ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some of the most pervasive current fads and controversial, unsupported, and disproved treatments proposed as effective interventions for autism, especially in young children. It clarifies and establishes some common definitions, terminology, and frameworks for evaluating the efficacy of proposed treatments. Competing interests and lack of knowledge may also account for the tendency of many professionals to be vulnerable to unproven fad treatments. The chapter briefly examines exemplars of biomedical, mechanical, and psychosocial fad interventions that have been proposed for autism treatment. It reviews the body of literature associated with medication intervention, and the reader is directed to several applied and methodological reviews of pharmacologic interventions for autism spectrum disorders. In reviewing unproven fad treatments, it is important to identify best practices about which a consensus exists. In reviewing documents recommending best practices for effective intervention for young children with autism, similar themes emerge.
