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ARI Publ. 34/March 2005


PARENT RATINGS OF BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS
OF BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS

Autism Research Institute * 4182 Adams Avenue * San Diego, CA 92116 USA

The parents of autistic children represent a vast and important reservoir of information on the benefits-and adverse effects- of the large variety of drugs and other interventions that have been tried with their children. Since 1967 the Autism Research Institute has been collecting parent ratings of the usefulness of the many interventions tried on their autistic children.

The following data have been collected from the more than 23,700 parents who have completed our questionnaires designed to collect such information. For the purposes of the present table, the parents responses on a six-point scale have been combined into three categories: “made worse” (ratings 1 and 2), “no effect” (ratings 3 and 4), and “made better” (ratings 5 and 6). The “Better:Worse” column gives the number of children who “Got Better” for each one who “Got Worse.”

There are three sections: Drugs, Biomedical/Non-Drug/Supplements, and Special Diets. Click here to download a one-page Adobe (.pdf) file containing all three sections.

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DRUGS

Note: For seizure drugs: The first line shows the drug’s behavioral effects; the second line shows
the drug's effects on seizures.


Got
WorseA
No
Effect
Got
Better
Better:
Worse
No. of
CasesB
Aderall 41% 25% 34% 0.8:1 475
Amphetamine 47% 28% 25% 0.5:1 1217
Anafranil 32% 38% 30% 1.0:1 381
Antibiotics 31% 57% 12% 0.4:1 1799
AntifungalsC: Diflucan 5% 41% 55% 11:1 330
AntifungalsC: Nystatin 5% 46% 49% 10:1 986
Atarax 25% 53% 22% 0.9:1 477
Benadryl 24% 51% 25% 1.0:1 2711
Beta Blocker 18% 50% 33% 1.9:1 256
Buspar 26% 44% 30% 1.1:1 328
Chloral Hydrate 41% 38% 21% 0.5:1 418
Clonidine 21% 31% 47% 2.2:1 1280
Clozapine 40% 42% 18% 0.4:1 102
Cogentin 19% 54% 27% 1.5:1 162
Cylert 45% 35% 20% 0.4:1 600
Deanol 15% 56% 30% 2.0:1 200
DepakeneD: Behavior: 25% 43% 32% 1.2:1 957
DepakeneD: Seizures 12% 32% 57% 4.8:1 627
Desipramine 34% 31% 34% 1.0:1 67
DilantinD: Behavior 28% 49% 23% 0.8:1 1077
DilantinD: Seizures 14% 36% 50% 3.5:1 400
Felbatol 21% 53% 26% 1.2:1 43
Fenfluramine 20% 52% 28% 1.4:1 459
Halcion 37% 37% 26% 0.7:1 54
Haldol 38% 28% 34% 0.9:1 1154
IVIG 7% 51% 42% 6.3:1 45
KlonapinD: Behavior 28% 38% 34% 1.2:1 192
KlonapinD: Seizures 31% 60% 10% 0.3:1 42
Lithium 26% 43% 31% 1.2:1 410
Luvox 29% 35% 35% 1.2:1 161
Mellaril 29% 38% 33% 1.2:1 2062
MysolineD: Behavior 43% 43% 15% 0.3:1 136
MysolineD: Seizures 19% 59% 22% 1.2:1 64
Naltrexone 20% 46% 34% 1.7:1 221
Paxil 29% 30% 41% 1.4:1 283
Phenergan 29% 46% 24% 0.8:1 266
PhenobarbitalD: Behavior 47% 37% 16% 0.3:1 1076
PhenobarbitalD: Seizures 17% 43% 40% 2.4:1 480
Prolixin 31% 40% 30% 1.0:1 91
Prozac 31% 32% 36% 1.2:1 1123
Risperidal 18% 28% 54% 3.0:1 616
Ritalin 45% 26% 29% 0.7:1 3813
Secretin: Intravenous 7% 44% 48% 6.7:1 333
Secretin: Transdermal 10% 49% 41% 4.2:1 132
Stelazine 28% 45% 27% 1.0:1 420
TegretolD: Behavior 25% 45% 31% 1.2:1 1423
TegretolD: Seizures 12% 33% 55% 4.6:1 762
Thorazine 36% 40% 24% 0.7:1 919
Tofranil 30% 38% 33% 1.1:1 713
Valium 35% 41% 24% 0.7:1 824
ZarontinD: Behavior 34% 45% 21% 0.6:1 136
ZarontinD: Seizures 19% 53% 28% 1.4:1 93
Zoloft 33% 33% 34% 1.0:1 321


BIOMEDICAL/NON-DRUG/SUPPLEMENTS


Got
WorseA
No
Effect
Got
Better
Better:
Worse
No. of
CasesB
Vitamin A 2% 58% 41% 23:1 618
CalciumE: 2% 62% 36% 15:1 1378
Cod Liver Oil 3% 47% 50% 16:1 818
Cod Liver Oil with Bethanecol 16% 45% 39% 2.4:1 56
Colostrum 5% 58% 37% 8.1:1 345
Detox. (Chelation)C: 2% 22% 76% 35:1 324
Digestive Enzymes 3% 42% 56% 20:1 737
DMG 7% 51% 42% 5.6:1 5153
Fatty Acids 2% 42% 55% 23:1 626
5 HTP 10% 51% 39% 3.7:1 145
Folic Acid 3% 54% 42% 12:1 1437
Food Allergy Treatment 3% 37% 61% 21:1 560
Magnesium 6% 65% 29% 4.6:1 301
Melatonin 8% 30% 61% 7.3:1 573
P5P (Vit. B6) 13% 37% 51% 4.0:1 213
Pepcid 9% 63% 28% 3.2:1 93
SAMe 15% 66% 19% 1.3:1 62
St. Johns Wort 14% 64% 21% 1.5:1 84
TMG 14% 44% 42% 3.0:1 434
Transfer Factor 8% 53% 39% 4.8:1 98
Vitamin B3 4% 55% 41% 10:1 659
Vitamin B6 alone 8% 63% 30% 3.9:1 620
Vitamin B6 with Magnesium 4% 49% 47% 10:1 5780
Vitamin B12 4% 33% 63% 15:1 192
Vitamin C 2% 57% 41% 18:1 1706
Zinc 2% 51% 47% 20:1 1244



SPECIAL DIETS


Got
WorseA
No
Effect
Got
Better
Better:
Worse
No. of
CasesB
Candida Diet 3% 44% 54% 19:1 756
Feingold Diet 2% 45% 53% 25:1 758
Gluten- /Casein-Free Diet 3% 32% 65% 20:1 1446
Removed Chocolate 2% 49% 49% 30:1 1721
Removed Eggs 2% 58% 40% 19:1 1096
Removed Milk Products/Dairy 2% 49% 49% 32:1 5574
Removed Sugar 2% 51% 48% 24:1 3695
Removed Wheat 2% 50% 48% 29:1 3159
Rotation Diet 2% 50% 48% 21:1 792


A. “Worse” refers only to worse behavior. Drugs, but not nutrients, typically also cause physical problems if used long-term.
B. No. of cases is cumulative over several decades, so does not reflect current usage levels (e.g., Haldol is now seldom used).
C. Antifungal drugs and chelation are used selectively, where evidence indicates they are needed.
D. Seizure drugs: top line behavior effects, bottom line effects on seizures.
E. Calcium effects are not due to dairy-free diet; statistics are similar for milk drinkers and non-milk drinkers.