Families Turning To Unorthodox Autism Treatments, But There’s Little Science To Back Them Up
Almost 90 percent of parents of a child with autism have tried alternative therapy treatments, but there's little guidance from the medical community on what are effective options. Meanwhile, a study finds that there have been improvements made for children being diagnosed and treated for autism, but it's not enough.
KQED:
Do Alternative Treatments For Autism Work?
A huge majority of parents who have a child with autism have tried some sort of unorthodox treatment to alleviate core symptoms and improve skills like communication or social behavior. A 2013 UCSF study found 88 percent of parents surveyed tried some form of complementary or alternative medicine for their child. The treatments range from special diets and supplements — two of the most frequently tried interventions — to music or animal therapy. But parents have little guidance from medical science, because the evidence for alternatives is thin, if it exists at all. (McClurg, 7/11)
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Study: There's More Help For Autism, But Not Enough
More children are being diagnosed with and treated for autism spectrum disorder due to state mandates requiring commercial health insurers to provide services to these children, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania. Still, they found, far too few children who need help are getting it. (Giordano, 7/12)
