Implications of CAMs for Families and Role of Therapists

Children are being diagnosed with autism at an increasing rate. As demonstrated in the review of CAM articles, a high percentage of parents seek more than one alternative for their child. And there are many different types of CAM's available to families of children with autism. Parents have access through the internet to all kind of information and methods to treat autism, and may not always discuss them with their pediatrician. They can also read and hear about fantastic "cure" stories and try to pursue them. Not all CAM's are bad, but families should be supported in their search for effective treatment and taught to become informed consumers and review the validity of treatments so they can make informed decisions. CAM's can have a significant impact on the life and development of a child with autism.
The therapist, when working with families pursuing CAM's, should remain nonjudgemental and supportive of decisions, and ask questions of the families to help them make decisions. It would be beneficial for the therapist to remain current on the different approaches and the evidence for or against the approaches, in order to give the parents assistance in making informed safe decisions. Having this information, and using a family-centered approach in their therapy, the therapist can assist in the parents in one portion of their occupation of parenting (Miller-Kuhaneck).