Section 5: Treatment and Intervention

167 Consideration for Evaluating Specific Treatments or Interventions

When talking to your doctor and/or provider and planning future intervention, keep these questions and thoughts in mind.

Things to consider:

  • Are these behaviors problematic for my child?
  • How will I know whether the intervention is working?
  • How often will I be given progress reports?
  • Do I have the resources to stick with this intervention?
  • Can this intervention be physically or psychologically harmful to my child?
  • Can I afford this intervention? Will participation in this intervention mean we will have to drop other interventions?
  • Can I devote the required time? Is the intervention compatible with my child’s current program?
  • What do professionals think about the pros and cons of this intervention?
  • What kinds of experiences have other parents had with this intervention?
  • Does the provider have the appropriate training and/or credentials?
  • Can the provider be held accountable to a professional code of ethics?
  • Will I be taught the skills necessary to help my child?
  • Is there a plan for preventing the occurrence of problematic behaviors?

Questions to ask:

  • Which behavior(s) does it target?
  • What positive effects should I expect to see? (short- term and long-term)
  • How will the provider assess the effectiveness of the treatment?
  • How long do I have to stay involved before I can expect to see any effects?
  • Are there any side effects?
  • What is the cost?
  • How much time does it take per week?
  • Is there scientific validation for this treatment?
  • Who has used this treatment before and what do they say about it (pros and cons)?
  • What training and qualifications are needed to provide this treatment?
  • Does the provider belong to a professional organization?
  • What role does the family play?
  • How are challenging behaviors handled?

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