How to Select a Clinician

"Finding a good clinician is vital to putting the pieces together"

There are many clinicians who say they treat children with autism but only a few who have experience or the specialized knowledge that comes from focusing solely on autism as a mulit-organ system involvement. Research on the medical aspects of autism are published regularly, so what a clinician may have read six months ago could be out of date today. Due to the lag in publishing medical research, reading published research alone is not enough. Look for a clinician who networks with other autism specialist around the world and treats the entire body of the child.

Currently only The Autism Research Institute trains medical doctors in its biomedical "Defeat Autism Now" (DAN!) protocol and maintain a list of practitioner. The list is not an open endorsement, but a record of clinicians who have attended a DAN! Practitioner training session. Because attendance is all you need to qualify as a DAN! doctor, parents can easily wind up with a clinician with few credentials or little experience a personal clinician interview is important before making your first appointment. The questions below were revised from the Autism Research Institute website on finding a clinician (http://www.autism.com/) Please feel free to add any question that you may find helpful for others.


Question about the Clinicians

• What led you to become a clinician specializing in autism treatment?
• What is the primary medical specialties in which you were originally trained (i.e. pediatrics, family medicine)? What is now the primary focus of your practice? If you are not an MD or DO, in what field(s) are you licensed?
• Are you a DAN! Clinician or familiar with the DAN! Approach?
  If yes, when was the last one you were able to attend? Did you also attend the physician’s training?
  If no, how does your protocol differ? How do you stay current with emerging autism treatments?
• How long have you been treating patients with ASD?
• Approximately how many individuals with autism have you treated? What age range?
• Can you collaborate with other specialists we will be dealing with (gastrointestinal, allergist, nutritionist, etc)?
• Are you willing to collaborate on treatment and testing with my child’s pediatrician if he/she is receptive?
• Do you have a waiting list? How long is it?
  

Questions about Treatment

• What kind of lab test do you start with?


• How often do you retest labs?


• How do you handle blood draws and other unique lab tests? How do you handle combative patients? Do you have preparatory advice for parents?


• Can you provide a list of all services your office provides on-site? Examples: HBOT, infrared sauna, Secretin IVs, IVIG, Anti-viral therapies, nutritional counseling, blood raws, etc.


• Are your patients required to use special diets such as GF/CF, SCD, low-oxalate, etc.? Why?


• Do you follow the DAN! Protocol? If not what would your treatment protocol look like?


• Will you provide a clear plan for supplements and where to purchase them?


• If I am interested in working with a doctor who chelates when it is warranted. Do you test for heavy metals and provide chelation treatments when necessary?


• Do you sell proprietary nutritional supplements or have a sales agreement with supplement suppliers? Do you sell supplements at cost?
  

Questions about Billing and Communications

• Do you take insurance? If not, can you provide organized, coded insurance forms?
  
• Do you bill for laboratory tests done by commercial laboratories? How do you break down the fees?
• In the event we have a biomedical-related emergency, how will I contact you?
• Do you share an e-mail address, cell phone, etc. with your patients?
• Do you offer phone consultation for distant patients? What are the costs?
• How long do you spend face-to-face in an initial appointment?