The scientific process can be confusing. In this section we attempt to demystify the many terms and concepts that are used to describe a scientific study. If you have questions about evidence-based medicine or autism therapies and treatments that have not been answered, post them on the forum and we will add them here.
What is an experimental control?
The experimental control is a point of comparison within an experiment. For example, the control group is the group of children who did not receive the therapy. It allows the researchers to state with confidence that any change that they see is the direct result of the therapy that they provided.
Tags: control | research | study
What are alternative autism therapies?
Many parents are interested in alternative therapies for autism because they are seen as less invasive or more natural than traditional therapies. Alternative therapies can include both biologic and non-biologic treatments. Biologic treatments include herbs, foods, drugs, or supplements, including vitamin C. These treatments are usually meant to make the immune system, gut, and/or brain function better. Non-biologic alternative therapies include auditory integration training, behavioral optometry, craniosacral manipulation, and facilitated communication. Therapies are typically considered alternative if they are outside of evidence-based mainstream medical practice. Some parents choose alternative therapies not as an alternative to traditional medicine, but rather to complement traditional medicine.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has acknowledged that many parents of children with autism explore alternative therapies, and suggests that pediatricians learn more about the safety and effectiveness of the therapies selected (AAP Committe on Children with Disabilities, 2001). Read the report .
What is evidence-based medicine and how does it relate to autism?
There are many different therapies that are regularly proposed as effective in treating autism. Some of these have been proven effective in a research setting and some have not. A therapy does not have to be proven effective in order to be effective. Sometimes many years must pass and many different experiments and studies have to be performed before enough evidence has accumulated to indicate that a
given therapy is effective for treating autism. Scientists and doctors are constantly striving to find safe and effective ways to treat autism, however. So, if years have passed since a therapy has been tried and no peer-reviewed research has been published supporting the effectiveness of the therapy, then there is reason to doubt the therapy is effective.
Many physicians and health insurance providers are reluctant to recommend therapies that have not been proven effective by scientific study. This is because they are reluctant to waste time and money on a therapeutic approach that they are not certain will work. Instead, they rely upon effective therapies that have met rigorous standards as demonstrated by well thought out experiments.
Tags: autism | effectiveness | evidence-based medicineWhy you should trust our autism fact sheets
When you look through our autism fact sheets, you will see that everything we state is referenced. In other words, anything we write has been stated by an expert in the field of autism research and reviewed by other experts in the field during the process of publication. If you think we may have misinterpreted information, you can look at the lay summary of the cited reference, the abstract of the cited reference, or you can read the reference itself. In all cases, you will know that what we have written has a reference point in the scientific community.
Our fact sheets are prepared by medical writers who are trained scientists. They are reviewed by a developmental pediatrician with expertise in the field of autism. Finally, we encourage readers to contribute additional information on the subject in the portion of the wiki that parallels the fact sheets. This allows readers to develop a more complete understanding of those aspects of the fact sheet that may be controversial.
A systematic review is a thorough summary of the scientific literature on a specific topic. A systematic review clearly states the process that was used to identify all published research on the topic under review. The authors of the systematic review critically appraise all individual studies and use appropriate statistical techniques to combine valid studies. Not all systematic reviews are equal. There is an art to performing a good systematic review and some authors excel at identifying and evaluating all published literature. At the end of the systematic review, the authors state whether the current research supports the effectiveness of a given therapy or not.
Healing Thresholds does not perform systematic reviews. We do, however, rely on them when preparing our fact sheets.
The most powerful and reliable study is a prospective study. In a prospective study, the subjects of the study are first identified and then are followed forward in time. Prospective studies are often contrasted with retrospective studies, in which subjects are identified after an intervention has occurred. Data are gathered in real time and analyzed both during the study and after the study is complete. A prospective study can last weeks, months, or years. The longer the duration of the study, the more importance investigators give to the results.
Tags: prospective | research | study
Before scientists begin a research project, they must plan each step of the experiment; that is, they must create the study design. Think of a study design as a map for the scientist to follow. The study design is important, because if the design is poor, the results will be difficult to interpret. Most studies described on this site are designed to test the effect of a given therapy on a population of children with autism. Ideally, the scientists must state the effect that they are looking for prior to beginning the study. The study then measures whether or not this beneficial effect happens, and whether or not there are any unintended harmful effects of the therapy. Most scientists believe that studies with large numbers of subjects (greater than 100) are more reliable than studies with smaller number of subjects. Other important aspects of study design are whether or not the study includes a placebo or other control and whether the study is blinded. For more information on controls, see the FAQ on controls.
Tags: autism | design | research | science
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