A cure for autism? As researchers announce they have discovered a way to reverse condition, experts slam claims as 'bad science' and 'deeply insulting'

A cure for autism? As researchers announce they have discovered a way to reverse condition, experts slam claims as 'bad science' and 'deeply insulting' By Chris Pollard Published: 02:45 EDT, 24 July 2024 | Updated: 02:45 EDT, 24 July 2024 e-mail View comments Experts have slammed a study that claimed severe autism in children can be 'dramatically improved and reversed' with a controversial behaviour therapy. The research focused on a pair of twin girls from the US whose autism was serious enough to require 'very substantial support' at 20 months old. It was claimed the girls' symptoms were drastically reduced — to an indistinguishable level in one of them — after a two-year programme of interventions.

These included giving them Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), which aims to teach autistic children how to behave in 'appropriate' ways. The study relied solely on anecdotal reports and descriptions from the girls' parents, rather than independent observations or assessments The criticised study was published in the little-known Journal of Personalized Medicine They were also placed on a gluten-free, low-sugar diet and given a number of dietary supplements, including omega-3 fatty acids, a multivitamin and vitamin D. But experts say the study was poorly devised and amounts to no more than an 'anecdote'.

'These are not evidence-based interventions,' said Dr Rosa Hoekstra, a leading expert on neuro-developmental disorders at King's College London. HOW AUTISM IN GIRLS CAN PRESEN.