Study Questions Effectiveness of Alternative Treatments for Autism
Lack of Evidence for Alternative Autism Treatments
New Delhi, Aug 29: A recent study has revealed insufficient evidence to endorse the use of complementary and alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and music therapy, for individuals with autism.
Conducted by researchers from Paris Nanterre University, Paris Cité University in France, and the University of Southampton in the UK, the study highlighted that the safety of these therapies is seldom evaluated.
Professor Richard Delorme, who leads the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at Robert Debré Hospital in Paris, noted, "Many parents of children with autism and autistic adults seek complementary and alternative medicines, believing they may provide benefits without adverse effects."
He emphasized the importance of relying on robust randomized trials before endorsing these treatments.
Published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, the research analyzed 248 meta-analyses, which included 200 clinical trials with over 10,000 participants.
The focus was on assessing the efficacy and safety of various complementary, alternative, and integrative medicines (CAIMs) for autism treatment.
The study examined 19 different treatment modalities, including animal-assisted therapies, acupuncture, herbal remedies, music therapy, probiotics, and Vitamin D.
Additionally, the researchers developed an online platform to present the evidence they gathered regarding different CAIMs.
Individuals with autism often face challenges in communication, understanding emotions, processing sensory information, and adapting to new environments, which can significantly impact their quality of life. Notably, up to 90% of autistic individuals report having tried CAIMs at least once.
While some treatments showed promise, the majority of studies were based on weak or low-quality evidence, making their effects unreliable. Alarmingly, safety evaluations were absent for most treatments, with less than half of the CAIMs undergoing any assessment of their acceptability, tolerability, or adverse effects.