When a parent begins to suspect autism, one of the first questions is:
Where do I go, and who do I trust?
In this episode of Practitioner Perspectives in Autism Care, Ashley Tamayo shares how families can approach finding the right practitioner without becoming overwhelmed.
From word-of-mouth recommendations to school and primary care referrals, to navigating online searches, this conversation breaks down what actually matters when choosing care.
In this episode:
How to begin the search for an autism practitioner
Why word of mouth is often the strongest starting point
The role of schools and educators in guiding families
How to approach online searches responsibly
What credentials and certifications actually signal
Understanding different types of practitioners and assessments
Why early experiences with care matter more than most parents realize
This is not about finding the “perfect” provider.
It’s about finding the right fit for your child and your family.
Neurosage Hub provides structure. Practitioners provide care.
Transcripts
Justin Barton: [:
Justin Barton: Ashley, is there anything new in your life that you'd like to bring up before I ask you this question?
Ashley Tamayo: Oh thank you. And hello everybody again. I'm really excited to jump in give some information, then share what I can, which is only the smallest amount that I know our community as a whole.
Ashley Tamayo: We'll continue adding into this, so thank you.
needs to be done for autism?[:
Ashley Tamayo: Yeah.
Ashley Tamayo: . There's gonna be more for this answer, but my top three of how we go about this is we've got word of mouth, we've got your school, we've got your primary care, a recommendation or a referral, or. The good old internet.
Ashley Tamayo: But I will say that's one that we will touch on last only because there are things to look out for. Word of mouth. We all know that. If we're looking for a practitioner without that overwhelm, sometimes, who better than someone who is living this, who's got that experience? Whether it be a friend or a neighbor or a community member of yours that is in a book club or a church that you go to.
Ashley Tamayo: And sometimes right there, it takes the guessing out of. Who you're working with.
y are a helpful, very joined [:
Justin Barton: This is a good doctor. Maybe stay away from that one. They're very willing to do that. Any other thoughts on that first approach of looking for a practitioner?
Ashley Tamayo: Yeah and that's similar to going into educators or schools or primary care is really, it is those with experience.
Ashley Tamayo: It's really hard to say, try this out when already in a vulnerable state if we have people who are already receiving care and quality care, it's really, to me, seems like a no brainer to say, at least let's try, let's see if this practitioner works well with my family.
Justin Barton: . Very good, Now let's look at the educators and then the internet options.
specializing in care, while [:
Ashley Tamayo: And so I do think that educators are. Great resource in navigating that and trying to get us to the best care that for our kiddo internet. Here's my one hiccup about internet is. Do not search and say this one. I always say the bio is needed. I, need to read something about you. I wanna see your picture.
Ashley Tamayo: I do. Yeah, and as a parent and a provider, I wouldn't. Expect somebody to Google my name and say, yep, this one, this is the one that is valuable for my family.
background, your history as [:
Justin Barton: Question on that. What are some of the basic certifications, qualifications, designations that one should look for in order to find somebody if they're doing an internet search
Ashley Tamayo: so this will be brought up as well, is understanding what care are you looking for, like at this very moment?
apists that can do the A DOS [:
Ashley Tamayo: And those certifications can be received on many platforms, depending on your licensure and the board in which you are licensed through.
Justin Barton: Yeah, and I think that's an important thing to put out here for parents in particular who are looking for somebody right now, if we're looking at , the initial evaluation and assessment, that's typically done, like you said, by an occupational therapist, a speech language pathologist, maybe a physical therapist and behavioral health people Right away, we're not looking for.
king for people who can help [:
Ashley Tamayo: . Yes. And I would not limit that. The care is just as valuable though at this stage because what your first experience can really set the tone for how you adjust to, receiving a diagnosis or understanding the community. And so while it may be, the assessment may be the first step, it is just as valuable as all of the follow up steps for vac care?
Justin Barton: Absolutely. I think it's likely that if , a speech language pathologist does that first in initial assessment if the child qualifies for speech therapy, Beyond that, you want somebody who is qualified. And able to interact well with your child. Do you have any other thoughts or insights about this question of choosing the right practitioners before we start wrapping this up? Ashley,
Ashley Tamayo: no, I would just say sometimes we gotta do your homework.
amayo: Some of the platforms [:
Justin Barton: Thank you so much, Ashley, for helping us walk through this and a reminder to those our listeners this is Brought, to you by Neurosage Hub. We are a community that is brought together to build hope and to walk together and striving to be a structured path forward for the autism journey.
Justin Barton: Come join with us. And become part of that community so that when somebody comes there and asks, Hey, what's a good provider in my neighborhood? You may find somebody that's already there that can help out with that. Thank you once again, Ashley.
