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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Autism - A Systematic Review
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, Vol.55, pp.3689-3699
10/2025
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is a therapeutic option currently used by autistic people with continued interest and uptake. There remains limited evidence regarding the efficacy of CAM use in autism. The aim of this systematic review is to comprehensively review published clinical trials to explore the efficacy of CAM in autism. A systematic literature review of available research published from June 2013 to March 2023 was conducted. Our literature search identified 1826 eligible citations, and duplications removed (n = 694) with 102 articles eligible for title/abstract screening. After full text review, 39 studies were included. The results of this systematic review identified that for autistic people, vitamin and mineral supplements may only be of benefit if there is a deficiency. The results also found that the main interventions used were dietary interventions and nutraceuticals, including targeted supplements, vitamins and minerals, omega 3 s and prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes. The evidence does not support some of the most frequently utilised dietary interventions, such as a Gluten Free Casein Free (GFCF) diet, and the use of targeted nutraceutical supplements may be of benefit, but more conclusive research is still required to direct safe and effective treatment.Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is a therapeutic option currently used by autistic people with continued interest and uptake. There remains limited evidence regarding the efficacy of CAM use in autism. The aim of this systematic review is to comprehensively review published clinical trials to explore the efficacy of CAM in autism. A systematic literature review of available research published from June 2013 to March 2023 was conducted. Our literature search identified 1826 eligible citations, and duplications removed (n = 694) with 102 articles eligible for title/abstract screening. After full text review, 39 studies were included. The results of this systematic review identified that for autistic people, vitamin and mineral supplements may only be of benefit if there is a deficiency. The results also found that the main interventions used were dietary interventions and nutraceuticals, including targeted supplements, vitamins and minerals, omega 3 s and prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes. The evidence does not support some of the most frequently utilised dietary interventions, such as a Gluten Free Casein Free (GFCF) diet, and the use of targeted nutraceutical supplements may be of benefit, but more conclusive research is still required to direct safe and effective treatment.
Details
- Title
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Autism - A Systematic Review
- Creators
- Monica Doherty - Southern Cross UniversityKitty-Rose Foley - Southern Cross UniversityJanet Schloss - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Journal of autism and developmental disorders, Vol.55, pp.3689-3699
- Publisher
- Springer New York LLC
- Identifiers
- 991013206711302368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2024. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions.
- Academic Unit
- National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article