The following excerpt is taken from Chapter Six of Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Finding a Diagnosis and Getting Help by Mitzi Waltz, copyright 1999 by O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. For book orders/information, call (800) 998-9938. Permission is granted to print and distribute this excerpt for noncommercial use as long as the above source is included. The information in this article is meant to educate and should not be used as an alternative for professional medical care. 

1.       Will this therapy result in harm to the child?

2.       How will failure of this therapy affect my child and family?

3.       Has the therapy been validated scientifically?

4.       Are there assessment procedures specified?

5.       How will the therapy be integrated into the child's current program? Do not become so infatuated with a given intervention that functional curriculum, vocational life and social skills are ignored.

Please check out BBB Autism's Beginner's Guide to Autism in York Region and the General Beginner's Guide for more strategies when choosing therapies.