Alternative Treatments Parents With Autistic Children Often Try, And What You Should Know About Them

Alternative medicine can, as one scientific study put it, be defined as "any health care remedy or system that is not generally accepted in modern biomedicine". Practices that fall under its umbrella are as wide-ranging as yoga to boost mental health, homeopathy, massage, black salve, and having a shamanic ceremony in an attempt to send cancer packing.

Some forms of alternative — or more often, complementary — medicine have been shown to have the potential to actually make a positive difference in a patient's life through peer-reviewed research. Other alternative treatments fall into the "if it doesn't help, it won't harm, either" category.

Alternative medicine practices that have actively been proven to be dangerous make up a third category, but there's a fourth, too — when any kind of alternative medicine keeps a patient away from much-needed modern medicine, it can become harmful even if it's completely innocent on its own.

When a parent decides to try an alternative treatment for their autistic child, their reasons can be many and varied. The study reported that 35 percent sought to "reduce the symptoms of autism", 19 percent wanted to improve their child's ability to focus, and 23 percent wanted to help their child relax. Some parents of autistic children sought alternative treatments because of their child's gastrointestinal issues, sleep problems, speech issues, and seizures, too, while a few used alternative medicine in a bid to improve their child's overall health. 

1. Special diets for autistic children

Parents of autistic children often try special diets — casein free, gluten free, a low glycemic index diet, sugar free, yeast free, no additives, and a regimen of various nutritional supplements are all popular. Many of these diets were specifically designed for people with specific medical conditions (not autism, but which an autistic child may also have). Many are unproven to be beneficial for autistic children.

We'd advise any parent of an autistic child to work with a dietitian and doctor to figure out what their child's specific needs are and then to take steps to meet those needs, rather than experimenting with specialized diets that could have the potential to cause harm. This takes the whole process from alternative medicine to solid modern medicine, of course. 

2. So-called 'manipulative and body-based therapies' for autistic children

Manipulative and body-based therapies would include anything from relaxation techniques and chiropractic to massage, sensory integration, and therapeutic horseback riding. 

• Massage may be great for some children on the autism spectrum, as those who enjoy massage may find it relaxing — something many parents who turned to alternative medicine had as a goal, according to the study we looked at. Some even say massage can help autistic children improve sensory issues, verbal and social abilities, and become more flexible in behavior. There is no conclusive evidence, but safe forms of massage that a child enjoys will not do any harm. 
• Chiropractic is pseudoscience in general, so we do not need to look at whether it can help people on the autism spectrum.
• Therapeutic horseback riding just may help improve sensory issues, social communication, and increase concentration. It will also get a child active, and may well be a lot of fun even if it doesn't "decrease the symptoms of autism", so I think this can be classed simply as an "activity" rather than an alternative therapy. Don't try with children who are allergic to or afraid of horses. 
• Relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation may or may not help an autistic child feel more relaxed and even achieve better sleep (sleep disorders are common in autistic people), but if the child doesn't mind practicing them, these relaxation techniques certainly won't harm.

3. Music therapy and spiritual healing for autistic children

Music therapy has been shown not to decrease autistic symptoms. Some children on the autism spectrum may enjoy it, meanwhile, while others will find it annoying or even overwhelming to the point of sensory overload and meltdown.

As for so-called spiritual healing, which also made the list of alternative therapies parents of autistic children most commonly turn to, we're not even going to get into that.

OK, we will, just a bit. Attending religious services and participating in a faith community may be of great comfort to some children and adults on the autistic spectrum, who benefit from organized social activities, as well as set routines and rituals. Nobody's going to "pray the autism out", though, and any parent who tries should get their own head checked.

4. Outright dangerous 'autism remedies' no parent should ever turn to

While some of the most common alternative treatments for autistic children lack scientific evidence suggesting they could make a positive difference in a child's life, other "autism treatments" are outright dangerous for a child's physical health.

Chelation therapy should be reserved for cases of severe metal poisoning, for instance. Not only won't chelation therapy help improve the quality of an autistic child's life, it can cause dangerous nutritional deficiencies as well.

The so-called Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) that is basically a bleach solution has also long been peddles as a potential treatment for autism, as well as many other conditions, including diabetes and cancer. Anyone who known anything about the sometimes dark sphere of alternative autism therapies knows that some parents have subjected their autistic children to this dangerous treatment, as well as that it can be life-threatening. 

Despite the fact that it's been clear that MMS isn't only used but potentially fatal, too, it wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic that the FDA seriously cracked down on the use of MMS, and a company manufacturing it. This has a lot to do with US president Donald Trump's suggestions that injecting disinfectant might cure or prevent coronavirus cases — claims that caused outrage in many quarters. Needless to say, subjecting an autistic child to this solution isn't only irresponsible, but downright abusive. Steer very, very clear. 

A final word

"Alternative" treatments that didn't make the list would include noise-cancelling headphones, weighted blankets, and stim toys and "chewlery", but they should be there. So should trying to understand your child's way of viewing the world — some of that empathy autistic people are said to lack, in other words. Autism is forever, but that doesn't mean your child cannot thrive.