“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I am not sure who said that, but it seemed like a good thing to say when I was a kid and bullies would tease me because I had red hair, bucked teeth, freckles, and glasses. Now I am an adult and I realize that really the opposite is true; words can hurt, especially when those words are about your children. I have been in the field of autism for my entire career, going on 20 years now, and I have always been so disappointed in some of the “words” parents of children with autism have been subjected to:

• Secretin
• Chelation
• Hyperbaric Chamber
• Facilitated Communication
• Rapid Response Trials
• No Vaccinations
• Thimerosal
• Leaky Gut Syndrome
• Mitochondrial Disease
• Gluten Free Casein Free
• Sensory Re-integration (strapped on a moving table in the dark, Naples, FL 2004)
• Swimming with the Dolphins (Florida Keys, 2005)

I am sure if I went on the internet I could find some more non-researched, unproven “therapies.” We used to call these the “Cure of the Year” but most recently one could say the “Fix of the Month.” The only item needed for these endeavors is an endless supply of money. I must pause here and make this statement:  Testimonials do not research make. There will always be the story of a child getting better and maybe if the child was typical (whatever that means) he/she would still need to be on a special diet or need a gastroenterologist; my point is that these are not exclusively for autism.

Strangely enough, these aren’t the words that bother me the most. It is words like Cure, Recover, and Loosing the Diagnosis that give a grieving parent hope that more than likely is not attainable. I am not trying to be the horrible person who takes hope away from parents; I just don’t want them to have false hope. With proper research-based treatment, can children improve? Yes! Could they be indistinguishable from typical peers? Possibly! But autism is not a disease, autism is a brain-based developmental disability; a non-progressive, pervasive developmental disorder that will require some supports throughout the individual’s lifespan. Those supports may only include assistance with planning, social coaching, and/or a professionally monitored support group.  But we know that a range from full (group home, sheltered employment) to minor (above-mentioned) supports will be necessary for complete success and continued independence.

Any research in the field of autism will reveal that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the only evidence-based treatment shown to be effective for children with autism. Dr. David L. Holmes, author, founder of the Eden Institute, and autism expert puts it this way, “until we determine the many causes of autism there currently is no cure and the majority of children will require early and intensive behavioral services followed by various degrees of specialized behaviorally-based educational services throughout their educational careers and beyond.”

But ABA is not flashy or glamorous and it has been around for 35 years or so. It is hard work, slow moving and yes, it is expensive, but it works. If you are a parent who wants to try the newest cure on the market I would never tell you not to, this is your child and you make the decisions.  But I would tell you this, try only one treatment at a time, do your research, and do what we know works – put your child in an ABA-based program. The data from that program will tell you if the other treatments are making a difference. And finally, ABA has charlatans too. Find a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), you and your child deserve the best.

Vicki L. Isler, Ed.D, BCBA-D
Clinical Director