There are no medical treatments for autism. A specific form of chelation therapy is approved for heavy metal (for example, lead) poisoning of children and adults. Some people use a different form of chelation therapy to treat autism. The authors reviewed the scientific literature and could not find a single scientific study that supported the use of chelation therapy for people with autism. Chelation therapy has resulted in many side effects including death in at least one child. The authors suggest that doctors need to seriously consider the ethics of giving chelation therapy to children with autism.
Autism Therapy: scientific literature
definition of scientific literature: Research studies that have been described in detail and submitted to a scientific journal for publications. Typically, these scientific studies are reviewed by other scientists in the field to determine if the studies are scientifically valid and should be published (a process called peer review).
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- British Medical Journal, by Sinha, Y., Silove N., and Williams K., published in 2006, summarized Dec 26, 2006
- Expert Opin. Pharmacother, by Kapetanovic, S., and Simpson G. M., published in 2006, summarized Oct 24, 2006
Antipsychotics have not yet been proven to be effective in children with autism.
Antipsychotics such as chlorpromazine, thioridazine, haloperidol, and risperidone are occasionally used to treat pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) such as autism. The authors reviewed the scientific literature to determine whether these drugs are safe and effective for children with autism. In general, they found that anti-psychotics were ineffective in treating autism. They suggest that non-pharmacological interventions such as behavior modification and applied behavior analysis (ABA) be used to manage disruptive behavior instead of drugs. Moreover, risperidone should only be used in extreme situations as it can cause weight gain. They recommend that the physician consider prescribing anti-anxiety medications fluoxetine and fluvoxamine if the childâ??s aggression appears to be the result of anxiety.
- International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, by Dempsey, I., and Foreman P., published in 2001, summarized Oct 4, 2006
This article states that the optimal therapeutic approach for a child with autism includes: early intervention, low student-teacher ratio, individualized instruction, and family involvement.
There are many theories about the cause and optimal treatment of autism. This article reviews the scientific literature and makes recommendations about appropriate educational approaches for children with autism. Specifically, the authors review sensory integration therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis, speech and language therapy, multi-treatment programs such as TEACHH, and play and group therapy. They conclude that it is difficult to make firm conclusions about any of these therapies. Therefore they suggest that educators and therapists continually evaluate the effectiveness of their approach for the child in question.
Vision Therapy as Physical Therapy for the Eyes
Jul 6, 2009Some Wisconsin parents have begun vision therapy for their children with autism. While a new therapy with not much scientific literature behind it, parents say it is like physical therapy for their child's eyes and helps the children in school. Two new clinics recently opened that focus on developmental optometry, the Vision Therapy Center and New Horizons Vision Therapy. Developmental optometry defines the difference between "'sight' - the ability to see clearly - and 'vision' - the ability of both eyes to work together, sending information to the brain so it can be organized and given meaning." Dr. Kyle Van Dyke, a family practitioner, found that vision therapy helped his son with autism to have better depth perception and even helped with his speech. Dr. Valerie Frazer of New Horizons says "The research is just catching up to us," she said. "They used to think you couldn't change the brain, that it is what it is. Now we're learning that that isn't true."
Please comment on scientific literature or other autism therapy topics.
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