New study from KKI shows feasibility of acupuncture in young children with ASD

A pilot feasibility study to determine if young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents would tolerate and adhere to an office- and home-based acupuncture/acupressure intervention showed completion of all 16 biweekly sessions and measurements of their effects before, during, and after the protocol. The study design and results, which suggest further controlled studies of this intervention approach in ASD, are published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM), a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the JACM website until July 19, 2017.

Coauthors Lana Warren, EdD, OT/L and Patricia Rao, PhD, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, and David Paton, DAc, LAc, Starting Point Acupuncture and Health Services, Catonsville, MD, identified the most positive outcome of the study as the high compliance rate, with all parents of the children ages 3-10 completing the intervention. The researchers measured the effects of the intervention on factors such as the children's behavior, ability to pay attention, sleep, and aspects of parenting stress. In the article entitled "A Pilot Observational Study of an Acupressure/Acupuncture Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder," most parents reported that the intervention had a positive impact on their relationship with their child.

"While a small study, the tolerance and adherence with acupressure this pilot are both hopeful signs for families of those in their care with autism spectrum disorder," states JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA.