{"id":2983,"date":"2014-07-01T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2014-07-01T12:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/graftonblog.com\/?p=2827"},"modified":"2014-10-29T12:07:09","modified_gmt":"2014-10-29T16:07:09","slug":"evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned<\/a> a number of companies that they are facing possible legal action if they continue to make false or misleading claims about products and therapies claiming to treat or cure autism.<\/p>\n

Autism is a general term for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which encompasses a broad range of complex neurological disorders characterized by difficulties with communication and social interaction, as well as cognitive delays.\u00a0 The Centers for Disease Control estimates<\/a> that currently, one in 68 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).<\/p>\n

Although the traits of autism are readily identifiable, finding the best approaches to treating the disorder has proven a daunting task.\u00a0 Unfortunately, as families search for ways to help their children succeed, they often fall prey to dubious claims made by those who seek to profit from parents\u2019 desperation.<\/p>\n

Navigating a crowded maze of \u201cmiracle\u201d treatments and \u201ccutting edge\u201d interventions can leave parents wondering what to do\u2014or perhaps feeling the need to do everything in an attempt to leave no stone unturned. However, some of these alternative methods may pose serious health risks to children, and in the end, do more harm than good.\u00a0 Some of the most severe \u201ctreatments\u201d being sold to parents include anti-fungal agent therapy; DIY fecal transplant therapy; turpentine; Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS); chemical castration; and chelation therapy, which have been linked to the deaths of at least two children.<\/p>\n

Some of these so-called therapies claim to have science-based evidence behind them.\u00a0 But if you look closely, you\u2019ll find that most rely on unproven theory or use anecdotal stories to back up their efficacy claims, while, in fact, none are proven, evidence-based treatments.<\/p>\n

Understanding Evidence-Based Therapies<\/b><\/p>\n

When choosing a treatment for any child, there are some special considerations to keep in mind.\u00a0 Parents need to consider cost and availability, of course, but the most important consideration should be: \u201cIs this treatment based on scientific evidence?\u201d Evidence-based treatments are supported by carefully and rigorously designed scientific studies the results, of which have been shown to be measurable, repeatable, and sustainable.<\/p>\n

While it may be tempting to look for a \u201cquick fix\u201d for ASD, the reality is that the complexity of the disorder makes finding a \u201ccure\u201d difficult, at best.\u00a0 Treatments promising to cure or instantly improve or reduce the symptoms of autism should immediately trigger skepticism.\u00a0 One parent reported to her online support group that she had used more than 50 unsupported treatments on her young son in the hopes of alleviating his autism.\u00a0 These included several anti-fungal agents, chelation therapy, probiotics, salt baths, vitamins, minerals, and the banned synthetic chemical BDTH2.<\/p>\n

Making health care decisions for your child is a responsibility that should never be taken lightly. \u00a0Knowing what to ask is an important step in separating fact from fiction.\u00a0 Here are some of the top things parents should know about any treatment they are considering for their child.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What scientific research has been done and can the practitioner provide you with well-developed studies?<\/li>\n
  2. In the studies, how were improvements measured, and what kinds of data were collected to show this? Was the number of study participants large or small?<\/li>\n
  3. Does the study conclude that its results show \u201cstatistical significance?\u201d (Statistical significance is often expressed in a study as a \u201cp\u201d value equal to or less than .05, that is, p<\/i>\u2264 .05.<\/i>)How long will the treatment take?\u00a0 Be wary of anyone claiming \u201crapid recovery.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Be thorough in your examination of the supporting evidence, and consider that the best answers are not always the ones you want to hear.\u00a0 Finally, ask as many questions as possible. If the practitioner cannot provide concrete answers, it may be time to move on.<\/p>\n

    In the Internet age, it is important to remember that anyone can get online and make claims regarding the effectiveness of an autism treatment. These claims are primarily targeted at susceptible parents seeking to find anything that will help recover their child from autism.\u00a0 Sadly, most of these claims are only aimed at profiting from parents\u2019 distress.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned a number of companies that they are facing possible legal action if they continue to make false or misleading claims about products and therapies claiming to treat or cure autism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,31,32],"tags":[48,49,79],"class_list":["post-2983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism","category-behavioral-healthcare","category-evidence-based-best-practices","tag-autism-spectrum-disorders","tag-autism-treatment","tag-effective-intervention"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEvaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism - Grafton<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism - Grafton\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned a number of companies that they are facing possible legal action if they continue to make false or misleading claims about products and therapies claiming to treat or cure autism.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grafton\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GraftonNetwork\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-07-01T12:00:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-10-29T16:07:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/logo.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1779\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"417\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Arnetta Hilton, Behavior Specialist\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GraftonNetwork\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GraftonNetwork\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Arnetta Hilton, Behavior Specialist\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Arnetta Hilton, Behavior Specialist\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a1174755bbb883ffee6e822fed61b252\"},\"headline\":\"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-07-01T12:00:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-10-29T16:07:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/\"},\"wordCount\":679,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"autism spectrum disorders\",\"autism treatment\",\"effective intervention\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Autism\",\"Behavioral Healthcare\",\"Evidence Based Best Practices\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/\",\"name\":\"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism - Grafton\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2014-07-01T12:00:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-10-29T16:07:09+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/\",\"name\":\"Grafton\",\"description\":\"Grafton School, Inc.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Grafton Integrated Health Network\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/logo.png\",\"width\":1779,\"height\":417,\"caption\":\"Grafton Integrated Health Network\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GraftonNetwork\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/GraftonNetwork\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/grafton-integrated-health-network\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCZpWv7VpQhOMTqj2-dTCTfQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a1174755bbb883ffee6e822fed61b252\",\"name\":\"Arnetta Hilton, Behavior Specialist\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/author\/arnettahilton\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism - Grafton","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism - Grafton","og_description":"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned a number of companies that they are facing possible legal action if they continue to make false or misleading claims about products and therapies claiming to treat or cure autism.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/","og_site_name":"Grafton","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GraftonNetwork","article_published_time":"2014-07-01T12:00:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2014-10-29T16:07:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1779,"height":417,"url":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/logo.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Arnetta Hilton, Behavior Specialist","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GraftonNetwork","twitter_site":"@GraftonNetwork","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Arnetta Hilton, Behavior Specialist","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/"},"author":{"name":"Arnetta Hilton, Behavior Specialist","@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a1174755bbb883ffee6e822fed61b252"},"headline":"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism","datePublished":"2014-07-01T12:00:55+00:00","dateModified":"2014-10-29T16:07:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/"},"wordCount":679,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#organization"},"keywords":["autism spectrum disorders","autism treatment","effective intervention"],"articleSection":["Autism","Behavioral Healthcare","Evidence Based Best Practices"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/","url":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/","name":"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism - Grafton","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2014-07-01T12:00:55+00:00","dateModified":"2014-10-29T16:07:09+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/evaluating-the-efficacy-of-treatment-for-autism\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Evaluating the Efficacy of Treatment for Autism"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/","name":"Grafton","description":"Grafton School, Inc.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#organization","name":"Grafton Integrated Health Network","url":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/logo.png","width":1779,"height":417,"caption":"Grafton Integrated Health Network"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GraftonNetwork","https:\/\/x.com\/GraftonNetwork","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/grafton-integrated-health-network\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCZpWv7VpQhOMTqj2-dTCTfQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a1174755bbb883ffee6e822fed61b252","name":"Arnetta Hilton, Behavior Specialist","url":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/author\/arnettahilton\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2983"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3006,"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2983\/revisions\/3006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}