What Is an Autism Therapist?

Question: What Is an Autism Therapist?

A therapist should be able to help your child with autism to develop new skills and abilities. But what is an autism therapist?

Answer: There is no such thing as an "autism therapist." Instead, there are therapists in many fields who specialize in treating people (usually children) with autism.

This reality can make it tough for parents who simply want to find a therapist who can treat their child. What kind of therapist should they search for? Which is most likely to help their child develop skills and abilities?

Before choosing a therapist (or therapists) for your child with autism, you might want to explore some or all of these FAQ's:

• Are there therapies specifically designed to treat autism?
• Is there a cure for autism?
• Is there a standard treatment for autism?
• Which autism treatments should I start with?
• Top ten treatments for autism

Above all, be wary of any individual who calls him or herself an "autism therapist." While it's possible that the therapist is just simplifying her or his language, and describing a well-regarded therapy as "autism therapy," it's equally possible that you're confronting a snake oil "therapist"

If you do meet such a person, and feel that they might be right for your child, ask him plenty of questions to be sure that they are on the level. "What kind of therapy do you offer?" "What are the issues your therapy addresses?" "What kinds of outcomes do you work toward?" "How do you evaluate progress?"