To assist parents
or care givers as they evaluate different treatments, we have included this
list of guidelines created by Dr. B.J. Freeman in her paper Diagnosis of the
Syndrome of Autism: Questions Parents Ask.
1.
Approach
any new therapy with hopeful skepticism. Remember the goal of any treatment
should be to help the person with autism become a fully functioning member of
society.
2.
BEWARE
of any program or technique that is touted as effective or desirable for every
person with autism.
3.
BEWARE
of any program that thwarts individualization and potentially results in
harmful program decisions.
4. Be
aware that any therapy represents one of several options for a person with
autism.
5. Be
aware that therapy should always depend on individual assessment information
that points to it as an appropriate choice for a particular child.
6. Be
aware that no new therapy should be implemented until its proponents can
specify assessment procedures necessary to determine whether it will be
appropriate for an individual with autism.
7. Be
aware that debate over use of various techniques are often reduced to
superficial arguments over who is right, moral and ethical and who is a true
advocate for the children. This can lead to results that are directly opposite
to those intended including impediments to maximizing programs.
8. Be aware that often-new therapies have not been validated scientifically.