What about alternative treatments? | Autism PDD

What about alternative treatments?

You may hear about new or alternative treatments that people are talking about. Before starting your child on one of these, talk about it with your child's doctor. Take a look at these red flags and rules of thumb for evaluating treatments . If you are curious about the research behind a specific treatment, do a search on Quackwatch.org . Many "treatments" that are marketed to parents of children with autism are very expensive, may harm you child, and are not based on sound research. Beware of treatments that claim to have a miracle "cure" for autism. Do not let alternative or complementary treatments infringe in any way on intensive one-on-one interactive treatment programs, as described in the section above. We know beyond a doubt that these kinds of intensive treatments work. 

• Here is a very current scientific review to help you separate the fact from fiction in the causes and treatment of autism .

http://www.autcom.org/redflags.html

Autcom's Red Flags And Rules of Thumb for Evaluating Treatments

1. Be suspicious of any treatment which makes grandiose claims, using words like "miraculous," "amazing breakthrough," "recovery," or "cure." Legitimate medical and educational professionals show respect for the uniqueness of each individual with autism and the feelings of that individual's family, and therefore never indulge in overstatements and boasts about what they will be able to accomplish. When they are particularly successful in helping a person, they do not solicit testimonials from the person's family or encourage parents to make grandiose promises and claims to others.

2. Be suspicious of professionals who publicize and promote their method or program as if it were a packageable commodity. Since autism is not a "thing" a person "has," but an attempt to capture in a single label a wide range of behavioral adaptations to a wide range of sensory and movement regulatory differences, there can be no such thing as a general treatment "for autism." Likewise, beware of parent support groups dedicated to the promotion of a particular "miraculous" method. Enthusiastic testimonials from people who claim they have been helped by a product or treatment are no substitute for the evidence gathered through careful, unbiased investigation, and for considering the unique developmental profile of your individual child. Run for the hills if you are ever made to feel guilty or inadequate for failing to buy into a treatment or for questioning the eager rhetoric surrounding it.

3. Remember that many treatments are composed of an eclectic mix of active and inactive ingredients. The more clarity we can achieve about what really helps, the less time, energy, and money we will waste on inactive, incidental, and occasionally harmful treatment components. It is helpful to note the common features in many effective interventions, across many different disciplines:
a. using environmental accommodations which slow down interactions, setting a consistent pattern paced to the person's unique rhythms;
b. eliminating unnecessary stimuli and distractions which may overwhelm and confuse;
c. giving the person, on a daily basis, as much uninterrupted time and attention as possible;
d. following the person's lead by building on his or her own enthusiasms and interests;
e. utilizing typical home and community settings, and the friendship and support of typically- developing peers;
f. and, last but not least, sharing with the person a belief in their competence and delight in their companionship.

I have to agree. I also think that you have to look at what you can afford. I did sensory integration therapy even though the literature is divided on it's benefits. I decided that he enjoyed it, he didn't come to any harm, it was given by a trained OT, and my health cover paid for most of it. If you are doing a recognised therapy treatment and have the time and energy and money to do alternatives,AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT HARMFUL, then have a go. But I would advise never to use an alternative instead of good one on one teaching. Research based therapy is the best chance we have. Mainly we can't afford to be reinventing the wheel all the time. Certainly if we are going to try something new we need all the information we can get from impartial people and not subjective opinions but objective.

I am so glad that there are groups like this that help us negotiate the maze of autism and therapy for our children. It is easy because we want so much for our kids to get better to latch on to any offer of a miracle treatment and I feel that some people take advantage of that. Even people who offer recognised treatments but do it badly can be a concern. Some of the ABA websites have information on how to evaluate the quality of your therapists. They may be worth a look.

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