Finding the Right Autism Therapist: A Comprehensive Guide

The right therapy for an autistic child can have dramatic results, such as an IQ increase or speech improvement. However, studies tend to show that for therapy to work for an autistic child, it needs to be intense, early and lengthy. It may take as much as 30 hours a week of the child's time. Given its benefits, however, it's important to know how to hire an autism therapist. Read on to learn more about how to hire an autism therapist.

Things You'll Need

• Access to university treatment center (optional)
• Funds to pay for extensive treatment plans
• List of therapy options

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Instructions

Decide on a Type of Therapy

• 1

  Choose between speech language therapy, music therapy, occupational therapy and other autism therapy options. Each child will exhibit different symptoms, necessitating a slightly different blend of therapies for each child.

• 2

  Make note of your child's behavior. Observe whether certain stimuli trigger frantic withdrawal responses, such as rocking or flapping of hands. Knowing your child to the best of your ability can help you and your doctor decide on the best therapies.

• 3

  Share findings with your doctor.

Hire an Autism Therapist

• 4

  Be aware that the competition to find and hire an autism therapist can be tough. More and more children are being diagnosed with autism. Since therapy is recommended for 20 to 30 hours per week and per child, good therapists are hard to find.

• 5

  Use word-of-mouth to find a therapist in your area. Ask teachers, school administrators, friends, colleagues, doctors and community leaders for leads. Call your local school district and ask whether it knows of any dedicated autism schools in the area.