Alert readers will know that I have found fault with the recommendations on about.com about Learning Disabilities, so this post endorsing an article on about.com may come as a surprise. In “How to Choose the Wrong Treatment for Your Child with Autism,” about.com’s Lisa Jo Rudy got a lot right. Ms. Rudy provides an extensive list of don’ts that merit support.
Speaking to parents, Ms. Rudy recommends that they do not (a) try a therapy based on a forum post, (b) rush out to buy the product featured on a tv program, (c) start a regimen based on a lone doctor’s recommendation, (d) buy the cut-rate version of an expensive therapeutic tool, (e) do whatever a neighbor does, (f) believe a treatment is working despite the evidence that it isn’t, (g) jump on every trend, or (h) believe in the impossible. For each of these she offers explanations.
Instead of going for treatments such as those featured in the previous paragraph, she recommends something pretty much consistent with the recommendations of EBD Blog:
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.
Link to Ms. Rudy’s article for the details. I see that about.com Health Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Steven Gans, MD. Perhaps Dr. Gans should look at the entries under Learning Disabilities.
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The link you post for the faults you find with Lisa Jo Rudys’ recommendations takes me to a word press login….would like to read the post
David, thanks. Please note that the link points to entries describing my concern about another section of the about.com site, not the posts by Ms. Rudy. I’ve corrected the URL.
JohnL
Thanks so much for your kind words!
This is such a tricky topic… I think the hardest thing for parents – in that whole list – is dealing with the fact that a treatment they’ve selected really isn’t working.
After you’ve poured so much into choosing, paying for and implementing ANYthing, who wants to admit defeat?
I suspect that may be part of the reason why parents are so often in conflict over what works!
All the best,
Lisa Rudy
may i know more about the behavioural intervention for autism.I would like to know if it is scientific or not… please help me
Thank you for reading EBD Blog and leaving a question. It is a very difficult question to answer. I cannot give you a “yes” or “no.” There is a lot of scientific evidence about behavioral intervention for autism. There is stronger evidence about these methods than about any other treatment, as far as I know, but the treatment is not perfect. For a behavioral treatment to be effective with autism, it must be started early and implemented very carefully. There are good resources:
Lovaas, O. I., & Smith, T. (2003). Early and intensive behavioral intervention in autism. In A. E. Kazdin and J. R. Weisz (Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (pp. 325-340). New York: Guilford.
Koegel, R. L., Koegel, L. K., & Brookma, L. I. Empirically supported pivotal response interventions for children with autism. In A. E. Kazdin and J. R. Weisz (Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (pp. 341-357). New York: Guilford.
So far as I can tell, behavioral therapy is better researched for several reasons:
it’s older;
it has more specific, measurable goals;
it’s easier to replicate;
it’s easier to implement because it’s easier to train people
The fact that it has been more fully researched makes it the treatment “of choice” when you ask experts who are charged with suggesting “evidence based” treatments.
There is some evidence that developmental treatments work, and I for one can attest to that. You can find research papers on some of the developmental approaches (Floortime, RDI, etc.) on the NIH’s PubMed site.
BUT – I really think the quality of any non-biomedical treatment depends an awful lot on the quaity of the therapist. Whether you pick floortime, ABA, or anything else – if you have a terrific therapist, your child will thrive, and vice versa. In theory, behavioral therapy isn’t individualized – but a really good therapist will individualize his/her approach to your child. And a terrific therapist is, of course, the person who finds a way to relate to YOUR child in a positive, creative way – and get the best out of your child in a nurturing, respectful manner.
That said, it’s probably going to easier to find a behavioral therapist than a developmental therapist, simply because there are more of them. Still, I’d look for the therapist first – and the treatment approach will follow!
Best,
Lisa Rudy (About.com Guide to Autism)