Therapies? Help or Harm?

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Since I saw the medication debate crop up, I thought I would reference the fact that we have many threads on medication in the parenting index (a stickied thread, above). It is a difficult topic, with a lot of strong feelings. Personally, I see it as a last resort, something you choose when you can't find other solutions. But the balancing factor is to recognize that it isn't fair to allow a child to suffer needlessly, if that suffering could be solved with medication. Sometimes, the wrong thing to do is not to try it, I've been on these boards long enough to know that, too. Just ... ask yourself first if you've done everything in the way of managing the environment and teaching that you can. Those are your control factors, if you will, the way of knowing what is coming from inside that can be handled with medication, v. what is coming from outside, that should be mitigated in a different way. Children need time and space to grow and evolve and figure things out for themselves. You protect your child in any way you can, so that they have the room to do that. I do not agree with the idea children have to be left in situations that are beyond them because "that is life" or "that is the real world. People need room to breathe, to decide to tackle challenges, and they can't do that while their lives feel like a war zone. Sometimes getting a child into that safe place within his own head takes medication. In that situation, you make that choice. For us, I was always able to find a way to moderate the environment. It was never easy, but I could get there. For my son, not medicating was the right choice.

I am surprised to hear of a speech therapist not knowing about pragmatic speech issues. I guess that is one therapist that can be ruled out. Plenty of others do know what it is, and are well trained in the issues. Find them.

I think the moral of that story is, even among professionals, there is a lot of misinformation and a LOT of dumb out there.

A lot of criminally stupid, and a little bit of just plain criminal, too.

Don't look for it, expecting to find it, or you'll be as nutty and defensive as my household...

...but don't go around believing that it's not out there, either, or you won't recognize it in time if it happens to you.

One eye on the road, one eye on the dashboard, both hands on the wheel.

Unfortunately right now I feel like I'm in the driver's seat of a vehicle where I can't control the speed and the steering's wonky, trying very hard to keep one eye on the road, one eye on the dashboard, and both hands on the wheel...

...while the kids are fighting in the backseat and other passengers are chanting that everything's fine while the drivers of other vehicles honk in annoyance.

This has been such a fantastic thread to read. My son is newly diagnosed at only 20 months and I am assessing where to begin with early intervention. It's quite overwhelming having the responsibility to chose the right way for him when he cannot choose for himself. I had a really instant aversion to the ABA that people have been suggesting and it's great to read of first hand experience so I can assess it all further. Thank you all for sharing your experiences.