No one is ever really prepared to hear the words “autism spectrum disorder” and their child’s name used in the same sentence. Even for parents who suspect their child has autism, having that suspicion confirmed begins a cycle of grieving that in the best cases leads to acceptance and a healthy motivation to do something about it, and in the worst cases puts families into a permanent state of crisis.
You receive a diagnosis of “autism spectrum disorder” or “classic autism” or “high functioning autism” or “Asperger’s Disorder” or “Pervasive Developmental Disorder” or whatever name the clinician gives it – and you very quickly find yourself face-to-face with the reality that there is no definitive treatment, no failsafe “cure,” no one person to go to so your child can get what he needs.
In fact, it becomes painfully obvious that what you originally thought would be the hardest part – getting and coping with the diagnosis – pales in comparison to the process of figuring out what you need to do to help your child.
You may turn to the internet, support groups, your local school, and anyone else who will listen and could potentially be a source of information. What you find is a confusing array of treatment options and conflicting opinions. Where do you start?
What do you do when you’ve gone down various treatment paths and still haven’t made the progress you are seeking? What happens when you realize that the things you thought would be there to provide assistance and treatment – your school, your doctor, local community agencies – fail to put you on the path to positive outcomes?
We want to believe that the most prevalent autism treatments are based on current brain research, but this is unfortunately not the case. Most of what is touted as “necessary” and “effective” is based on what we knew about the brain decades ago, and these methodologies have not changed to reflect the most current understanding of how the human brain works. This problem is compounded by a lack of collaboration among treatment professionals, which places families in the midst of a web of treatment appointments and service providers.
It can become a parent’s full-time job to keep track of everything going on in relation to their child’s autism.
As parents you want to get to the core issues that are creating obstacles for your children. You don’t just want to compensate for or work around the problems – you want to do something about them!
The most prominent researchers in the fields of autism, child development, and the human brain are providing us with more and more information all the time that allows us to more effectively understand and treat autism and other neurological impairments.
We no longer have to settle for “just getting by” – there is real hope for real improvement!
Remediation is the process of correcting a deficit to the point where it is no longer an obstacle. In the field of autism we have long been trapped in the realm of teaching skills and compensations to help these individuals get by, somehow believing that we couldn’t really treat whatever the underlying problems were that prevented them from attaining typical development.
Until recently we have not investigated what the potential is for actually correcting their deficits to the point where they are no longer an obstacle to things like genuine friendships, rewarding employment, or independent living.
If your child has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, or with a related neurodevelopmental disorder, you owe it to yourself and your child to investigate our CORE Approach.
If you are ready for a change; ready to step away from the status-quo; ready to stop doing things that aren’t getting you where you want to be; ready to really understand the core deficits creating obstacles for your child; ready to significantly impact your child and your family for the better – then you are ready for the CORE Approach.
Contact our office to schedule a free 15-minute initial consultation to find out how our programs and services can meet your needs.