Alternative medicine

Recent articles

A red, white, blue and pink board game-like pathway with several children playing on it sits against a yellow background. The pathway also features several pills, and at the left is a doctor consulting a notepad.

Factors other than autism traits guide therapies for autistic children

Most autistic children in the Netherlands have used some sort of treatment, but the number, type and timing varies depending on considerations unrelated to their condition.

By Emily Harris
28 July 2022 | 5 min read
An illustration of a colorful, psychedelic landscape featuring two people standing on a hill speaking to one another

Tripping over the potential of psychedelics for autism

Drugs such as LSD act primarily on the serotonin system, which is implicated in autism — and some autistic people who experiment with psychoactive compounds report enhanced social connections, among other benefits. But researchers have more questions than answers.

By Alla Katsnelson
31 May 2022 | 10 min read

Study finds little evidence to back cord-blood therapy for autism

An infusion of umbilical cord blood does not improve social skills in autistic children, according to results from the largest, most rigorous test of the therapy for autism to date.

By Brendan Borrell
11 June 2020 | 4 min read
umbilical cord and placenta

U.S. agency warns company marketing ‘stem cells’ for autism

Two agency letters put California-based Liveyon on warning and alert the public to the risks associated with stem-cell based therapies for autism.

By Brendan Borrell
12 December 2019 | 4 min read

Experts question rationale for stem cell trial for autism

Results from a new trial suggest that it's safe to treat autistic children with umbilical cord stem cells. But parents must pay for the pricey infusions, and no one knows how or if the cells work.

By Hannah Furfaro
25 July 2019 | 6 min read
Giant helminth flies over figure with glowing gut and microbiome

Supplements, worms and stool: How families are trying to game the gut to treat autism traits

Scientists are playing catch-up as microbiome-based treatments for autism proliferate.

By Leah Shaffer
26 June 2019 | 16 min read
Illustration shows the legs of a boy and a spine levitating through a hoop, as in a magic show

Straightening out chiropractic’s claim as a treatment for autism

Some chiropractors advertise that they can treat autism, but there's no evidence to back that claim.

By Paul Benedetti, Wayne MacPhail
12 June 2019 | 11 min read
Stem cell company

False hope for autism in the stem-cell underground

Parents of autistic children are paying tens of thousands of dollars for stem cell therapies that often use medical waste. Despite the risks, regulators have been slow to act.

By Brendan Borrell
27 March 2019 | 20 min read

Ecstasy ingredient touted as treatment for anxiety in autism

The active ingredient in the drug popularly known as ecstasy eases social anxiety in people with autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
25 September 2018 | 4 min read

New health handbook; evidence imbalance; social motivation and more

The latest manual of international disease codes is out, a franchise claims to have an autism cure, and two reports diverge on the validity of the social-motivation hypothesis.

By Emily Willingham
22 June 2018 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

A squirrel sleeps on the ground with its toe in its mouth.

Rousing a ‘new era’ of hibernation research

Novel applications of neuroscience tools have enabled researchers to uncover the neural controls of an extreme biological trait.

By Shaena Montanari
8 November 2024 | 9 min read
Illustration of a child asleep with brainwave-like lines superimposed above them.

Exploring the connection between autism and sleep

The Transmitter rounds up the latest research on autism and sleep.

By Daisy Yuhas
7 November 2024 | 2 min read
Research image of astrocytes in red activating alongside neurons in green in response to specific fear memories in mice.

Astrocytes star in memory storage, recall

The cells, long cast as support players in memory research, can activate or disrupt fear memories, according to a new study.

By Angie Voyles Askham
6 November 2024 | 5 min read