Why were tha Autism Speaks people consulted during your son's observation? What were they hoping to achieve? 
They are sort of embedded at the local countywide level, where all the special pre-K kids start out at school. There are two psychologists who work at the "special" school, who brought two other women wearing puzzle logos and driving around with puzzle stickers emblazoned on their cars.
I had no idea who the "smart" psychs were, who were coming to consult, except that they were in charge of multiple schools and, supposedly, had more experience in autism. They are the ones who took it upon themselves to bring in the
unqualified people.
I suppose they are actually qualified to be psychologists, according to their fancy nametags, but for them to think they can look into a classroom for one day and offer guidance to us, is absurd. To begin with, they didn't even ask what measures we were already taking. At first, they acted like we were first-time parents of an autistic child, rather than parents with almost five years experience and study behind us and eight years
living with it.
There was a hopeful moment, when I noticed an eye-roll exchange between the school psych and my son's teacher as the logo-ladies made their presentation, advising us to try things that we gave up on, two or three years ago. I have much more confidence in the school psychologist, who is younger, more recently educated, and has daily hands-on experience with my son. I haven't talked to her privately, since, but I have the feeling that whatever she does must follow a protocol, which Autism Speaks has crashed and become involved with. She made sure, previous to the meeting, that I was aware that I have the final say and, whatever is done to change the services we are receiving, we must approve it.
The only thing the logo-ladies mentioned that had any merit at all, was the possibility that we could do a "Peer Awareness" presentation to the whole class. I would consider that for my daughter, but I doubt that it would help the situation with my son. I believe that increased peer awareness would give the bullies, he is dealing with, some new weapons to use. Maybe I'm wrong, though.
