Parental Experience with Treatments for Autism

Nineteen parents of children with autism were interviewed about their experiences with autism treatments. These parents had originally participated in an Internet survey of treatments for autism and were randomly selected to participate in the follow-up telephone interview. The questions focused on three current treatments that have varying empirical support in the research literature, namely Applied Behavior Analysis, Sensory Integration therapy, and a combination of Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. Most parents received information about these treatments from the Internet, other parents, and occupational therapists. In addition to recommendations from professionals and other parents to use a particular treatment, the study showed that ease of implementation, time commitment, and perceived effectiveness may also contribute to the continued use of treatments that lack empirical support. The findings highlight the need for parents to have access to unbiased, scientifically validated information about treatments for autism. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.