Parents and caregivers everywhere are eager for credible, research-based information on the most effective treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
To address this need, the National Autism Center has released its newest manual, "A Parent's Guide to Evidence-Based Practice and Autism." The Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting effective, evidence-based treatment approaches for individuals with ASD.
The 134-page manual focuses on helping parents as they make decisions about how to best help children with ASD reach their full potential. It begins with a review of the autism spectrum, symptoms, and co-occurring conditions, and identifies and describes effective treatments. Other topics include the importance of professional judgment, the role of family preferences and values in the decision-making process, and factors to consider when choosing a team of professionals to help their child.
"Finding information about autism is easy. It is much more difficult to find reliable information that has withstood the rigors of science, is comprehensive in scope, and is accessible and easy to read," says Hanna C. Rue, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Director of Evidence-based Practice for the National Autism Center and one of the manual's authors. "Even for a trained professional, sorting through the clutter to find information that is most relevant to a child's needs is a complicated and challenging process."
One of the features that make this manual different from most others is that it was co-authored by professionals and parents of children with autism. "As professionals, we think about treatment from an entirely different perspective than a parent," Dr. Rue continues. "We felt it was critical that the parent experience be reflected in every aspect of the manual."
"To have a trusted resource that you can go to for reliable information, or to check your own gut instinct, is essential for any parent of a child with autism," explains Janet Amorello, one of the manual's parent experts. "My hope is that this manual will help families assess the options and obtain services that ultimately result in a better outcome for their child."
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