Use and Perceived Effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine to Treat and Manage the Symptoms of Autism in Children: A Survey of Parents in a Community Population
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OBJECTIVE: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often try a variety of treatments for their children, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The objective of this study was to improve understanding of the frequency of CAM use by parents for their children with autism and to quantify the parents' perceived effectiveness of various CAM therapies in mitigating the health and functioning problems associated with autism. METHODS: Parents in southeastern Virginia were recruited for study participation from local autism organizations and a clinical practice where a large proportion of the patients are children with autism. Parents completed an online survey and answered questions about CAM use for their children with autism, and they rated the perceived effectiveness of each therapy. RESULTS: Of 194 parents surveyed, 80.9% reported that they had tried some form of CAM for their child with autism. Among CAM users, the most frequently used therapies were multivitamins (58.6%), the gluten-free casein-free diet (54.8%), and methyl B-12 injections (54.1%). The CAM therapies that received the highest average rating of effectiveness were sensory integration therapy, melatonin, and off-label use of prescription antifungal medications. CONCLUSION: CAM therapies were frequently used in this population, and many were perceived to be effective in helping to ease some of the health challenges associated with autism. CAM therapies for the autism population should be further studied in well-controlled clinical research settings to provide safety and efficacy data on treatments, as well as validated treatment options for those with ASD.
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Many children with autism spectrum disorder are thought to have tried intranasal oxytocin therapy on the basis of putatively promising data.
“Many children with autism spectrum disorder are thought to have tried intranasal oxytocin therapy33 on the basis of putatively promising data.”
From Intranasal Oxytocin in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [33]
The use of nutritional supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids and multivitamins, as well as a gluten-free casein-free diet, is not supported by current scientific evidence.
“the use of nutritional supplements e.g., those containing omega-3 fatty acids [25], multivitamins, as well as a gluten-free casein-free diet [26], is not supported by the current scientific evidence”
From Dietary Patterns, Eating Behavior, and Nutrient Intakes of Spanish Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (2021) · cites this paper as [26]
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- Authors
- Hopf, K. P., Madren, E., & Santianni, K. A.
- Affiliations
- Independent contractor.
- Bayview Physicians Group, Chesapeake, VA.
- Corresponding author
- Hopf, Kathleen Pillsbury
- Venue
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-01
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 25-32
- ISSN
- 1075-5535 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-7708
- PMC
- PMC4739350
- OpenAlex
- W2206459738
- Cited by
- 58
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5
- FWCI
- 5.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Keywords
- complementary and alternative medicine, autism spectrum disorder, children with autism, multivitamins, gluten-free casein-free diet, sensory integration therapy, melatonin, symptom management
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Complementary Therapies, Autistic Disorder, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Parents, Surveys and Questionnaires, Virginia, Cohort Studies, Patient Satisfaction
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