Tips and Suggestions for Families

1)    Establish a Division of Responsibility    If you are lucky enough  to have a spouse, significant other, family member, or friend that is willing to lend a hand, establish a division of responsibility.  There are many areas that require work such as an ABA program, special diets, vitamin and mineral supplementation, dealing with school districts, and communication with doctors and nutritionists to name a few.  All of these areas take a large amount of time initially, and a substantial amount of time on an on-going basis.  If you are on your own, reach out to family and friends for possible assistance.  One spouse may become an expert in the medical/nutritional areas, and the other may become the expert at dealing with the school system, Medicaid, and other services.  It may be impossible for both spouses to work on all areas at the same time.

2)    Never Mention the Words Autism or PDD/NOS with HMO's or Insurance Companies    If you are treating biological abnormalities such as a yeast overgrowth, abnormal immune markers, or diarrhea, have the doctor code the treatment as such.  There is a much better chance of reimbursement or payment for items that are coded this way.  Many HMO's specifically exclude AUTISM in their policies.  If your child has chronic diarrhea, they deserve treatment like a typical child would get.  Do not let a medical professional tell you these abnormalities are "just a part of autism".  They are serious biological conditions that deserve attention and vigorous treatment.

3)    Immediately Find a Doctor and a Nutritionist that are Experts in Autism    Do not settle for professionals that are familiar with autism or have a few patients that are autistic.  There are an increasingly large number of doctors and health care providers that are very knowledgeable in the most up-to-date treatments and protocols.  Do not be frustrated or dwell on a healthcare professional who tells you the situation is hopeless and nothing can be done.  Immediately move on to another who shares your attitude that the underlying biological abnormalities, if corrected, may help your child improve and enable other therapies to be more effective.  See the DAN! Doctor List

4)    Develop a List of Medical Tests and Prioritize Them    Work with your healthcare providers to develop a list of tests to establish a baseline for your child.  Prioritize the tests in the event that not all may be affordable initially.  A healthcare provider that is an expert in autism will be able to help you with this and recommend certain labs. See our Tips for Dealing with Doctors Page

5)    Begin Reading and Bookmarking Sites on the Internet    If you do not have a computer and internet access, get them.  If you do not have them available and money is an issue, check into getting a used computer(1-2 years old) and free internet access.  A two year old computer will work just fine and there are now many sources of free access.  Start bookmarking the key sites.  See our General Resources Page. Join some of the internet discussion groups.  Some good ones include the Me List which focuses on ABA, and Recovered Kids on E-Groups which is a group of parents of recovered kids or kids on the road to recovery.  In addition, there are some excellent chat rooms with Dr. Goldberg, M.D. and Reed Martin J.D., special education advocate.  See their sites for schedules.