Dear Mr. Probert,

Thank you for your recent article, “How to Choose the Right Type of Autism Therapy for Your Child.” Parents of newly-diagnosed children face a dizzying array of purported treatments, some cleverly and deceptively marketed to target a parent’s genuine and heartfelt desire to get their child the help and support they need. Your article touches upon some truly crucial components of navigating those challenging decisions.

At ASAT, we advocate for evidence-based treatments that have demonstrated efficacy. Treatment options are only truly treatment options if they are grounded in science and have demonstrated efficacy. Parents should know that some treatments are evidence-based and some are not.

Your first suggestion, “Evaluate Your Child’s Strengths and Challenges” is a critical starting point. According to the most reliable current prevalence measures, autism affects 1 in every 59 children. As striking as that statistic is, it does not capture another crucial aspect of autism’s presentation: every child is different. In seeking treatment, individualization is key. More precisely, every child should receive individualized, evidence-based treatment. In addition to identifying a child’s talents and challenges, it is important to reflect on the family’s biggest priorities and values. Those central concerns should then be shared with everyone who enters your child’s life: doctors, therapists, teachers, family and friends.

As you note, learning about different therapy options is critical. ASAT’s website offers helpful tools and guides to support parents and caregivers in assessing the evidentiary support for specific treatments: Your article raises several important points in this regard.

Family doctors and pediatricians, for example, are one important frontline source of information and guidance. In collaborating with doctors and healthcare workers, parents should be encouraged to ask lots of questions, and to keep asking until they receive answers. Parents should also be wary of over-relying on a single source, particularly if that professional’s experience with autism is limited. There are medical doctors with relevant sub-specialties, and some health centers have interdisciplinary teams who work in collaboration. Parents should explore what is available to them in addition to relying on the resources they already have.

Your call to “Consider Availability and Practicality” also raises important points. Daily convenience is important because effective autism treatment is often intensive and requires a family’s committed participation. At the same time, it is also important for parents to look beyond convenience in assessing treatment providers. Parents should also ask if practitioners are reliable, open to questions, and reasonably accessible outside of treatment sessions. It is also critical that practitioners work within their recognized scope of expertise and practice. Parents should ask about credentials, licensing, and depth of experience, particularly with children whose profiles resemble their own child’s profile.

Your call to “Try and Evaluate the Therapy” is well taken: parents should be savvy and critical consumers of autism services and should be on the lookout for what works. But with more than 500 “treatments” on the market today, trying too many is neither a good nor practical idea. Instead, parents should ask first, “Is this treatment based on reliable science and sound evidence?” Because no parent can be an expert in all things, they should turn to the support of trusted institutions, agencies, and organizations for the objective data that should guide their decision-making.

Finally, your article’s emphasis on action (“Find the Right Autism Therapy for Your Child Today”) is critical. The science tells us that time is precious; while treatment decisions are made, a child’s development continues to progress. Parents should be encouraged to reach out for guidance and advocacy sooner rather than later. Marshaling necessary support can help parents make progress that would be difficult or impossible on their own.

At ASAT we deeply appreciate your article’s mention of evidence-based and research-backed treatment but wish it were a central theme throughout your article. We encourage you, as a journalist, to continue urging parents and the public to seek reliable evidence-based information at every step along the way. Children with autism and their families deserve no less.

We invite you to visit ASAT’s website as a resource, and to contact ASAT whenever we can be a support to your work.

Sincerely,

Britta Gilmore Pomrantz, JD, PhD, and parent of a child with autism

David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D

Association for Science in Autism Treatment

 

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