Red Flag It!

Many a times when our children start at a new center the parents give a free hand to the staff at the center to work with your child. Rightly so as that is their job. Certain points need to be looked at to make sure that the direction taken with your child is the correct one and Red Flags should go up if you as parents feel any hesitation what so ever in the methods or rules followed by the center.

Below are certain scenarios that if present or occur in your child's Autism Center, then you as parents should be alarmed and raise the "Red Flag":

1. The classrooms become a NO Go Zone for parents: If this happens or is the current policy of a center most probably they are not doing their job ethically. Most reputed Autism Centers allow parents to have access to their children at the center at all times if needed.
2. If your child cries everyday he or she is left at the center: If the educators cannot bring under control this event then they are not very good at their jobs or lack experience and proper training.
3. The center calls you almost every other day to have your child picked up early: This again exposes the lack of qualified staff and poor daily routine management.
4. No Results: If after 12 months at an Autism Center your child shows few real results it obviously means whatever they are doing with him or her is not working and worse they probably don't know what will.
5. You hear other parents say "What to do it's the only place here.": Sometimes we parents fall into that trap. If you are not happy with the center your child goes to and you say the above as justification for it, believe me you are causing your child more harm than good in the long run. As no therapy is far better than BAD THERAPY!
6. New teachers constantly come and go: This is by far the most disruptive situation for an Autistic child to deal with. It also highlights poor management and basic neglect towards the needs of the children.
7. The Fees Go Up abruptly: When the fees go up suddenly for no apparent reason and no real value is added to your child's welfare at the center because of it something is a miss.
   
8. Medications: If anybody other than a Psychiatrist prescribes any sort of medicine for your child to "Calm" him or her down please DO NOT ACCEPT IT! Autism the condition by itself does not come under the domain of General Practitioners or Paediatricians or Neurologists, no matter how experienced they might be. Think about it would you get a hair dresser to re-wire your house? All medications for the treatment or control of Autism must be supervised by a Psychiatrist.

Keeping these points in mind will ensure that you are not anyway harming your child more by sending him or her to a place that is not capable of providing the required help and care.