Having worked for many years with children with behavioral health disorders and then children with autism, I am a firm believer in the necessity of behavioral therapy. But, I believe that medication can be a godsend for many of these children, as well. I understand why people are hesitant about having their child on medications but I always advocate exploring all options.
That being said, not all medicine is created equal and there can be many harmful side effects. Having recently called South Florida home and working in the field of Behavior Analysis, the debate about legalizing marijuana was in my backyard...more accurately, in the homes of some of my clients. While I fully understand the difficulties that many families face and can appreciate the desperate desire for relief from maladaptive behaviors, I have to advocate for the slightly (or maybe significantly) longer course of treatment that is behavior intervention over the "quick fix" that marijuana may provide.
The long term negative effects on the developing brain from marijuana means that children may end up in worse shape down the road. Additionally, there haven't been any studies completed to determine the efficacy (if there even is any) of marijuana on behavioral issues. The article below gives a good overview of the current science.
The other article speaks in support of behavioral intervention and is backed by a new study of the success in decreasing pica (a potentially deadly disorder) through behavior intervention. The findings of the research are published int he Journal of Autism and Developemental Disorders and looked at 11 children, all but one having autism and looking for treatment specifically for serious problems with pica. The interventions were slightly different for each child as they were individualized but they all had similar components and the treatment success was at 96% by the end of the study.
Behavioral therapy effective against pica in children with autism spectrum disorder
That being said, not all medicine is created equal and there can be many harmful side effects. Having recently called South Florida home and working in the field of Behavior Analysis, the debate about legalizing marijuana was in my backyard...more accurately, in the homes of some of my clients. While I fully understand the difficulties that many families face and can appreciate the desperate desire for relief from maladaptive behaviors, I have to advocate for the slightly (or maybe significantly) longer course of treatment that is behavior intervention over the "quick fix" that marijuana may provide.
The long term negative effects on the developing brain from marijuana means that children may end up in worse shape down the road. Additionally, there haven't been any studies completed to determine the efficacy (if there even is any) of marijuana on behavioral issues. The article below gives a good overview of the current science.
The other article speaks in support of behavioral intervention and is backed by a new study of the success in decreasing pica (a potentially deadly disorder) through behavior intervention. The findings of the research are published int he Journal of Autism and Developemental Disorders and looked at 11 children, all but one having autism and looking for treatment specifically for serious problems with pica. The interventions were slightly different for each child as they were individualized but they all had similar components and the treatment success was at 96% by the end of the study.
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