27 Jul Would This Program Be Good for My Child?

By Laura L Moorer & Edwin Maas

As professionals and concerned parents/caregivers, we are constantly bombarded with information.  Some is fact-based, some more anecdotal, and some just opinion. Often, we are left with more questions than answers after hearing or reading about some program or treatment option. That is a GOOD thing!

Whenever you are researching if a specific program or treatment is right for your child, there are specific questions you should ask yourself:

• Am I being asked to buy something? Keep in mind that any advertisement is trying to sell you something – a product, a book, a training course, a treatment program, etc. It is in the interest of the advertisers that you believe what they are saying. Be skeptical, and look for independent information about the product/program from reputable and independent sources (sources without an inherent conflict of interest). If you are unsure where to find information, ask a professional (e.g., SLP, researcher) whose judgment, expertise, and critical thinking you trust for their opinion.
• Does this sound too good to be true? If so, it’s probably not true. Be leery of programs/therapy that claim to help in several different areas – improves speech, balance, memory, ADHD, cognitive skills, motor skills, auditory processing, listening, language…. Or some combination of these.  One program/therapy isn’t going to fix everything even though there is overlap in many of these areas.
• Will this cause harm? The statement or belief that “if it doesn’t help, it can’t hurt” is rarely true. First, there may be actual harm – for example, the product or program may in fact slow or even reverse progress that was being made, or there may be side effects. Second, there is usually a cost in terms of resources – money spent, time spent, etc. Money and time spent on an ineffective program is money and time not spent on other programs that might be more effective.
• What are the specific goals/outcomes of this product/program/therapy? The program or product information should clearly state what the desired outcome is.
• Do those goals fit within the areas that my child needs to improve at this specific moment in time? (With CAS, it is improving motor planning for speech specifically – not voice, fluency, memory, etc…) There are often more issues that need to be addressed during a child’s journey, so those things should be taken into consideration, either separately or simultaneously.
• Should I read the testimonials? Do not rely only on vague “testimonials” on the product’s or therapy’s website that say “My child was so much better after 3 sessions.”  These statements leave you asking: “Better at what?”  “What actually improved?” Testimonials are not evidence – they are anecdotal and represent an opinion.
• What research or evidence exists for this program/therapy reaching their goals with children with the same diagnosis as my child? Look on reputable sites for evidence such as American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, National Institute of Health, World Health Organization, US Department of Education, peer reviewed journals … There are several levels of evidence – see below.