ABSTRACT
Complementary Therapies in Neurology: An Evidence-Based Approach Edited by Barry S.Oken ISBN 1-84214-200-3 Copyright © 2004 by The Parthenon Publishing Group, London
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common by families of children with chronic conditions and disabilities. For example, studies have reported that 64% of families with children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)1, 56% of families of children with cerebral palsy2 and 50% of families of children with autism (unpublished data) have used CAM. Certain factors such as the lack of a diagnosis for the cause of the disability, the severity of the functional disability, the presence of problem behaviors, a slow rate of developmental progress and the failure of traditional treatments contribute to the decision to use CAM. In this chapter, a model is briefly presented for communication between health-care providers and families about CAM. Selected treatments are discussed for children with cerebral palsy, autism and ADHD.
