Over het gebruik van alternatieve behandelingen voor autisme

Autism, a diverse neurodevelopmental disorder, sees a multitude of treatments, including controversial vaccine-related ones. Despite evidence against their effectiveness and potential harm, these treatments persist globally. We analysed the use of alternative treatments in two studies: a survey (N=1989) and a clinical care study (N=4520), both revealed a significant use of alternative treatments (23.0% – 30.7%), in children even 46.4%. Vaccine-related treatments were used by 3.2% of individuals with autism (and 6.7% of autistic children). Factors influencing alternative treatment use included co-occurring diagnoses, younger age at diagnosis, and mainstream treatment use. Patients treated by homeo-/osteopaths often had highly educated parents and were enrolled in special education. Widespread use of alternative treatments emphasizes the need for their inclusion in treatment guidelines. Parents, practitioners and individuals with autism should be both advised and warned about the benefits and risks of these treatments. More research is needed to better understand the choice for and effect of alternative treatments for autism, and mainstream care should be improved.