What NOT To Expect When Your Doctor Diagnoses Autism
Wednesday April 30, 2008
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Most of the time, though, that just isn't the case.
Not only do doctors disagree about the precise wording of diagnoses, they also disagree about the best course of treatment for any given child. In fact, doctors may not even be aware of many of the treatments available - and as a result, they may be unable to provide any guidance as to whether a particular treatment is likely to be effective.
That doesn't mean parents should avoid seeking a diagnosis of autism. What it does mean, though, is that parents may need to look beyond the person in the white lab coat when seeking information about best options for treatment, further evaluations, educational setting, local resources, and - of course - finances.
Comments
Thanks Lisa Jo, for a realistic and balanced look at diagnosis and treatment. As a therapist who works with many kids and teens on the autistic spectrum, I’m frequently asked, “What is the best treatment?” or “Will this definitely work for my child?” The honest answer is “I don’t know.” Individuals with autistic spectrum disorders are all different individuals and they will have different needs and responses.
There are two main problems here. First, it’s very difficult to test a therapy that isn’t completely uniform and reproducible for each child. But, the best therapies have a built in flexibility that allows them to be adapted for each child. For example, two families using Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s DIR Floortime will not be doing the exact same thing with their children. It’s adapted to each child. Therein lies the beauty of a treatment like Floortime, and the difficulty in measuring how well it will work.
Second, even if a treatment is found to be very effective for many or most individuals, it doesn’t mean it will work for your specific child. And, even if your child improves or gets worse, it’s tough to tease out what exactly caused that change.
In my opinion, well-informed, caring parents are the most important factor for any child with special needs and we should all be cautious about anything that claims to be “the best.”
Thanks, Patricia!
I’d also put it in reverse: even the “best” treatment is only as good as the therapist who provides it.
You can have a program that looks ideal on paper, but if the people implementing it have no real talent for working with kids on the spectrum, it can be second to useless. Really good ABA is not just 40 hours of discrete trials; really good floortime is not just repetitive, aimless play. But there are quite a few therapists out there who don’t know what “good” therapy should look like.
One of the toughest things about managing treatment for kids with autism is that parents don’t always know what to look for in a therapist - or if they know, they don’t always have the power to make a change!
Lisa (autism guide)