Question3- Summarize a minimum of 3 articles on CAMs for children with autism.

i. Summarize a minimum of 3 articles on CAMs for children with autism.

CAM 3 articles

Article 1
Patterns of Complementary and Alternative (CAM) Medicine Therapy Use in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Helen H. L. Wong, and Ronald G. Smith Published in The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (2006) 36:901-909

This study looked at fifty children that were diagnosed with autism and fifty children that were not diagnosed with autism (the control group). Of the fifty children that were diagnosed with autism, fifty two percent of the families reported using or had used at least one CAM therapy for their child as compared to twenty eight percent of the control group. Seventy percent of the therapies used in the ASD group were biologically based, comprised of special diets or supplements, and parents felt that seventy-five percent of the therapies used were beneficial.

Article 2
Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine among
Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder by
Ellen Hanson, Leslie A. Kalish, Emily Bunce ,Christine Curtis, Samuel McDaniel, Janice Ware, Judith Petry published J Autism Dev Disord (2007) 37:628–636



This study looked at the prevalence of the use of different types of conventional, complementary and alternative therapies by children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Of 112 families surveyed, seventy four percent were using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for their child with ASD. Most CAM was reported by families to be either helpful or without effect, but not harmful. The main reasons for choosing CAM were related to concerns with the safety and side effects of prescribed medications.


Article 3
Complementary Medicine in Autistic Disorders: Results from the Application of a Working Hypothesis. This article was taken from autismtoday.com

In this study, they hypothesized that the cause of autism is related to the function of the gut. They were working towards restoring normal gut function, using complex homeopathic medicines and probiotics. Twenty children were diagnosed using DSM protocols in clinics in India, Pakistan, USA, UK, Egypt, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Results from these twenty treated children showed that fifteen had Sulphite in the urine, before treatment, but after six months of treatment there was a complete absence of Sulphite in 60% and a significant fall in 13%. This was associated with positive behavioural changes including reduced hyperactivity, more referring gaze, better social interaction, faster speech acquisition, better use of computational skills, improvements in perceptive development, and improved hand eye co-ordination. Physical symptoms such as night sweats were reduced. There were fewer trips to the doctors for ENT and URTI problems. Weight and height increased reflecting improved bowel function, diarrhea and constipation resolved and continence improved.The use of complementary medicines can be helpful in the biochemical management of autistic spectrum disorders.