FAQs About Autism Behavior Consultants
Autism is a difficult-to-deal-with condition. It is not standardized and may not be readily understood. Thus, the expertise of specialists and behavior analysts always come in handy when it comes to handling patients who are diagnosed with autism.
So, what can autism behavior consultants do for you or for the patient?
From providing professional consultation services to creating plans to help parents and educators delay the progression of the condition, autism behavior consultants can be of huge help to parents and educators alike, not to mention to the patients themselves. These professionals can provide assessment of the condition, offer and even perform autism therapies, train you – as a parent or a teacher – to control the behaviors of the patient, and give you access to groups and people who would be willing to finance your patient’s treatments and therapies.
Where can you find them?
You can find them online and off. Respectable and well-established autism behavior consultants often have web presence which should make it easy for you to find them. The majority of them maintain websites that give a clear picture of their services, where they are located, their qualifications, and basically every bit of information that could help you reach them. For those who do not have websites, their names are usually found in websites that allow professionals to post their contact numbers and even resumes online. It is also a good idea to search in forums. Some consultants use these to reach out to patients.
If you know parents who have autistic children, they can also help you find consultants and specialists who can help your child. Word of mouth cannot be underestimated. When parents who are undergoing experiences that are similar to what you are experiencing, it is likely that their suggested consultants are worth your try.
Off line, you can find them in yellow pages, in the school’s directory of resource persons who are contacted by the school whenever they need an extra hand in handling autistic pupils or students, and by talking to educators who are directly working with these consultants.
What qualifications should you look for?
The qualifications of autism behavior consultants differ from one professional to another, and from one state to another. In general, you should look for the following:
Certifications and licenses – Depending on the specialist and your location, you should look for a certification or a license or both. If you are interested in a behavior analyst, you should check your state’s requirements.
Formal training – Again, depending on the professional, he should at least have a master’s degree, and preferably, a doctorate degree as well in his field of operation. If he is a behavior analyst, you should look for one that specializes in human service disciplines, psychology, or special education.
Other critical details that should be of prime concern are: Competencies, the professional and personal knowledge and involvement of the consultant in his field, his years of experience, his methods and strategies, and other less critical but equally important details like billing procedures, handling of paperwork, connection, and others.