How to Choose the Wrong Treatment for Your Child with Autism
Updated July 22, 2013.
How NOT to Choose a Treatment for Autism:
With so many treatments available for autism, how do you make intelligent choices? Here are some tips for what NOT to do when choosing autism treatments.
Try a Therapy Based on a Forum Post:
"AutismMom" says she tried her own home remedy on her son - and within two days, he was potty trained! Do you believe her? While you never know (AutismMom may in fact have discovered a major new therapy), forum posts should never be a sole source for therapeutic advice.
Rush Out to Buy the Product You Saw Featured on a TV Program:
Now that Autism is big news, stories about amazing cures abound. On television, authors and celebrities talk about "recovering" their children with treatments ranging from high colonics to do-it-yourself chelation kits. The fact that a celebrity stands behind a treatment, however, is no guarantee that the treatment is safe or effective.
Start a Regimen Based on a Lone Doctor's Recommendation:
Dr. X has developed a treatment for autism, and according to him (and his website) he has cured 500 autistic children. Dr. X is the only one offering his amazing new treatment, and it costs only $10,000. While Dr. X could, in fact, be a misunderstood genius, chances are he's a huckster.
Buy the Cut-Rate Version of an Expensive Therapeutic Tool:
Treatment for autism can be terribly expensive, and it's tempting to buy the low-cost or do-it-yourself version of a medical treatment or device. And you certainly CAN purchase low-cost Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers, chelation kits, and other typically high-priced treatments online.
The problem is hyperbaric oxygen, chelation, and other biomedical treatments are NOT do it yourself operations. They're potentially risky medical treatments that are safe only under controlled circumstances (and when implemented by trained experts).
Do Whatever Your Neighbor Does:
Jane next door put her son on megadoses of vitamin supplements, and suddenly her son is talking! So you do the same, hoping for the same results. But what you may not know is that Jane's son actually has a vitamin deficit, while your child doesn't. While Jane's son is finally having his nutritional needs met, yours may be receiving an overdose!
Believe Despite the Evidence:
Once you choose a treatment for autism, chances are you'll sink a lot of time, money and energy into that treatment. As a result, you're looking for evidence that the treatment is working - and you may find it, even when it isn't there. The outcome? You may wind up sinking yet more time, money and energy into a treatment that's the wrong fit for your child.
Jump on Every Trend:
Today, due in part to celebrity appearances on TV, the trend is to treat every child with a gluten-free, cassein-free diet and vitamin supplements. Tomorrow, it may be hyperbaric oxygen, neurofeedback or stem cell therapy. Sure, you can try it all. But chances are you'll wind up breaking the bank and overwhelming your child. At the same time, you'll also find it impossible to know what really worked.
Believe in the Impossible:
Quack cures for autism abound. Clay baths, "green" foods, and a whole range of other nonsensical products are out there - and there's a sucker born every day. If the claims seem to good to be true - they almost certainly are!
The Bottom Line: Choosing Treatments:
As you read the literature, be sure the treatment is based on real science; that more than one research study supports the treatment; and that you understand why and how the treatment works.
Out there in the real world, check on your practitioner's credentials. Call references. Be sure you're talking to someone who really deserves your respect.
Once your child is receiving a treatment, pay close attention to the outcomes. Is he having any negative reactions? Are there real improvements?
Hucksters prey on hope. That's why parents of children with autism are so often their target. But as savvy readers and careful researchers, you'll be able to avoid the nonsense - and provide your child with choices that make sense for him and for you.
How NOT to Choose a Treatment for Autism:
With so many treatments available for autism, how do you make intelligent choices? Here are some tips for what NOT to do when choosing autism treatments.
Try a Therapy Based on a Forum Post:
"AutismMom" says she tried her own home remedy on her son - and within two days, he was potty trained! Do you believe her? While you never know (AutismMom may in fact have discovered a major new therapy), forum posts should never be a sole source for therapeutic advice.
Rush Out to Buy the Product You Saw Featured on a TV Program:
Now that Autism is big news, stories about amazing cures abound. On television, authors and celebrities talk about "recovering" their children with treatments ranging from high colonics to do-it-yourself chelation kits. The fact that a celebrity stands behind a treatment, however, is no guarantee that the treatment is safe or effective.
Start a Regimen Based on a Lone Doctor's Recommendation:
Dr. X has developed a treatment for autism, and according to him (and his website) he has cured 500 autistic children. Dr. X is the only one offering his amazing new treatment, and it costs only $10,000. While Dr. X could, in fact, be a misunderstood genius, chances are he's a huckster.
Buy the Cut-Rate Version of an Expensive Therapeutic Tool:
Treatment for autism can be terribly expensive, and it's tempting to buy the low-cost or do-it-yourself version of a medical treatment or device. And you certainly CAN purchase low-cost Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers, chelation kits, and other typically high-priced treatments online.
The problem is hyperbaric oxygen, chelation, and other biomedical treatments are NOT do it yourself operations. They're potentially risky medical treatments that are safe only under controlled circumstances (and when implemented by trained experts).
Do Whatever Your Neighbor Does:
Jane next door put her son on megadoses of vitamin supplements, and suddenly her son is talking! So you do the same, hoping for the same results. But what you may not know is that Jane's son actually has a vitamin deficit, while your child doesn't. While Jane's son is finally having his nutritional needs met, yours may be receiving an overdose!
Believe Despite the Evidence:
Once you choose a treatment for autism, chances are you'll sink a lot of time, money and energy into that treatment. As a result, you're looking for evidence that the treatment is working - and you may find it, even when it isn't there. The outcome? You may wind up sinking yet more time, money and energy into a treatment that's the wrong fit for your child.
Jump on Every Trend:
Today, due in part to celebrity appearances on TV, the trend is to treat every child with a gluten-free, cassein-free diet and vitamin supplements. Tomorrow, it may be hyperbaric oxygen, neurofeedback or stem cell therapy. Sure, you can try it all. But chances are you'll wind up breaking the bank and overwhelming your child. At the same time, you'll also find it impossible to know what really worked.
Believe in the Impossible:
Quack cures for autism abound. Clay baths, "green" foods, and a whole range of other nonsensical products are out there - and there's a sucker born every day. If the claims seem to good to be true - they almost certainly are!
The Bottom Line: Choosing Treatments:
As you read the literature, be sure the treatment is based on real science; that more than one research study supports the treatment; and that you understand why and how the treatment works.
Out there in the real world, check on your practitioner's credentials. Call references. Be sure you're talking to someone who really deserves your respect.
Once your child is receiving a treatment, pay close attention to the outcomes. Is he having any negative reactions? Are there real improvements?
Hucksters prey on hope. That's why parents of children with autism are so often their target. But as savvy readers and careful researchers, you'll be able to avoid the nonsense - and provide your child with choices that make sense for him and for you.
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