Experts warn against signing up autism therapies not backed by evidence

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Australia's autism diagnosis rates have surged in recent years as more is being learned about the condition. That's fuelling an increased demand for treatment options, but experts are warning against signing up for therapies that aren't evidence based.

Transcript

00:00Learning through play.

00:04At this early intervention centre,

00:08autistic children are working on their social and motor skills.

00:12What is good for one child is not necessarily good for another.

00:16When parents come to Robyn Hawkins, their child has usually just received an autism diagnosis.

00:20Then they're tasked with doing all the research to find out

00:24what therapies are available, and then trying to work out

00:28what one would suit their child the best, while they're also juggling

00:32siblings and marriages and work life.

00:36Experts say the process can be

00:40overwhelming, making it difficult to determine which therapies are

00:44evidence-based. There are a lot of these services both in Australia

00:48and around the world that lure vulnerable parents into

00:52this idea that there's an easy fix. Clinics claiming hyperbaric

00:56oxygen therapy can alleviate symptoms

00:58of the condition are popping up

01:00across Australia, including

01:02on the Gold Coast.

01:04Patients are placed in a pressurised chamber

01:06which allows them to breathe in

01:08more oxygen.

01:10The pseudoscience or the non-evidence-based

01:12treatments are

01:14entering this population and

01:16it potentially may be giving false hope,

01:18delayed diagnosis and

01:20potentially mistreatment.

01:22The first provider Oxygen for Life did

01:24not respond to the ABC's questions

01:26or interview request.

01:28On its website, it says the

01:30therapy is a complementary treatment

01:32for people with autism, which

01:34may improve language, increase

01:36awareness, behaviour and socialisation.

01:38But experts urge caution, arguing that

01:42evidence back to early intervention

01:44is the best choice.

01:46A warning to parents to be diligent

01:48with their research.

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