Many families turn to complementary and alternative treatments for autism, hoping they’ll help without harmful side effects.
But a new study concludes the scientific evidence isn’t strong enough to recommend them with confidence—at least not yet.
Researchers analyzed 248 meta-analyses, covering more than 200 clinical trials and over 10,000 participants. They evaluated 19 different therapies, ranging from music and animal-assisted interventions to probiotics, herbal medicine, acupuncture, and vitamin D.
Their conclusion: there’s “no high-quality evidence that complementary, alternative, or integrative medicine improves the core or related symptoms of autism” in either children or adults.
While some treatments showed potential, they were supported by weak or poor-quality evidence, according to the researchers.
Among school-age children, these included music therapy, animal-assisted interventions and non-invasive brain stimulation for core symptoms, as well as melatonin for sleep.
In adolescents, repetitive brain stimulation showed potential benefits for repetitive behaviors, and in adults, physical activity supported social communication.
The researchers stress fewer than half of the studies included any evaluation of side effects or tolerability.
They say their findings highlight a critical need for stronger research.
To help families and clinicians sort through the data, the researchers created a free online platform that organizes and updates the evidence: https://ebiact-database.com.
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Author Affiliations:
Paris Nanterre University
Robert Debré Hospital
University of Southampton
University of Ottawa
The Ottawa Hospital
Charité Universitätsmedizin
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Hospices Civils de Lyon
CH Le Vinatier
University of Barcelona
King’s College London
University of Pavia
Ludwig Maximilian University
Sorbonne Université
Université Paris Cité
