need to be reassessed for their continued benefit, constructive impact and value to the autistic individual.

 Parents can make educated assessments, in collaboration with their growing and maturing autistic child/teen or adult family member, as to where the need for a particular therapy/intervention has decreased or where the necessity or desire has arisen for a newly considered and alternative service to be sourced.

 Not only do the acquired therapies and/or interventions need to be appropriate and effective for an autistic individual, they need to complement each other in respect to the impact they collectively have on the autistic persons quality of life.

 Quality therapies, of any genre, will maintain at the core of their beliefs, intention, application and philosophy, a respect for the dignity, humanity, rights, uniqueness and value of the autistic persons and their respective carers. An effective and appropriate therapy will result in the autistic child, teen or adult experiencing and expressing an increase and refinement in abilities; greater emotional, cognitive and behavioural wellbeing and contentment. Parents and carers will also feel less anxious about the future of their beloved autistic child and their dreams for the family unit can be envisioned as realistically attainable.