Definitions.
Malpractice Intervention: Anything that is unproven or experimental. It is technically not an Intervention.
Exclusion: Any child is denied or missing out on access to any form of learning. = The child will lack growth and development.
Inclusion = All children learn together. Intervention = children with a condition receiving help.
Evidence-based practice: Scientifically proven methods for child improvement.
Malpractice Inclusion: A school/provider claiming to provide specialized support but has no professional support systems.
Inclusion Placement: a child with a condition is learning alongside other children in the normal program only. = No improvement expected.
Integration (old system): a child with a condition is learning in mixed settings, in the normal program and with some supported sessions.
Part-Time Intervention: a child is attending some hours of support. Helpful, low success rate.
Inclusive Intervention: A child with a condition receives professional support while learning with others. = Possible improvement.
Full-Time Intervention: a child is attending a full day of support. = Most supportive for all ranges of conditions.
Holistic Intervention: a child is fully supported in all areas of development for optimal developmental outcomes. = Best possible development.
Data-driven Intervention: a school/provider uses real information and evidence to guide the intervention. = Nowerdays, most successful.
My child is doing well in all areas => Included.
Why: All learn better together and form each other.
My child is struggling in some areas and can resubmit the work. => Included.
Why: Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and we can learn and adapt.
My child is falling behind in all areas of learning at school. = Get a checkup.
If you have NO diagnosis documents. = Talk to your teachers for advice and test again in 6 weeks to 3 months if no improvment.
I read on the internet or talk to a friend => Very risky and often wrong, unless your friend has studied all DSM-5 classifications.
=> If you do online research without professional guidance. You may get better advice by asking an AI.
AI's are not perfect but have often been taught to filter out misinformation and wrong information on the internet.
Doctors let us fill in a form of questions => a quick screening inquiry is not a test. Read more about the M-Chat
Correctly: The Doctor or trained staff must check every stage of the test with the child.
We have a professional diagnosis.
Many family members often fall into shock crisis. This can be normal after receiving the news.
=> It is very understandable that all parents wish the best for their child. Receiving a diagnosis can be very sad news for a family.
If the family does not receive the right support, or the condition is hidden.
Sooner or later, the condition will worsen until it becomes extreme and cannot be hidden anymore. At that stage, the intervention often becomes more extreme.
=> The diagnosis is designed to let parents know what is happening so they can act fast and correctly.
Look for professionsl support. Often, when family members understand there are ways to improve and start the right intervention and see improvements, the hope/spirits improve, meaning the family can now see a way to improve. This is very important for the mother, father, grandparents.
Diagnosed with ADHD. = How will the school monitor and support wellbeing? (Daily updates are not enough) Test again in 3 months.
Why: 80% of ADHD diagnoses are wrong because of a lack of testing, evidence, or the child's too young for testing age.
Inclusion: Can go to learn with others. But may not be able to understand themselves and regulate themselves unless they have professionsl support.
Doctor diagnosed any condition: Did you get an official statement, or was it a suggestion?
Suggestions: Doctors of professionsl should always issue an official document with the organization paper and signature.
Professionsl Support: Specialist with at least 1-2 years of experience working under the supervision of a specialist provider.
Why: Special support is new and a different teaching skill from mainstream teachers. This skill takes time to be learned, and the candidate needs corrections from professionals if their assumptions and instructions are wrong, and the support is likely to fail.
Diagnosed with ASD: if no official document of observation, test, or diagnosis, go and talk to a provider.
Why: ASD is a complex condition that less than 1% of specialists worldwide are trained to identify. Most other opinions will be wrong.
Quick tip: ASD diagnosis: Was there a level of ASD provided? If not, find another provider to repeat the test.
Why: The test was most likely not completed or not done as a fully professional diagnostic test.
Diagnosed ASD Level 1: Inclusion + Needs Additional Support Plan.
Why: ASD is a condition that does not naturally grow better. It must be professionally supported.
It also cannot be cured by medication. In many cases, medication will worsen or delay the improvement of the child. Sometimes Doctors are unaware.
But my child can talk => Lack of talking is a symptom of ASD. The child still has ASD, and still has all the challenges of ASD.
=> False understanding: My child has ASD because they are lazy to talk.
Our school has a support team: Great!
=> Your school is requeiered/ should be able to issue you a support plan with a signature every 3 months.
The school/provider is asking for extra money to give you a report (Don't get cheated).
If your school has an in-school support team, all costs, including reports, should be included in the service provided.
If the school is refusing to provide documentation. => Something is not correct in the service delivery structure. Very risky for your child.
Your child's school offers or "requests" a shadow teacher.
Some schools will "ask" parents to make the decision. This is often done to minimize the school's own liability. Not to help the child.
Why: Parents demanded and agreed that the school would not contribute to learning support and that they are responsible for their child's condition.
Shadow teaching is not the same as an intervention.
Why: Without support plans, documentation, and set strategies, even with an extra teacher, the child is most likely to fall behind.
Diagnosed ASD Level 2: Inclusion + Additional Support Plan + Intervention Support Service Provider.
Why: The school team is often not equipped to provide specialized specilised support to this level.
The work needed to support the child successfully is:
1:1 full-time learning support + Support Plan signed by an expert + IEP + DATA tracking + Evidence.
Diagnosed ASD Level 3: Inclusion is possible but only with highly specialized intervention providers.
+ Additional Support Plan.
Why: The work needed to support the child for some improvement is:
1:1 full-time learning support + Support Plan signed by an expert + IEP + DATA tracking + Evidence + Full Multidisciplinary Support Team.
Why do children not improve, and may show aggressive behaviors now or in the next few years?
Child gets: ignored, yelled at, beaten, punished, "Pushed for improvement" for something the child is impossible to do alone.
2. No Diagnosis, Wrong Diagnosis, Parent does not believe in the diagnosis because they misunderstand their child's condition.
3. No intervention. The child attends a mainstream school or kindergarten without a professional support plan.
4. Parents confuse language for learning ability. 50% of children with ASD can talk but still not learn/cope without support.
5. Misconception about eye contact. Parents believe that if their child can make eye contact, the condition is gone.
6. Focus on one skill only. Schools or parents focus on only one skill. Often language or behavior. Other areas are often forgotten or ignored.
7. Parents confuse Inclusion with Intervention. They are not the same. Inclusion needs intervention. Inclusion without Intervention can not support.
8. Wrong Intervention. The child has something/someone the parents think is a source of support, but it's not.
9. Wrong Service. Some providers overcharge or have no clear policies for families. Or even try to trick or force families to use their service. This can be done by verbal abuse or psychological pressure. Not only is this bad for the child, but it also breaks trust in the professional community, and more children will lack access to affordable and real intervention.
10. Wrong Support Level. The child has support level 1 but has need level 2 or 3. Even with the right support, the time s not enough, or the equipment and strategies used are not enough to fully support. Parents will see some improvement, but often not enough to fully benefit.
11. The age difference. Although the intervention must be correct for all ages. Young children can improve faster. => For example: every 5 years the child grows X times, ASD level = the intervention cost will most likely double. (See more accurate rate below)
12. Hope. Parents often hope their child will grow out of the condition. => However, ASD has been under decades of research. Without evidence-based and professional help, the child will not naturally grow out of the condition. Malpractice, scammers, fake news and misinformed parents have contributed to a majority of information on the internet being false, wrong or incomplete. Without professional guidance + Documentaion + Sigantures to verfy authtenticety children will continue the fall behind and suffer.