Autism Spectrum Disorder: When There is no Cure, There are Countless of Treatments.
Nine out of ten autism families use CAM—always ask for the full list to keep kids safe.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Saral et al. (2023) sent a one-time survey to U.S. parents of children with autism.
They asked which complementary or alternative treatments the families had ever tried.
The team also recorded parent schooling, child age, class setting, and recent drug use.
What they found
Eighty-eight of every 100 children with autism had used some form of CAM.
Use was higher when parents had more education, the child was younger, the class was mixed, or the child had taken a prescription drug lately.
How this fits with other research
The number looks huge, but Höfer et al. (2017) already showed a range of 28–95 % across twenty studies. Dincer lands near the top of that band, so the new survey extends rather than overturns the older review.
Dib et al. (2007) saw 74 % CAM use in U.S. families sixteen years earlier. The jump to 88 % could mean real growth, or just different samples. No contradiction—just a later snapshot.
Höfer et al. (2019) found only 46 % lifetime use in German families. The gap feels like a clash, but geography, insurance rules, and culture explain it. Again, an apparent contradiction that isn’t.
Why it matters
Almost every family is trying something outside mainstream care. You need to ask, “What else are you doing?” at every intake. Record diets, oils, chelation, or supplements so you can watch for side effects or spot why behavior might change. Use the list to start a facts-first talk, not a lecture.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add one question to your parent interview: “What vitamins, diets, or other non-prescription treatments has your child tried?”
02At a glance
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use as well as parental perceptions of CAM efficacy in a large, geographically diverse sample of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). METHODOLOGY: Data were obtained from a web-based survey administered to parents of children with ASD at four sites participating in the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN). The web survey obtained information about services and treatments received by children with ASD as well as the caregivers' experiences with having a child with ASD. RESULTS: Approximately 88% of the sample had either used CAM in the past or had recently used some type of CAM. The following characteristics were associated with CAM use: greater parental education, younger child age, a mix of regular and special classroom settings and prescription drug use in the past three months. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CAM was very prevalent in this large, geographically diverse sample of children with ASD. It is critical that providers be prepared to discuss the advantages and potential side effects with families to help them make well-informed health care decisions and prevent possible CAM-drug interactions.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s10803-008-0644-9