Autism care is a team sport. Here''s who does what.
The core roles
- Pediatrician — general health, screenings, referrals
- Developmental-behavioral pediatrician — diagnosis, medical management of co-occurring conditions
- Psychologist / neuropsychologist — diagnostic testing, therapy for anxiety/depression
- Speech-language pathologist (SLP) — communication, AAC, feeding, social pragmatics
- Occupational therapist (OT) — sensory, motor, daily living
- Physical therapist (PT) — gross motor, coordination
- BCBA / behavioral therapist — behavior planning, skill acquisition (if pursuing ABA/NDBI)
- Psychiatrist — medication for anxiety, ADHD, sleep, aggression
- School team — IEP case manager, special education teacher, related-service providers
- You — the general contractor. You know your child best.
Coordination
- Keep a binder or shared drive with evaluations, IEPs, treatment plans, and medication history.
- Ask each provider to send reports to the others.
- Once a year, request a case coordination meeting — most providers will do this if asked.
When to add — and subtract
More providers isn''t always better. Signs to reduce:
- Your child (or you) is exhausted
- Multiple providers are teaching similar skills
- Progress plateaus and providers can''t explain why
Signs to add:
- A new area emerges (feeding, mental health, sleep)
- Your child ages into a new setting (school, adolescence, adulthood transition)
Advocacy help
- Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) — free, in every state
- Family-to-Family Health Information Centers
- Local autism/disability nonprofits