If your child has autism, how do you know that a certain treatment will be right for him? This is indeed a rather difficult question to answer. Fortunately, there are some general guidelines you could use in order to determine which is the right approach to treating autism.

First of all, every new treatment for autism should be approached with hopeful skepticism. The treatment should be able to help the autistic child become a fully functioning member of the society. Second of all, be cautious of the following:

1. Any program or technique that is publicized as effective or desirable for every person with autism.
2. Any program that thwarts individualization and potentially results in harmful program decisions.
3. That any treatment represents one of several options for a person with autism.
4. That treatment should always depend on individual assessment information that points to it as an appropriate choice for a particular child.
5. That no new treatment should be implemented until its proponents can specify assessment procedures necessary to determine whether it will be appropriate for an individual with autism
6. 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.
7. That often new treatments have not been validated scientifically.

Here are some questions you should ask regarding specific treatment for autism:

Will the treatment result in harm to the child? How will failure of the treatment affect my child and family? Has the treatment been validated scientifically? Are there assessment procedures specified? How will the treatment be integrated into the child’s current program?

Currently there is no medicine or brain operation that can cure an autistic person. But there is one treatment that has passed the test of time and is effective for all children, autistic or normal, and this is the structural educational programs geared to a person’s developmental level of functioning. There are also other treatments that might be helpful at different points in an autistic person’s life. And some other treatments for autistic people have yet to be scientifically proven.

If you are a parent of a child with autism, it is a must that you constantly educate yourself about new treatments. You should always keep an open mind and educate yourself regarding new treatments as they become available. Before making any treatment decisions, however, you must consider that not all treatments could be applicable to your child. Remember that what is right for one child may not necessarily be right for another.

There must be an assessment first before any decisions are made regarding treatment for autism. You must choose what is the right approach for your child and your family. An autistic child must be treated with the right type of program. You, as the parent, can have a big role in the treatment of autism because you know your child well better than anyone else.