If you have a child who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), then you probably already know how difficult it can be to distinguish good information from bad information.
Unfortunately, there are numerous purported treatments for ASD on the market that have little or no value. How can you tell which treatments may be beneficial for your child? The best practice is to look for treatments that are based on solid evidence. These are some of the qualities that set evidence-based treatments apart from others:
Evidence-based treatments are based on solid scientific studies.
The internet is filled with impressive-looking scientific studies of questionable value, which makes it all the more important to be able to identify studies that are fair and representative. In general, real scientific studies use participants that are representative of the population being targeted, use appropriate sample sizes, and use comparison groups that are well-matched demographically.
Evidence-based treatments can demonstrate real results.
If a scientific study can’t be repeated with similar results, then it does not hold much value. An evidence-based treatment will show tangible results across multiple experiments, providing assurance that the treatment’s effects can be predicted.
Evidence-based treatments are supported by peer-reviewed literature.
If a treatment has not received support from a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal, then it is likely of questionable value. Peer-reviewed publications tend to adhere to very strict standards, which makes them a good way to measure whether or not the scientific community supports the value of a particular treatment.