Willingness to try and lifetime use of complementary and alternative medicine in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in Germany: A survey of parents.
Nearly half of German families of children with ASD have tried CAM—be ready to discuss evidence and safety of craniosacral and mind-body interventions.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Höfer et al. (2019) asked German parents if they had ever used complementary or alternative medicine for their child with autism. They also asked who was willing to try these treatments in the future.
The survey reached families across Germany. It covered things like special diets, vitamins, craniosacral therapy, and mind-body exercises.
What they found
Almost half of the families (46%) said they had already used CAM at some point. Another 18% said they would be open to trying it later.
The numbers show that CAM is common, not rare, in German autism care.
How this fits with other research
The 46% rate looks lower than earlier German data. Dib et al. (2007) found 74% CAM use in a similar parent survey. The drop may reflect stricter safety warnings or better access to standard therapy.
A wider 2017 review by Juliana et al. pooled 20 studies and saw a range of 28–95%. The new German point fits inside that big window, so it does not clash.
A 2023 Turkish survey by Dincer et al. pushed the ceiling even higher, reporting 88% use. Together the studies trace a rising trend, but each country and year tells its own story.
Why it matters
If you write behavior plans in Germany, expect every second family to have tried CAM. Add two quick questions to your intake: “What else are you doing?” and “Who guides that treatment?” This opens the door to share evidence, watch for interactions, and keep the team coordinated.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Regardless of their limited evidence and potential adverse effects, use of complementary and alternative medicine is common in children with autism spectrum disorder. Nevertheless, data on complementary and alternative medicine use in children with autism spectrum disorder in Germany are lacking. Therefore, a questionnaire survey on the use of complementary and alternative medicine was distributed to parents of children with autism spectrum disorder from three academic autism spectrum disorder outpatient clinics in Germany. Of 211 respondents, 46% stated that their child currently used or had ever used some form of complementary and alternative medicine in their life. The complementary and alternative medicine modalities most frequently used were manipulative and body-based methods (e.g. craniosacral therapy). And 18% of caregivers expressed willingness to try complementary and alternative medicine treatments for their child with autism spectrum disorder in the future, with mind-body interventions predominating. Health professionals should be aware of the considerable complementary and alternative medicine use prevalence among children with autism spectrum disorder and offer parents information about its effectiveness and potential side effects.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2019 · doi:10.1177/1362361318823545