You can absolutely research and implement therapies on your own. You could look into ABA, which is implemented in a variety of ways depending on the program - we use Verbal Behavior, which is ABA with a stronger initial emphasis on language and generalizing skills than the traditional "Lovaas" approach used by many school districts. You could also look into RDI, or relationship development intervention I believe. Floortime is another popular intervention used by families. Research as much as you can and find an approach that you feel fits your son, and that you feel would fit into your family's lifestyle - I am finding lately with my toddler son becoming more curious and independent (or wanting to be independent anyway at 2 1/2 years old) that the intensity of our VB program is tough for me to implement effectively, and I am looking more into RDI and Floortime right now to see if I can find a better fit for our growing family. (We have another little one due in October.) I was not happy with the services offered by our school district so I don't intend to send DS1 for at least a couple more years and at that point it will depend on what options they have for programming for him - we may continue to homeschool. If you have a Center for Disabilities nearby with an Autism Program they often will work with you (covered by insurance or at a discount if no insurance) and help you with training opportunities and how to work most effectively with your son. In our state our Family Support program also helps with costs of training programs/workshops and travel expenses if necessary. They also will help cover costs of materials. We do have our son enrolled in ST, again paid for by insurance but your local school district or Birth to Three program may offer these services in-home for your son since he is two years old (if I read your siggy right) - otherwise if he is school aged you can request your physician to write a prescription for ST/OT and see if insurance would cover it elsewhere, which is what we did. I feel our son has made much more progress with our private program than he ever did in his year of preschool, and we have been able to develop a much more comprehensive program for him. It does help me to have a consultant (through our Center for Disablities) that we can meet with to help with tough spots that we encounter along the way, but there are many different ways to work around that if you do not have a consultant - one of them being posting on websites like this one to find help with brainstorming!
Best of luck in your decision!
Best of luck in your decision!
