In this post I am using alternative as in alternative to the approach I chose to adopt, which is Applied Behavior Analysis. Often we use the term alternative treatment with the same meaning of alternative medicine. But that is not really the relevant point. The point is to describe my approach toward alternative autism treatments, those alternative to the strongest in scientific evidence, Applied Behavior Analysis.
I have always felt strongly about knowing, as in acquiring some level of knowledge, about any treatment that I may be asked about. First of all I am very interested in knowing about everything that interests me, personally and professionally. Second, I am in a position in which I am asked about why this and not that, or what do you think of this and should I do it or not? I could say "I don't know enough so I cannot opine" but avoiding this alone would motivate me to seek information. I am not going to learn about everything that comes up under the sun because, when we are talking autism treatment, this not only is not feasible due to the sheer number of proposed ideas*, it would be a waste of time. However I will learn about the most relevant proposed treatments and therapies because I suffer from scientific curiosity, I need to have knowledge of alternatives to the treatment I provide and support, I want to be able to help steer people who ask me; they are often parents looking desperately for help with the most important decisions they will ever make, or staff looking to fulfill their professional duties.
I am going to attend a TEACCH workshop tomorrow, by Gary Mesibov**. He is in town. I never miss an opportunity to hear from the expert him/herself. I have done that, for example, with a 2-day workshop on Relationship Development Intervention. I used to be accepting of the ideas suggested in the first book, little games of sorts. After two days learning the premises of the proponent about autism and behavior, and about the proponent's evaluation of good intervention as seen, not just described; that is, the videos did not look like a successful therapy session to me and they were chosen as THE demonstration of how successful the intervention was promising to be and why everyone should adopt it. So now when I say what I think about the intervention, I have knowledge of the most important facts, as they were described by the professional who knows about them most. I have a well enough founded opinion. To my colleagues who ask, "did you really have to spend those 2 days to reach your conclusions?" I reply that it was a matter of due diligence.
* Note that I could not even say proposed treatment, strategies, or treatments, because it would elevate the status of the majority of absurdities coming up day after day.
** Dr. Gary B. Mesibov, internationally acclaimed speaker, was the Director of Division TEACCH at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1992 until 2010. Prior to Dr. Mesibov's appointment as Director of Division TEACCH, he served as the Division's Co-Director from 1987 and the Associate Director from 1983.Dr. Mesibov also serves as Professor of Psychology, Dept. of Psychiatry, and Clinical Professor, Dept. of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
