Some of the newer, more popular fad treatments for autism involve special diets or nutritional supplements. Megadoses of Vitamins C and B6 are popular, as well as supplements with fatty acids like omega-3s. A casein and/or gluten-free diet, which involves eliminating dairy and wheat products, has also gained favor with some parents.
Full Answer
What is the most effective treatment for autism?
· Identifying fad therapies and supports. Fad therapies and supports for autistic children can be based on anti-science or pseudoscience. They become popular quickly and spread fast, often disappearing later. They sound convincing and can have a ‘feel-good’ factor that appeals to parents.
Do you think ABA is a good treatment for autism?
· If you are presented with a treatment option and you are unsure whether it is effective or a fad treatment, ask yourself the questions above and/or reach out to professionals you trust! ... Association for Science in Autism Treatment National Standards Project from the National Autism Center. Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new ...
What are treatments or cures of autism?
There is currently no one standard treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many people with ASD benefit from treatment, no matter how old they are when they are diagnosed. People of all ages, at all levels of ability, can often improve after well-designed interventions. But there are many ways to help minimize the symptoms and maximize abilities.
What are the red flags for fad treatments?
Things like, “Works in 3 weeks!” or “Completely transformed my child in a matter of days!” may be red flags for fad treatments.
Is there a cure for autism?
While there is no “magical cure” for autism, there are well documented, evidence-based interventions (meaning that they are supported by credible research studies) that have proven effective in treating individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Understanding what good, evidence-based intervention is versus what it isn’t can be a stress-inducing challenge for parents of a child with ASD.
Do treatments rely on people already believing that something will work?
Some treatments rely on people already believing that something will work. In order to fit that belief , data may be made to look like it supports it.
Why is it important to treat autism early?
Read more about early interventions for autism. Because there can be overlap in symptoms between ASD and other disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 2 it's important that treatment focus on a person's specific needs, rather than the diagnostic label.
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SEEKER® – The First FDA-Authorized Newborn Screening Platform for Lysosomal Storage Disorders
Is there a standard treatment for autism?
There is currently no one standard treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many people with ASD benefit from treatment, no matter how old they are when they are diagnosed. People of all ages, at all levels of ability, can often improve after well-designed interventions.
Why is autism a fad?
There are many reasons why autism may attract “fad” interventions. For example people with autism can often have advanced skills in some areas and “fad” treatments can take credit for these skills developing. If a gain of skills happens to come along at a time when a “fad” intervention has been in place, the intervention can be falsely given credit. Another reason is that research supports the fact that early intervention is important, this can lead to people feeling pressured to select and begin using an intervention even if the evidence behind it is only anecdotal.
How to protect yourself from fad interventions?
You can protect yourself against “fad” interventions by knowing the warning signs. Making sure that you research interventions carefully, and obtain information from unbiased sources. And by asking questions to the service provider or person offering the intervention and checking that they can give satisfactory answers.
What is intervention in autism?
Research Autism defines interventions as “any kind of activity (such as a treatment, a therapy or the provision of a service that is designed to improve the quality of life for people on the autism spectrum) ” (researchautism.net). This broad definition means that almost anything can be classed as an intervention making it even more important that interventions are effective and safe.
What is the right to choose an intervention for autism?
Choosing an intervention for autism is a complex and personal decision that needs to take into accounts the rights of the person receiving the intervention. The right to be fully informed and the right to receive services of an appropriate standard can be both directly related to the evidence-base behind an intervention.
When you hear people talking about interventions for autism, do you hear interventions must be?
Often when you hear people talking about interventions for autism you hear interventions must be “evidence-based” spoken in the same sentence, writes researcher Surrey Jackson.
What are fad treatments?
So, what are fad treatments? They come in waves, touting miraculous effects until they are eventually debunked, only to be replaced by the next new thing – another drop in the bucket in a sea of interventions. How do we recognize fad treatments? They are often highly publicized, offered by people with limited or questionable credentials, make overreaching claims of effectiveness (even cures), and create pressure campaigns, including deals for reduced costs. They typically have little or no scientific research to support their use, relying almost exclusively on testimonials. These red flags, however, may be ignored as parents latch onto these opportunities, desperate to help their children.
How do we know if a treatment is effective?
So, how do we know if a treatment is really going to be effective or just another fad? First, it is important to understand what we mean by “evidence-based”. Evidence means that the treatment has a strong theoretical foundation (i.e., based in behavioral or medical science) and has been subjected to numerous highly-controlled studies – much like what the FDA does before releasing a drug. Treatments are tested for certain conditions and populations, creating a mound of evidence to support them. Not all potentially good treatments have this level of scientific support in the beginning. There are some, what we call “emerging” practices, that have some good preliminary research and just make sense. They may include providing items or activities that are soothing or have reinforcing qualities, such as sensory tools (e.g., weighted blankets) or experiences with animals. These are worth trying, provided you evaluate their effects as you go. This distinction is crucially important and should be discussed more often, as more and more options are becoming available at our disposal.
What is the third element that contributes to the persistence of fad treatments?
A third element potentially contributing to the persistence of fad treatments is the “familiarity backfire effect .”. This is a phenomenon in which an individual believes something to be true and/or effective simply due to hearing about it multiple times, that is, being familiar with the treatment.
How can evidence-based interventions help with ASD?
The widespread promotion of evidence-based interventions for ASD and related disabilities can provide parents with a genuine hope for supporting their loved ones. Lilienfeld et al. (2015) encourage researchers in the fields of communication disorders, psychology, and education to become more involved in speaking out against fad interventions that have been discredited, and simultaneously to actively promote scientifically supported interventions. In addition to conducting research, scientists play an important role in disseminating their findings in order to ensure that unsupported interventions are permanently put aside in favor of ones that are backed by science.
What is facilitated communication?
Facilitated communication is a practice involving two people – the non-speaking individual and a “facilitator” – an individual who supports the hand and/or arm of the non-speaking person as he or she uses a keyboard or similar device to type a message. The goal is that this supported use of a keyboard will allow the non-speaking individual to communicate. This approach to expressive communication intervention gained popularity in the early 1990’s, but by the mid-to-late1990’s it had been discredited by research and was thus rejected by the scientific community. This was largely due to the replicated findings that facilitators tended to have control over the actual communication. While facilitators were often convinced that they were simply supporting an individual’s hand, rigorous studies tested this by asking questions to FC users in two conditions: in one, the facilitators did not know the answers to the questions, and in the other, they did. The studies demonstrated that FC only “worked” when the facilitators knew the answers to the questions posed. Additionally, numerous abuse allegations against FC users’ caregivers emerged through communication supported by facilitators, the majority of which were never substantiated. Yet despite all of the evidence against FC and a previous decline in its use, FC use has persisted and even appears to be making a comeback, sometimes under a new name (e.g., “supported typing”).
Fad Treatments Abound
Among the autism treatments that Mulick and his colleagues cautioned against at the APA convention:
Autism Treatment: What Works?
An intensive approach using behavior therapy, often called applied behavior analysis, is uniformly recommended by experts, including a recommendation by the U.S. surgeon general. The basic research for this approach was done years ago at the University of California, Los Angeles. This program is intensive -- one-on-one for 40 hours a week.
Other Views
Not everyone agrees with Mulick that behavioral therapy and medication are the primary routes to go for treating autistic children.