Checklist for Autism Treatment Selection

Green Flag: Every item below that you check off is an indication that you have chosen a treatment worthy of consideration (though it does not guarantee it will be effective). If you decide to pursue a treatment for which you cannot check off certain items below, seek further information on why this is the case.

• The treatment does not claim to cure autism.
• The treatment does not claim to be a quick solution.
• The treatment is individualized for each child.
• The treatment addresses all three of the developmental areas (i.e., communication, social skills, and repetitive/unusual behaviours) affected by autism.
• Therapy is said to help the symptoms and not the causes of autism.
• The service is regulated and/or endorsed by an overseeing professional body.
• The people supervising and delivering the therapy can present evidence of their qualifications, training related to the treatment, and on-going training and/or supervision.
• Published research on the effectiveness of the treatment is readily available in peer-reviewed journals.
• Ongoing research for the treatment is being conducted.
• Therapists allow parents to observe their child receiving the treatment.
• Parents are involved in the treatment.
• Parents are involved in the planning and goal setting.
• Goals set are based on observable behaviours.
• Baseline data are taken before treatment starts.
• Data are recorded and used to make clinical decisions.
• Regular assessments of progress/treatment effectiveness are made.
• Criteria exist for when to stop treatment._
• The providers of the treatment can demonstrate that positive behaviour changes are the direct result of their treatment.
• The treatment does not cause harm, injury, death, or have other negative side effects.
• Positive behaviour changes during treatment occur outside of the treatment setting or when the treatment is stopped.
• For bio-medical treatments, a family doctor has been consulted, recommends or prescribes the treatment, and provides monitoring on an ongoing basis.

Orange Flag: If any of the items below can be checked off, consider it a warning sign that a treatment may not be legitimate or effective. If you decide to pursue a treatment that has any orange flags, do so with caution while seeking further information regarding any checked items.

• The treatment claims to cure autism.
• The treatment promises rapid effects.
• High success rates are claimed.
• The treatment requires little training or expertise.
• Therapy is said to be effective for many different disorders.
• The treatment is promoted as “cutting edge”.
• Claims about the treatment seem too good to be true.
• Medical insurers or governments do not fund the treatment.
• The treatment only addresses one or two of the developmental areas (i.e.,
• communication, social skills, and repetitive/unusual behaviours) affected by autism, rather than all three.
• Professionals in the area of autism have never heard of the therapy.
• The promoters state that proven treatments are unnecessary or harmful.
• The promoters or researchers have a direct stake in the outcomes of the research study.
• i Research is only found within in-house publications.
• The treatment only has a few preliminary studies supporting it.
• The treatment described in research literature seems different from what is provided.
• Evidence about the treatment’s effectiveness differs greatly.
• The treatment is based on theories with no scientific support or on the theory of one “expert” only.
• The treatment only works when combined with a treatment known to be effective.
• Data are not collected on behaviours targeted by the treatment.
• Assessments are not made to determine where to start a treatment, evaluate its effects, or decide when to stop.

 Red Flag: If even one of the items below can be checked off, consider it a warning sign that a treatment is not legitimate. It is recommended that you do not pursue any treatment that has a red flag.

• The treatment promises immediate effects.
• The treatment claims to work with all children with autism.
• The treatment is identical for all who purchase it.
• The treatment claims to address the causes of autism.
• The treatment claims to impact something other than the behaviour deficits/excesses associated with autism.
• There is evidence that the treatment may cause harm, injury, or death.
• The treatment uses aversive verbal or physical techniques as the primary method of instruction.
• The treatment could potentially interfere with a proven effective treatment.
• The risks of the treatment outweigh the benefits.
• The treatment is required for life.
• Promoters or providers of the treatment areworkingoutside of their area of expertise.
• Promoters of the treatment use celebrities or catchy slogans to sell their product.
• Testimonies are the only form of support for the treatment.
• Promoters claim that others don’t want you to know about their treatment.
• The treatment is only available through advertisements/internet sites or through a small group of “specialists” or “treatment sites”.
• The treatment is based on improvable theories.
• Promoters of the treatment do not allow anyone to evaluate their therapy.
• No research can be found on the treatment.
• Negative findings from research studies are ignored or dismissed by the promoter and positive results are highlighted.
• Supervision or training in delivery of the treatment is not required.
• Therapists will not allow parents to observe or participate in the treatment.