Abstract
The objective of this overview is to summarize and critically evaluate the current evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). SRs of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CAM therapies were identified through searches of electronic databases including The Cochrane Library 2012 (Issue 6), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology Assessment (HTA), MEDLINE, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), and EMBASE. Characteristics of the included studies and summary estimates were extracted according to predefined criteria. The quality of the included individual SRs was assessed using the “assessment of multiple systematic reviews (AMSTAR)” instrument. Among the 135 SRs, six were included in this overview. The subject areas of the SRs including acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, and music therapy were located. The evidence for the benefits of acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage was inconclusive. Music therapy may be effective for improving communication and behavioral problems in children with autism. Because all the primary studies included in this overview had severe methodological flaws, rigorous RCTs are necessary to test the value of the treatments in question.
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Kim, TH., Lee, M.S., Choi, J., Ernst, E. (2014). Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Autism. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V., Martin, C. (eds) Comprehensive Guide to Autism. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4788-7_135
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