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Dietary, Complementary and Alternative Therapies

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Evidence-Based Practices and Treatments for Children with Autism

Abstract

Few treatments for autism generate as much controversy and consternation among families and caregivers than the group of treatments considered as complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments. Evidence-based practice should guide all treatments used for symptoms of autism, including behavioral, educational, medical biologic or complementary therapies. All interventions should be held to the same standards of evidence. This chapter discusses commonly used CAM therapies, reports the prevalence for use in children, reviews the factors promoting its use, and discusses the evidence-based evaluation of efficacy of treatments.

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Abbreviations

ADHD:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ASDs:

Autism spectrum disorders

CAM:

Complementary and alternative medical treatments

CGI:

Clinical global improvement

DAN:

Defeat Autism Now

GFCF:

Gluten-free casein-free

HBOT:

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

NCCAM:

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

NIH:

National Institutes of Health

RCT:

Randomized control trial

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

    Susan L. Hyman

  2. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Susan E. Levy

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  1. Susan L. Hyman
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  2. Susan E. Levy
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Correspondence to Susan L. Hyman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, South Frontage Rd. 230, New Haven, 06520, Connecticut, USA

    Brian Reichow

  2. Center for Autism Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Market Street 3535, Philadelphia, 19146, Pennsylvania, USA

    Peter Doehring

  3. Yale Child Study Center, South Frontage Rd. 230, New Haven, 06520, Connecticut, USA

    Domenic V. Cicchetti

  4. Yale Child Study Center, South Frontage Rd. 230, New Haven, 06520, Connecticut, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Hyman, S.L., Levy, S.E. (2011). Dietary, Complementary and Alternative Therapies. In: Reichow, B., Doehring, P., Cicchetti, D., Volkmar, F. (eds) Evidence-Based Practices and Treatments for Children with Autism. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6975-0_10

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