WebMD Medical News Brenda Goodman, MA Laura J. Martin, MD April
4, 2011 -- For children diagnosed with autism, hope comes in
many forms -- stimulants, hormone therapy, vitamins, powerful
antipsychotic medications, intensive behavioral therapies, and
strict diets. It is harder, however, to find treatments that
have been scientifically proven to help. Now three government-
funded studies, published in the journal Pediatrics, have
examined the evidence behind common medical and behavioral
treatments for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). They concluded
that there’s little proof that some therapies actually work. And
although some medications may ease disruptive and aggressive
behaviors, they can have significant side effects. “I think we
are making slow progress,” says Lynne C. Huffman, MD a
developmental-behavioral pediatrician and associate professor in
the Center for Health Policy at the Stanford University School
of Medicine. “It’s like treating the cough in the child who has
pneumonia, if you don’t know what’