Hi,
Anyone who has already been to a DAN! dr- have advice about what you think should be "top of the list" topics to address? What things should I not walk out of there with?
We have an appointment this Thursday. I am reading everything I can get my hands on to be prepared.
Thanks,
Cindy
If this is your first appt, it will probably be a couple hours where the DAN talks to you about what he or she does and how biomedical interventions help ASD kids. The standard protocol is to run several labs on the child (the kid varies from doctor to doctor) so they can determine the correct amount of supplements and other stuff to give.
Some good questions to ask the DAN doctor is:
How long have you been a DAN doctor. Did you train under another DAN doctor? How do you stay up to date with all the new and changing info about biomedical treatments. Do you attend any DAN related conferences?
Why did you become a DAN doctor (many DAN docs have children or relatives who have autism)
Are you and your staff available 24/7 if there is an emergency? (Make sure they are)
Other questions to keep in mind of while he/she is examining your kids is:
If they make a comment about a certain behavior and suggests a supplement...ask why and ask for any research or reading materials about the health issue (not to challenge what he is saying, but to learn about it - of course, deep inside you are learning about it so you can challenge it if you need too)
Never be afraid to ask for a detailed explanation...or ask for the info in laymans term so you have a greater understanding.
If he/she gives you a ton of tests, ask if you can have some of them drawn or sent to a lab covered by your insurance company. For instance, they will probably do a CBC, CMP and some other general labs. Our DAN docs will draw it and send it to a lab that is under our insurance plan. The type of tests really vary from child to child based on behavioral issues and health issues observed by the doctor. Many children have gastrointestinal problems that are not apparent until they start undergoing biomed treatments, such as yeast overgrowth and bacterial overgrowth.
Hope that helps.