Science and pseudoscience in the treatment of autism

Monika Suchowierska , Gary Novak

Abstract

Terms such as “evidence-based practice” or “best practices” reflect a very important aspect of clinical work, as they point to science as means for evaluating treatment effectiveness. Unfortunately, in the area of developmental disabilities dubious and pseudoscientific interventions are all too prevailing. In the present article, we describe premises of the scientific method and contrast it with pseudoscience, list the reasons for popularity of unsubstantiated claims in autism treatment, summarize the results of a recent report on practice guidelines prepared by the National Autism Center, and offer recommendations for practitioners who may come in contact with parents of children with developmental disabilities.   Key words: autism, developmental disabilities, science, pseudoscience, evidence-based treatment