I'm really not much on writing about policy: so many other people do it better than I. The post at 11D is raising my blood pressure (In Praise of Thomas Sowell, basically). Here's the thing: we can't do randomized controlled trials with our children. No, I haven't looked at the research on speech therapy. But I've looked at plenty of research on ABA, and there's absolutely no question in my mind that intensive therapy by qualified professionals (which it sounds like Laura doesn't have) beats lack thereof. Life-alteringly beats. Neuroplastically beats. One or more SD's in IQ points beats.

I've spent the last six years having relatives ask me, "Do you think maybe she could have made this progress WITHOUT all the therapy?" Honestly, no. And I can't go back and undo the therapy to check, and I wouldn't want to. Granted, we were lucky: the form of PDD my kid has is quite mild. She has strong social drive, and she has normal intelligence. I've had more than one consultant not pick her out of the group as autistic. But I also remember the echolalic, spaced-out kid who didn't care when my aunt walked into the room, played with rocks instead of other kids when given the choice, and had her pronouns reversed until she was past four. I could tell she wasn't connecting. That wasn't mother's intuition: that was my own perception based on observation. I knew. And I knew I didn't know how to help her, despite the fact that I'm her mother, she was my first child so I spent ALL of my time focusing on how she thought and what she was doing, and I have a background in teaching and learning issues.

Here's what I worry about: somebody reading Laura's post and thinking, "Eh, it's the system. It's not my kid." Except your kid has to LIVE in the system. If not the school system, the work system. The social system. And we can labor to change things, but we can never labor hard or fast enough for our children that we have RIGHT NOW.