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Patterns of complementary and alternative medical therapy use in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders

Helen H L Wong1, Ronald G Smith

  • 1Faculty of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|August 10, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies more often than controls. Biologically based CAM, like diets and supplements, were most common and perceived as beneficial.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric medicine
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Background:

  • Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is prevalent in pediatric chronic illness populations.
  • Limited data exists on CAM utilization specifically within the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare patterns of CAM therapy use in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) versus a control group of children without ASD.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 50 children with ASD and 50 children without ASD.
  • Parental self-report surveys were used to gather data on CAM therapy usage.

Main Results:

  • Over half of parents in the ASD group (52%) reported using at least one CAM therapy, compared to 28% in the control group (P = 0.024).
  • Biologically based therapies, including special diets and supplements, constituted 70% of CAM used for children with ASD.
  • Parents perceived 75% of the CAM therapies used in the ASD group as beneficial.

Conclusions:

  • Children with ASD exhibit significantly higher rates of CAM therapy use compared to neurotypical children.
  • Biologically based CAM therapies, particularly diets and supplements, are frequently utilized by families of children with ASD.
  • Parents largely view these CAM interventions as beneficial for their children with ASD.

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