Therapists are trying their Best.

When parents walk into a therapy center, they are looking for solutions. Therapists are seen as solutions who should act like medicines. No. They are humans and the solution to autism does not lie in pharmacology but lies in human interaction. Remember autism is a social communication difficulty. It is not a disease.
So it will be prudent to look at therapists as guides who know better about engaging with a child with weaker social communication skills. Having said that, I am backing only those therapists who do know how to engage with autism and have learnt it mindfully. I am not batting for all.
The Government of India is trying to formalise systems and access to therapies and it's a long journey. RCI is first trying to formalise those who assess and provide diagnosis:
Clinical psychologists as that is the most essential part for registration of a child to even begin providing services etc.
Having said that the government this year is trying. Allied health services registration which will include autism - counselling psychologists like myself as well, which is a great initiative as well and will take its course to come to fruitful use. It will likely have all therapists who today work on the ground with special needs.
I am not going to cover who is eligible to work and who is not. That is not the intent of the blog and it's a cruel topic. I am a firm believer that credentials are essential. However I am an even firm believer that hands-on experience with supervision is even more essential to handle special needs just like doctors.

I teach the skill to work with autism and many professionals hone them during the training.

A few are born with something more that actually reaches the child; Empathy - usually can't be taught, it can however be acquired from experiences. Sometimes therapists resist while being taught. Ego is not needed in a fast changing world. They are a dangerous lot. If you spot any, please avoid them.
A child comes to a therapist to learn to become more flexible and dynamic in thinking and engaging socially and emotionally. I would say the best therapists I have engaged with are the ones who were willing to learn until retirement. That's the level of fluidity in thinking and adaption needed for a long career as a therapist and is very much present in therapists today. It's essential to possess it to impart it.
Continued learning is essential in autism as the field is drastically changing. I am writing to RCI. Looks like a long shot for now. All therapists want continued learning, some want to come and watch and learn too. There is so much to learn and so much work available too but no one is willing to pay them. I urge the institutions to pitch in for upskilling allied healthcare services as they are the backbone to delivery on the ground and they can't afford upskilling!

Record keeping and goal creation are essential for scientific growth of a country. We should not post US CDC numbers on our websites and should have our own data. Create more avenues for learning and fund it please.
We course fund the families. But it is essential to fund the development of the last mile delivery partner - the therapist as well.

One of our free workshops for autism awareness was attended by a speech therapist and she asked how I will have a career if you say NDBI promotes non verbal communication before verbal. I was so happy she asked what many others present feared asking. I said, we need you to widen your scope and that is the very reason you are here ! Upskill for autism.

Unlike other difficulties, autism does not yet have a cause. So we need not bind ourselves when helping a child. We will in fact have to go further to help always. Aren't we all communicating with the child while working?

• A speech therapist is also a social communication therapist.
• An occupational therapist is also a social communication therapist.
• A physiotherapist is also a social communication therapist.

Given that autism is a social communication difficulty and it cuts across all individual therapies, is it not smart to be trained in one?
NDBI talks about social communication development.
The new wave of therapists I am meeting are all learners at heart. Ofcourse, that's why they are in the training :)
They want to learn how to get better results for autism families. How to learn to counsel a mother. How to talk to the father. How to keep records. How to write a goal. How to provide feedback constructively according to that particular family.

If you are a professional, hope you are logged in. We have something for you.