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What to Look For in a Doctor
and Therapist Copyright 1999 ©Victoria Nichols [The following essay is moderately edited and republished by OPU with the author's permission. It originally appeared on an Email closed subscription list for Parents of HFA/AS children. The list also has a number of adults with AS as members. The professional being referred to here is a "well-regarded expert" on AS on the Eastern Seaboard of the US. While the questions the author poses relate to adults in a professional relationship, they can just as easily apply to professionals working with children. rnm] I have a horror story at the hands of a person who proclaims himself as an "expert" in Asperger's Syndrome. I apologize to those mental health practitioners who are really trying to help us out. I would like parents to truly investigate the mental health practitioners who practice upon us (I have AS) and for those who are on here who do treat us, I hope you will take this as a learning experience, which it is meant to be. I have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and have been lucky enough to have an obsession turn into a job. That job was in jeopardy several times because of a non caring professional who doesn't care about people with autistic disorders. It caused me to attempt suicide several times, which I never had done before, although I persistently told the doctor that the particular treatment he was using was hurting me. The constant strain and stress this MHP (mental health professional) kept me under scarred me in many ways. One: Ask for specific autism related references before you let your child work with a professional. Are they a member of the ASA or any autism societies? Do they have anything to do with the autism local support groups? What methods do they use to treat the person with autism? How long do these methods take? What have been the results? How long have they worked in this field? Have they gone through TEACCH, ABA, or any other training? What was the last seminar they attended on autism and related disorders? Ask for references [if they can legally provide them] and check them out. How long has the person been a psychologist and why did they go into the field? Why did they choose autism as their specialty? Two: Just because they are the only person in your area, check out others. You may end up making a lot of phone calls or mails or emails, but isn't our health worth that? Three: Find out who is the backup doctor for them. If something happens and they aren't available, who is the backup doctor, and what are his qualifications? Four: Do they just read the DSM IV description of Asperger's Syndrome or do they use other items or tests to supplement their decision? Five: Does the doctor LISTEN to what YOU feel would be important, or do they ignore it? AS adults I know who are higher functioning enough to get jobs state that the reason they have problems is due to social cues and phrases and actions not being taught. How and what social skills be included? What body cues will be taught and how? When will starting, repairing, and maintaining friendships, school and workforce manners be taught? What skills will be assessed now, so they can establish a benchmark line they start with, and where to go? Six: Will the doctor accept communication from the autistic patient other than speech (if they have it)? If they won't, why not? On what performance issues do they [rely in reaching a their choice of methods to use]? Seven: If a patient is given "homework" to do (such as working on friendships, etc.) how is the homework checked and when? Eight: Does the doctor treat the autistic with respect and pay attention to their wants and needs as an individual human being? Do they treat them as an object to be studied? Nine: Does the doctor give you specific reports on your progress? How often are they made, and how detailed are they? Ten: Is the doctor personable? Do they seem friendly or aloof? Do they offer compliments a lot, or do they just correct the negatives? Eleven: Is the doctor aware of the patient's particular stressors, and does he keep stressful events to a minimum? Does the doctor minimize [environmental] distractions? Does s/he appear concerned? Twelve: Will the doctor work with or send you to other [specialists], such as speech, occupational, etc? If they won't, or don't consult or use others, ask why? Thirteen: Does the doctor pressure or exert undue influence to have the patient believe in the same moral and ethics the doctor does? (Yes--mine threatened me with a mental hospitalization because I refused to admit some of my beliefs were wrong!) Fourteen: Does the doctor immediately propose the use of prescriptive drugs? Or does the doctor use behavioral methods or combine drugs with behavioral therapy? Fifteen: Does the doctor just sit across the room and stare at the patient asking questions or do they use another non-threatening interaction? Does the doctor work on eye contact problems? Sixteen: Do they violate the law and talk about your problems with others? Do they betray the trust of [subordinates]? Are their desks messy, and is it possible for you to view private notes and or other patients' records? Seventeen: Do they interrupt your sessions for phone calls, or interact with other patients [or staff during your appointment time]? If "Yes," for how long? Do they make it up to you? © Copyright 1999
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