When you have an autistic child, it’s often difficult to know exactly what treatments or therapies will benefit them. After all, autism exists on a spectrum, and no two cases are exactly the same.
How do you handle it, however, when your ex-spouse either refuses conventional therapy for autism out of denial or — perhaps worse — insists on subjecting your child to potentially dangerous “cures” for autism?
Misinformation and fake cures for autism abound
Many people (not just parents) are deeply misinformed about autism, thanks to years of misinformation that has been circulated and re-circulated on the internet.
Some parents deny that autism is even real, and they won’t treat their children for the condition at all. They try to force their child to adhere to neurotypical standards and get furious when they can’t comply — and that can lead to emotional and physical abuse.
Other parents ignore conventional medicine because they believe that autism is some kind of “trap” created by pharmaceutical companies to encourage people to buy their products. Aside from refusing to vaccinate their children for fear that the vaccinations will cause or aggravate a child’s autism, they may:
- Feed a child spoonfuls of bleach
- Force them to endure clay baths to “detoxify”
- Engage in unproven chelation therapies
- Use unproven treatments, like essential oils
Hoax “cures” and misinformation abound, and parents who are frustrated with their autistic child’s problems may easily latch onto anything that they think will fix their problems.
Your child’s health and well-being are at stake
When your co-parent isn’t getting your autistic child the appropriate medical care or engages in dangerous “alternative” therapies, that’s reason enough to seek a modification of custody. Speak to an attorney today about the steps you should take to protect your child’s interests.