A Biomedical Intervention is any kind of treatment that involves altering what goes into the body. This can include taking any kind of medicine, whether that is something prescribed by a doctor or a complementary or alternative medicine such as a herbal or homeopathic remedy. Changes in diet to try and improve a condition are also a biomedical intervention.
Some interventions have more than one name, particularly medications. It may be easier for you to find out about side effects if you know all the names. Medicines often have both a generic name and a brand name. The same type of medicine will have the same generic name but often different brand names. This will probably be familiar to you with over the counter pain-killers; paracetamol (a generic name) tablets can be sold under a lot of different brand names (for example Panadol is a brand name). Sometimes medicines can be purchased more cheaply if you know the generic name as well as the brand name.
Some treatments only deal with specific aspects of a condition; think about whether these are the aspects that you wish to deal with. Also some treatments may only be appropriate for certain people, for example, they may be unsuitable for young children.
Find out whether this refers to children or adults. Who funded the research? Sometimes organisations only tell you about their own research.
Having a clear idea of what you hope to achieve through treatment will make decisions on whether to continue once you have started easier. You may also consider whether this can be realistically achieved through the chosen therapy.
No intervention will work for everyone, so be suspicious of inflated claims, such as claims to cure ASD.
Establishing this before therapy starts may make it easier to decide whether it seems to be working for your child.
Consider common side effects as well as ones that may only affect your child e.g. Has your child reacted badly to any type of intervention in the past? Be wary of interventions that claim to have no side effects.
It is important to establish this prior to commencing an intervention. Be aware that the nature of your child’s Autism may make it difficult to discontinue an intervention, albeit that it may have no known addictive side effects.
Some interventions will have effects after they have finished, others will only work whilst the intervention is ongoing. You should find out what the ‘end point’ of the intervention is.
It is important that all biomedical interventions are properly monitored to ensure that the child is getting the best from the intervention and that side effects are minimal. Be aware that some interventions require to be monitored by taking bloods from your child.
Being unaware of food or medicine interactions may render the intervention useless and has the potential to be harmful to your child. You should consult your Paediatrician, Dietician or Pharmacist as appropriate.
It is important that you have an action plan in the event that a problem develops. This may be part of the intervention protocol or it may be an emergency contact for the practitioner.
Take into account how long the intervention will last.
Look for hidden costs: you may need transport to venues and may need to pay for equipment and materials yourself. Be aware that some organisations offer first session free or at a reduced rate, then increase the amount they charge.
Some interventions require you to spend time learning about them; you may have to attend courses. Some interventions are difficult to undertake due to the changes in your routine that are required, or the nature of your child’s Autism.
Parents who have already gone through this process may be best placed to answer your questions. However organisations may only put you in touch with people that the intervention has been successful for. Every child is different, so an intervention that has worked for a number of children may not work for your child.
Children are best supported when all the services providing them with help can work together.
Additional questions to ask the practitioner :
Before undertaking any form of Biomedical intervention, you should always consult your paediatrician, dietician etc as appropriate. If you decide to undertake an intervention, keep them informed of your child’s progress.
