How to choose a therapist for your child — a parent's practical guide
Your paediatrician has said the words: "You should take him to a therapist." Or a school counsellor has flagged something. Or you have read the earlier posts on this site and realised your child might need proper help. What now?
In India, this is often where the trouble begins. Google search returns hundreds of "child specialists" in every city. Every second post on parenting forums is a therapy recommendation. Some clinicians are excellent. Some are honest but limited. Some are outright unqualified and taking your money. Distinguishing between them is one of the most important consumer skills an Indian parent needs — and no one teaches it to you.
This is my attempt to help. Twenty years of working alongside good and bad clinicians have taught me what to look for and what to avoid.
First — understand what "therapist" actually means
The word "therapist" gets used loosely, but it covers very different training, scope, and abilities.
Occupational Therapist (OT) — 4-year bachelor's degree (BOTh) or Master's (MOTh) from a recognised institution. Registered with the All India Occupational Therapists' Association. Works on daily living skills, sensory processing, fine motor, handwriting, feeding, self-care. If your child struggles with the physical or sensory aspects of everyday life, this is who you want.
Speech-Language Therapist / Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) — 4-year bachelor's (BASLP) or Master's (MASLP) from a Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)-registered institution. Registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India. Works on speech clarity, language development, feeding/swallowing, stuttering, voice disorders. If your child has trouble talking, understanding, or eating, this is the right specialist.
Clinical Psychologist — Master's or M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from RCI-recognised programs. Registered with RCI. Trained to formally assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions in children — anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, behavioural issues. Uses standardised assessment tools and evidence-based therapies (usually CBT for children).
Child Psychiatrist — MBBS + MD in Psychiatry, ideally with fellowship or additional training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Medical doctor. Can prescribe medication when needed. Diagnoses and treats significant mental health conditions.
Developmental Paediatrician — MBBS + MD in Paediatrics + additional fellowship in developmental paediatrics. Diagnoses developmental conditions (autism, ADHD, learning disorders, cerebral palsy). Often the first stop for suspected developmental concerns.
Counsellor / Psychotherapist — this is where it gets murky. Anyone can call themselves a counsellor in India. Some have Master's degrees in psychology or counselling and are excellent. Others have done a 3-month online certificate and are practising with vulnerable families. Ask for their exact qualification, from which institution, and whether they are RCI-registered.
Special Educator — trained to teach children with learning disabilities and developmental conditions. Look for RCI registration and B.Ed/M.Ed in Special Education.
ABA Therapist / Behaviour Therapist — Applied Behaviour Analysis is used with autistic children. In India, qualification is uneven — some are internationally certified (BCBA), most are trained through short courses. Ask about their supervisor and their specific training.
The important point: different children need different specialists. A child struggling with speech does not need an OT. A child with anxiety does not primarily need a special educator. A parent shopping for "the best child therapist" without knowing which type they need is likely to end up with whoever markets themselves most convincingly, which is not the same as being the right fit.
Before you seek any therapist — get the right evaluation
The single most common mistake I see: parents seeking therapy without a proper evaluation.
Therapy is not a general good. It is a specific intervention that should follow a specific diagnosis. Without the diagnosis, any therapy is a guess.
The right sequence:
- Paediatrician first for medical rule-outs (hearing, vision, thyroid, general health)
- Developmental paediatrician or clinical psychologist for developmental/psychological evaluation and diagnosis
- Referral to the specific therapist who addresses what the evaluation found
Parents who skip step 2 and go directly to a therapist based on a friend's recommendation end up with treatment that may not fit their child's actual needs. Six months later, no progress, they wonder what went wrong.
If a therapist is willing to start treatment without asking about a formal evaluation or offering to do one first — that is a warning sign.
What credentials to verify — and how
Anyone claiming to be a qualified therapist should be able to show you:
Their degree and institution. Not a certificate from a workshop. An actual degree from a recognised university or institute. Ask to see it. Real professionals expect this and are not offended.
Their registration number. OTs register with AIOTA (aiota.org). Speech therapists, clinical psychologists, and audiologists register with RCI (rehabcouncil.nic.in — you can verify registration numbers online). Psychiatrists and paediatricians register with the Medical Council of India / state medical councils.
Their specific experience with your child's issue. Being a qualified clinical psychologist does not automatically mean they are experienced with autism. Being an OT does not automatically mean they specialise in feeding. Ask: how many children with this specific issue have you worked with? What outcomes do you typically see?
Membership in professional bodies. IAP for paediatricians, IPS for psychiatrists, IACP for clinical psychologists, ISHA for speech therapists. Membership indicates ongoing professional development.
If the person becomes defensive when you ask any of this, walk away. Legitimate professionals expect informed parents to check.
What to look for in the first consultation
The first appointment tells you almost everything you need to know. What good clinicians do:
They take a proper history. They ask about pregnancy, birth, developmental milestones, family history, school reports, current concerns, what you have tried before. They listen more than they talk. This should take 45 minutes to an hour, at minimum.
They observe your child, not just describe them from your account. They watch how the child plays, moves, responds to them, interacts. They may bring out specific toys or tasks.
They explain their thinking. After the assessment, they tell you what they think is going on, in words you can understand. They explain what they would want to explore further and why.
They are honest about what they can and cannot help with. A good clinician says "this is not my area, you need someone who specialises in X" when relevant. A bad one takes every case regardless of fit.
They give you time to ask questions. Not a rushed, packed appointment where you leave with more questions than you came with.
They give you realistic expectations. No promises of quick cures. No claims that their approach works for everyone. Honest statements about what typically improves, over what timeline, and how progress will be measured.
They discuss cost transparently. Fees are stated clearly. There is no pressure to buy packages upfront. You are told what a course of therapy typically costs and how sessions will be structured.
They give you homework. Therapy sessions are one hour a week. What happens in the other 167 hours matters more. A good clinician explains what you should do at home and gives you specific, doable strategies.
They involve you. Especially with young children, parent involvement is central to outcomes. If the therapist wants only the child, without any parent involvement or feedback, that is a red flag.
Red flags — walk away if you see these
Some patterns should end the relationship, or prevent it starting:
Grand promises. "In 6 months your child will be normal." "Autism can be reversed with our program." "We cure ADHD without medication." Nobody credible makes these claims.
Pressure to sign up for large packages upfront. Legitimate therapists work session by session or monthly, with clear cancellation policies. A demand for 6 months paid upfront is a business practice, not a clinical one.
Reluctance to give you a written report or diagnosis. Legitimate assessments end with a written report. If the person only tells you verbally and won't put it in writing, ask why.
Miracle cures they refuse to explain. Special "brain training" programs, patented protocols, secret techniques, expensive equipment — if the therapist cannot explain in plain language how their approach works and what the evidence for it is, be suspicious.
Dismissing your questions or making you feel foolish for asking. Good clinicians want educated parents. Ones who resent questions are hiding something.
No formal training or refusing to disclose credentials. "I have been doing this work for years" is not a qualification.
Aggressive marketing or salesy tactics. Repeated calls, WhatsApp messages, urgency ("only two slots left this month"), or "special discount if you enrol today" — these are business tactics, not medical practice.
Blaming the child or the parents for lack of progress. "He's not motivated." "You're not implementing what I said." Sometimes there is truth in this, but a good clinician looks at their approach too, adjusts, refers on if their method isn't working — rather than shifting all responsibility to you.
No progress after several months and no clear reasoning about why. If you are 4-6 months into therapy and cannot see any improvement, and the therapist cannot articulate what is being worked on and how progress is measured — question the fit.
Sexualised or inappropriate behaviour. Any therapist who suggests being alone with your child in ways that make you uncomfortable, or who behaves inappropriately with the child, is a boundary issue. Report and remove your child immediately.
The special problem of "alternative" therapies
Indian parents are frequently offered treatments that fall outside evidence-based medicine — homeopathy for autism, brain-gym for ADHD, "occupational therapy" from unqualified providers, brahmi and shankhpushpi for concentration, various "miracle" supplements, sound therapy, magnetic therapy, stem cell tourism, chelation therapy.
Some of these are harmless if kept alongside proper care. Some are actively dangerous. Almost all are expensive.
Guiding principle: if a treatment has good evidence, it is used in mainstream paediatric practice worldwide. If it is offered as an alternative to (rather than in addition to) standard care, if it makes big claims backed by testimonials rather than research, if it costs a lot but is offered by someone without proper credentials — treat it as consumer marketing, not medicine.
Chelation therapy for autism has caused deaths. Delayed conventional treatment while pursuing alternatives has cost children years of preventable disability. Please be careful.
What to expect from good therapy — the honest timeline
Good child therapy is not fast. Realistic expectations:
- First 2-4 weeks: rapport building. Child gets comfortable. Not much visible change.
- 1-3 months: therapist has a clearer picture. Small changes may appear. Strategies begin to work at home.
- 3-6 months: measurable improvement in specific target areas. Not everything, but the things being specifically worked on.
- 6-12 months: significant progress on primary concerns. Time to reassess whether to continue, adjust, or step down.
If any therapist claims dramatic overnight change, or if they insist you continue paying month after month with no measurable improvement — either the fit is wrong, the method is wrong, or something else is going on. Do not accept "you have to trust the process" as an answer indefinitely.
The financial reality
Good therapy in India is expensive. In metros, individual sessions typically cost ₹1,500 to ₹4,000 for 45-60 minutes. Weekly sessions add up to ₹6,000-₹16,000 per month. For families needing multiple therapies (say OT + speech therapy for an autistic child), monthly costs can reach ₹25,000+ easily.
This is a real barrier. Some options to consider:
- Government hospitals — NIMHANS (Bangalore), AIIMS (multiple cities), Ram Manohar Lohia (Delhi), Kokilaben (Mumbai) offer subsidised child mental health services. Long waiting lists, but qualified professionals.
- Insurance — some private insurance plans now cover child therapy, though many still don't. Ask.
- NGOs and trust-based organisations — Action for Autism, Ummeed Child Development Centre (Mumbai), and similar organisations offer sliding-scale fees.
- University teaching hospitals — often have supervised student clinicians providing care at reduced cost.
- Online therapy — sometimes appropriate for older children with anxiety, less so for younger children needing physical assessment.
One last principle worth stating
You know your child better than any clinician you consult. If a therapist says something about your child that does not match what you see, ask questions. If a therapist dismisses your concerns without properly considering them, seek another opinion. If your gut says something is off — with the therapist, the approach, or the progress — trust it.
Parents who bring their child home saying "I don't know why but I don't feel right about this" are almost always picking up on something real. Your instincts, informed by long observation of your child, are one of the most valuable diagnostic instruments in the room.
Finding the right therapist for your child is not a quick decision. It is worth taking the time to do properly. The wrong therapist wastes not just money — it wastes months or years of the intervention window when your child could have been getting real help. The right therapist can genuinely change a family's trajectory.
Choose carefully. Ask questions. Verify credentials. Trust your instincts. And do not settle for less than proper care for your child.