Most Successful Autism Treatments Behaviorally-Based, Report Says

There are 11 established and 22 emerging treatments for autism spectrum disorders, according to an evidence-based report released Tuesday on current available treatments.

The report from the National Autism Center finds that almost 90 percent of established treatments — or those that have compelling evidence of success among most people with autism — are behaviorally-based.

Those treatments include models known as antecedent package, behavioral package, comprehensive behavioral treatment for young children, joint attention intervention, modeling, naturalistic teaching strategies, peer training package, pivotal response treatment, schedules, self-management and story-based intervention package.

“These treatments target the core symptoms of autism, as well as many other challenges that individuals on the autism spectrum face,” said said Susan M. Wilczynski, executive director of the National Autism Center, the organization that compiled the report dubbed the National Standards Report.

More than two dozen autism experts looked at 6,400 research abstracts to determine which treatments are considered “established,” “emerging” or “unestablished” in the report.

“Families have waited a long time for something like the National Standards Project, which will provide direction for parents and educators so they can be confident in their decisions and not waste valuable time and money on unproven treatments,” said Lisa Borges, executive director of the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism.