Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Table 37. Interventions/outcomes with insufficient strength of evidence by outcomes assessed
(continued)
Intervention
Behavioral, Parent
training (early
intensive
behavioral)
Behavioral, Parentfocused
(play-
/interaction-based)
Behavioral,
Relationshipfocused
(play-
/interaction-based)
Behavioral, Social
skills
CAM, Acupuncture
Adaptive behavior
Adverse events/
harms
Anger
Anxiety
ASDs symptom
severity
Challenging
behavior
�
115
Hyperactivity/
inattention
IQ/cognitive
Joint attention
Language/
communication
Motor/sensory
Repetitive behavior
Sleep
Social skills/ social
behaviors
� � �
�
�
� �
CAM, Massage
� � �
Educational, Broadbased
� � �
Educational,
Computer-based
�
Educational,
TEACCH
Medical,
� �
Antipsychotics
(Cyproheptadine+H
aloperidol)
� �
Medical, Dietary &
other
� � � �
Medical,
Guanfacine
� �
Medical, SRIs (all) � � �
Medical, Stimulants
� �
CAM=complementary and alternative medicine; CBT=cognitive behavioral therapy; ESDM=Early Start Denver Model;
PECS=Picture Exchange Communication System; RPMT= Responsive Education and Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching
SRI=serotonin reuptake inhibitor; TEACCH=Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication related handicapped
CHildren
KQ2. Modifiers of Treatment Outcomes
Understanding the degree to which child characteristics (i.e., specific ASDs related
difficulties and skills), treatment factors (e.g., type, duration, intensity), and systems (e.g.,
family, community) influence response to treatments could improve targeting of treatments to
the appropriate children and circumstances. However, with rare exceptions, 259,260,287 few studies
are designed or powered to allow analysis of heterogeneous effects. Although we sought studies
of treatment modifiers, only one included study 259,260 actually demonstrated true treatment
modifiers based upon appropriate study design and statistical analysis. One other study 287 was