SERVICE PROVIDERS (2018 Update)
The information below is presented to help parents identify
appropriate service providers in the areas of diagnosis, ABA
treatment, and legal advice.
Disclaimer: CT FEAT does not recommend or
endorse any specific service providers. Parents who are interested
in learning the often varying opinions of other parents regarding
specific providers can network with each other via CT FEAT’s
“Parents Only” Listserv Discussion Group.
I. Attorneys and Parent Advocates
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) is an
organization promoting excellence in legal advocacy for students
with disabilities and their families. COPAA’s web site,
www.copaa.org, is
an excellent information resource. It includes a listing,
alphabetically by state, of attorneys who represent parents. See
also their article explaining the differing roles of attorneys and
parent advocates.
The Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) is also an
excellent source of information about special education laws and the
PPT process. CPAC is state-funded and their services are free.
However, their staff is not able to attend PPT meetings.
www.cpacinc.org
Legal Services Lawyers specializing in special education
provide free representation to low income families. Contact
information for all of the regional legal services groups in
Connecticut can be found at www.ctlawhelp.org. The website also has
informative videos, in both English and Spanish, on various special
education related topics.
Parents who are interested in learning the often varying opinions of
other parents regarding specific attorneys and parent advocates can
network with each other via CT FEAT’s “Parents Only”
Listserv Discussion Group.
II. ABA Services
Considerations in Choosing an ABA Consultant, Program, or School
Not all ABA professionals are autism specialists. And among those
who are, not all are trained to treat effectively all kids on the
autism spectrum.
For example, someone who is skilled at developing an intensive
treatment program for a non-verbal, three-year-old with severe
autism may not be similarly effective with an older or more mildly
impaired child whose challenges include learning how to make
appropriate comments in social conversation or refrain from
self-stimulatory behavior.
Furthermore, not all educational settings are optimal for all kids.
A child who might do wonderfully in a home program might do
comparatively poorly in an autism school, and vice versa. One child
might be best served by an inclusionary setting while another might
make more progress in a more specialized environment. You’ll need to
educate yourself about all the available options so as to assess
what best meets your individual child’s special needs.
Consumers should educate themselves regarding the minimal
qualifications that an ABA provider should have. The Autism Special
Interest Group (SIG) of the Association for Behavior Analysis
International has developed excellent
PARENT GUIDELINES for identifying, selecting, and evaluating
Behavior Analysts. This information can help parents assess whether
the professionals working with their child are properly qualified.
Another good source of information is the
Behavior Analyst
Certification Board.
Parents who are interested in learning the often varying opinions of
other parents regarding specific ABA service providers can network
with each other via CT FEAT’s “Parents Only”
Listserv Discussion Group.
III. Diagnosticians
What Parents Need to Know about Getting a Diagnosis
Parents usually expect that the professional diagnosing their child
also will provide very specific and reliable guidance regarding
treatment. This is an understandable expectation since, in most
other realms of healthcare, treatment information accompanies
diagnosis. Unfortunately, this is often not the case when it comes
to the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders.
Many competent diagnosticians either: 1) don’t take the time to do
the kind of comprehensive evaluation of a child’s deficits and
strengths that is necessary to make appropriate treatment
recommendations; and/or 2) don’t keep up on the most current
literature regarding “best practices” for treatment.
These diagnosticians often simply direct parents to consult Birth to
Three or the school system for treatment advice. What happens next
can be very hit or miss as to whether a given child will be offered
appropriately individualized and intensive intervention.
In some instances, parents are misled in to thinking that their
child’s educational program is based on the principles of applied
behavior analysis (ABA - the most widely recognized evidence-based
treatment) only to learn later that the intervention services don’t
meet professional standards
Parents who continue to research treatment (through online sources
like CT FEAT’s web site) or network with other parents (through
internet forums like CT FEAT’s Parent Discussion Group) may
ultimately discover that their child did not receive intervention
consistent with current knowledge regarding “best practices” for
treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Given the critical
importance of earliest possible intervention in achieving best
outcomes, this realization can be quite painful.
Many highly regarded diagnosticians maintain long waiting lists.
This delay understandably prompts some parents to seek a quicker but
less comprehensive evaluation even if it means the diagnosis won’t
be accompanied by individualized treatment recommendations. In these
all too common circumstances, it is especially important that
parents do their own research so that they can advocate on their
child’s behalf.
Parents who are interested in learning the often varying opinions of
other parents regarding specific diagnosticians can network with
each other via CT FEAT’s “Parents Only”
Listserv Discussion Group.