Becoming a Savvy Consumer/Educator

Updated by David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D (April 2022)
Association for Science in Autism Treatment

Regardless of whether we are individuals with autism, family members, service providers, or advocates, we all benefit from a deeper understanding of the science that drives effective interventions, therapies, and programs for autism spectrum disorders. Below, you will find a diverse collection of articles designed to expand knowledge and support informed decision-making. As we continuously develop new content, we encourage you to revisit this page regularly and share it with those who may find it valuable.

Science Corner showcases articles that are geared towards helping consumers and young professionals better appreciate the relevance of the scientific method, learn about concepts relevant to all aspects of scientific inquiry, and become more inoculated against pseudoscience in all its forms (so as not to be harmed by the influence of poor science and information that appears to be “scientific” but is sadly not). To this end, and since not everyone has a scientific background, we will often showcase shorter articles because we believe knowledge leads to more informed decisions….and more informed decisions lead to better outcomes for children and adults with ASD.

Scientific Thinking

• • Avoiding the pitfalls of circular reasoning
  • What caused that?
  • Can scientists prove that a treatment does not work?

Scientific Methods and Concepts

• • Role of replication in scientific validation
  • An overview of internal validity
  • Science Corner: Maturation as a threat to internal validity
  • Science Corner: History as a threat to internal validity
  • Science Corner: Multiple treatment interference as a threat to internal validity
  • Science Corner: Instrumentation as a threat to internal validity
  • Science Corner: Infidelity as a threat to internal validity
  • Science Corner: Threats to internal validity in group design studies
  • Science Corner: An overview of external validity
  • Science Corner: Interpreting standardized test scores
  • Science Corner: Who is missing from autism research- and why it matters
  • Science Corner: The importance of participant characteristic in assessing external validity
  • Science Corner: Why ecological validity matters
  • Some cautions on the exclusive use of standardized assessments in recovery-oriented treatment
  • Retraction of published research
  • Regression to the mean: Expand your science knowledge
  • ASD Intervention: How do we measure effectiveness?
  • Treatment Integrity: Why it is important regardless of discipline
  • Evaluating research
  • “Verification” and the peer review process
  • Interventions for individuals on the autism spectrum and how best to evaluate their effectiveness

Other Scientific Matters

• • The peer review publication process
  • The pitfalls of testimonials
  • Conducting a comprehensive literature search

Science Simplified encompasses our efforts to share key information from selected peer-reviewed and published research studies. To this end, we have a vast library of Research Synopses on a wide array of topics. Our synopses are organized the same way and address why the topic matters, what the researchers did, what the researchers found, the strengths and weaknesses of the study, and what it all means.

Is there Science Behind That? focuses on one specific intervention put forth as a “treatment” for autism. Each article provides a background and showcases the research available at the time that the article was written and recommendations appear at the end. Brief summaries for more treatments can be found here. You may also be interested in synopses of published research articles, as well as recommendations of expert panels and task forces.

• • Is there science behind that?: Antecedent-based interventions
  • Is there science behind that?: Art therapy
  • Is there science behind that?: Autism service dogs
  • Is there science behind that?: Bleach therapy
  • Is there science behind that?: Blood pressure drug
  • Is there science behind that?: Brain Balance
  • Is there science behind that?: Chelation
  • Is there science behind that?: Complementary alternative medicine
  • Is there science behind that?: DIR/Floor time
  • Is there science behind that?: Early Start Denver Model
  • Is there science behind that?: EEG neurofeedback and autism
  • Is there science behind that?: Essential oils and aromatherapy
  • Is there science behind that?: Facilitated Communication
  • Is there science behind that?: Fecal microbial transplantation
  • Is there science behind that?: Gluten-free and casein-free diets
  • Is there science behind that?: Hippotherapy
  • Is there science behind that?: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (2024)
  • Is there science behind that?: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (2016)
  • Is there science behind that?: Marijuana
  • Is there science behind that?: Mindfulness
  • Is there science behind that?: Nutrients to support speech development
  • Is there science behind that?: Picture Exchange Communication System
  • Is there science behind that?: Relationship Development Intervention
  • Is there science behind that?: Sensory diets
  • Is there science behind that?: Sensory integration training
  • Is there science behind that?: Social Thinking
  • Is there science behind that?: Snoezelen Room®
  • Is there science behind that?: Son-Rise Program®
  • Is there science behind that?: Spelling to Communicate
  • Is there science behind that?: Stem cell therapy
  • Is there science behind that?: Vitamin D supplementation
  • Is there science behind that?: Zones of Regulation

Articles that may be useful to consumers who are interested in becoming more knowledgeable and savvier are showcased below. This list is not comprehensive and we invite you to explore our website for other articles of interest.

Science versus Pseudoscience

• • Determining the effectiveness of treatments available to persons with autism – Part one
  • Determining the effectiveness of treatments available to persons with autism – Part Two
  • Pseudoscientific treatments: Some warning signs
  • Science, pseudoscience, and anti science
  • Interview with Dr. Stephen Barrett, Quackwatch Founder
  • Characteristics and quality of autism websites

Advocacy for Individuals with Autism

• • Resources to help navigate the IEP process
  • Clinical Corner: Advocating for your child
  • Clinical Corner: Preparing to speak with a doctor about medication
  • Clinical Corner: Explaining decisions to use science-based treatments
  • Standing for science takes a village – An international one
  • Members of the Treatment Team
  • Underwater basket weaving therapy for autism: Don’t laugh! It could happen…
  • Packet for parents of newly diagnosed children
  • Questions to ask marketers of autism interventions
  • Caveat Lector: Let the reader beware
  • How to obtain health insurance coverage for ASD therapies under New Jersey law(2010 article)
  • What autism awareness should be about
  • Focus on the treatment team: Speech-Language Therapy
  • Focus on the treatment team: Occupational therapy
  • Focus on the treatment team: Physical Therapy
  • Focus on the treatment team: Applied behavior analysis
  • Focus on the treatment team: School psychology
  • Description of Service Providers

Supporting the Family

• • Resources for parents and professional about siblings

Science Advocacy in General

• • Review of Neurologica Blog
  • Other science-based websites (not specific to autism)
  • Autism resources for journalists: Ten websites supporting science journalism
  • Some resources for parents
  • Standing up for science on parent social media
  • Ten resources for consumers to evaluate information sources

Evidence-based Practice

• • A non-exhaustive list of current position statements related to autism treatment
  • What is Evidence-Based Practice and Why Should We Care?
  • The road less traveled: Charting a clearer course in autism treatment
  • Qualifications of behavior service providers
  • Identifying applied behavior analysis interventions
  • Making sense of autism treatments: Weighing the evidence
  • What is evidence-based practice and why should we care?
  • ASAT supports proven treatments and informed choice

Reviews of books and articles relevant to this topic are frequently published in Science in Autism Treatment.

• • Book Review: Do you believe in magic?
  • Book Review: The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case example
  • Book Review of Autism’s declaration of independence: Navigating autism in the age of uncertainty
  • Article Review of Learn the signs. Act early
  • Article Review: Countering evidence denial and the promotion of pseudoscience in autism spectrum disorder
  • Article Review: How to spot hype in the field of psychotherapy: A 19-Item checklist and what It means for the autism community
  • Article Review:Why many clinical psychologists are resistant to evidence-based practice: Root causes and constructive remedies
  • Article Review: Scott Lilienfeld: A collection of three commentaries
  • Article Review: The jigsaw puzzle of fraudulent health claims: Missing psychological pieces
  • Article Review: Training practitioners to evaluate evidence about Interventions
  • Research Synopsis: Using behavior analysis to examine outcome of unproven therapies: An evaluation of the hyperbaric oxygen chamber

Some Media Watch Letters Relevant to the Above Topics

• • Media Watch: ASAT responds to CBC News’ Investigation widens into B.C. naturopath’s fecal transplants for autism, court documents show
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to Autism Parenting Magazines’ Dance therapy for autism: What are the benefits?
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to Globe and Mail’s Medical fraud revealed in discredited vaccine-autism study
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to LA Times’ Will president Oprah bring her quacks with her to the white house?
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to Medscape.com’s Unproven therapies are ‘muddying’ cell and gene advances
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to NIU’s Science or bunk: How to tell the difference
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to Texas Observer’s Autism Inc.: The discredited science, shady treatments, and rising profits behind alternative autism treatments
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to NY Times’s story Regimens: Restrictive diets may not be appropriate for children with autism
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to Huffington Post’s Complementary and alternative medicine use common in children with autism, study says
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to TheJournal.ie’s HSE staff member accused of feeding their child bleach solution ‘to cure’ autism
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to Psychology Today’s 3 Ways that pseudoscientific therapies can be harmful
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to Chicago Tribune story’s Autism treatment: Science hijacked to support alternative therapies
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to smh.com.au’s Adjunctive therapies providing positive results for autism and other conditions
  • Media Watch: ASAT responds to Science-Based Medicine’s Preying on the vulnerable: Electrodiagnostics, bach flower remedies, and sound therapy for autism, ADHD, and learning problems

Citation for this article:

Celiberti, D. (2022). Becoming a savvy consumer/educator. Science in Autism Treatment, 19(4).

#Parents #Teachers #Multidisciplinary