Many available autism treatments--such as facilitated communication or secretin injections--have not withstood scientific scrutiny, according to an article published in 2002 in “Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice.” This article details treatments that have withstood scrutiny to some degree and show promise for the future. However, no autism treatments have formally met the criteria established by the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Science and Practice for “empirically supported” autism treatments.
Applied Behavior Analysis
Applied behavior analysis interventions utilize the principals of behavioral theories of human learning, such as operant conditioning--a method of shaping behaviors by rewarding or punishing the learner. In 1987, O. Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D., evaluated the Young Autism Project at the University of California at Los Angeles, the first autism treatment to apply these principles. The results were dramatic: after two years of a 40-hour-a-week treatment regimen, more than half of the children in the program scored within normal range on IQ tests. According to the 2002 review article in “Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice,” though these results are promising, no experiment has replicated these findings, and the treatment appears only to improve functioning for some, rather than “cure” autism.
LEAP
An article published in 1984 in the “Journal of the Division of Early Childhood” describes the effects of the Learning Experiences: An Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Parents (LEAP) intervention based on principles of behavior modification. The program, which aims to teach parents and teachers to shape behavior in school and at home, appeared to improve school outcomes for almost half of the children. However, the 2002 review article in “Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice” notes that more research is needed to determine the efficacy of the program.
Project TEACCH
The Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) program also utilizes behavior modification concepts, but differs in emphasis. Whereas the Young Autism Project and LEAP seek to help children “recover” from autism, TEACCH focuses on highlighting each child’s individual strengths, and on building a supportive and accepting environment at home and in school. According to the 2002 review article in “Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice,” findings supporting the efficacy of this program are tenuous, though promising.
Denver Health Sciences Program
As another behavior modification program, this intervention incorporates many aspects of the Young Autism Project and LEAP program, as well as other techniques for behavioral problems experienced by non-autistic children. Results from a handful of studies indicate that the program may improve social and cognitive functioning, though the 2002 review article in “Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice” suggests that more rigorous research designs are needed to truly evaluate efficacy.
Medication
While many have proffered various medications as cures for autism, very few have actually demonstrated scientific viability, according to the 2002 review study in “Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice.” Medications that target dopamine or serotonin--brain chemicals that alter mood states--have shown promise, though very few clinical studies have employed a truly sound research design to test these drugs' efficacy for treating autism.
References
- "The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice"; Separating Fact from Fiction in the Etiology and Treatment of Autism; Spring 2002
- “Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology”; Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children”; O. Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D.; February 1987
- “Journal of the Division of Early Childhood”; Individualized Group Instruction of Normally Developing and Autistic Children: The LEAP Curriculum Model; Marilynn Hyson, Ph.D., et al.; July 1984
