The first thing to prepare yourself for as a parent/therapist is to see your child hurt.
I mean, you already know your child has this Autism diagnosis but when you sit down and start helping them get better, you see up close and personal how broken they are. I'm not going to mess around here...it is really, really hard. I thought my son had at least a little language. On a language eval, I checked off that he knew what a hug was, a dog (we had one), certain foods...he did not know ANY of this. He knew nothing literally. I got to see how broken he was, fast and furious.
I don't tell you this to persuade you NOT to do Autism therapy, but to encourage you. First, it is natural to hurt. Just be prepared. Secondly, through this hurt, you will soon see why your child needs YOU as a therapist. Because ONLY you will notice every iota about him. He's your baby. She's YOUR baby. You will care the most, no matter what fantastic consultant or therapist you find.
Remember you are not alone. Those of us who have seen the ravages of autism on our children have gone before you. We understand and for my part, I think of you daily.
Note: I've been told there are some parents who for mental health reasons cannot work with their child. My direction is as always, seek help for yourself if you are at this point. Your mental health is important to not only you but your entire family.
Let's get going!,
Katherine Lee