Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Summary of the literature. Jarusiewicz’s RCT examined the efficacy of neurofeedback on
autistic symptoms as assessed using the parent-rated Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist as
the primary outcome measure. 181 Participants included 40 children ages four to 13 (mean=7) with
a previous diagnosis of autism; participants were matched on gender, age, and autism severity,
and individuals in each pair were randomly assigned to either neurofeedback or a wait list.
Diagnostic and randomization procedures were not described.
Neurofeedback protocols varied depending on a child’s autism severity as assessed by the
Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist and parental report of troubling symptoms; children
typically received one to three sessions per week. Eight children in the neurofeedback group
dropped out of the study due to family considerations or non-ASDs-related illness; the twelve
remaining participants completed 20 to 69 neurofeedback sessions (mean=36). Scores on the
Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist improved from eight percent to 56 percent postneurofeedback
training, with an overall average reduction of 26 percent (p