Autism Research Institute (ARI) Parent Ratings of Behavioral Effects of Biomedical Interventions
Autism Research Institute ● 4182 Adams Avenue ● San Diego, CA 92116
[Excerpt of article cited from ARI Publ. 34/March 2009]
Download the full article here.
February 2008
The parents of children affected by autism 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 children with autism.
The following data have been collected from the more than 26,000 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.”
Drugs
Note: For seizure drugs: The first line shows the drug’s behavioral effects; the second line shows the drug's effects on seizures.
Possible Adverse Effects of Prescription Drugs
| Got
WorseA |
No
Effect |
Got
Better |
Better:
Worse |
No. of
CasesB |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aderall | 43% | 25% | 32% | 0.8:1 | 775 |
| Amphetamine | 47% | 28% | 25% | 0.5:1 | 1312 |
| Anafranil | 32% | 38% | 30% | 0.9:1 | 422 |
| Antibiotics | 33% | 53% | 15% | 0.5:1 | 2163 |
| AntifungalsC: Diflucan | 5% | 38% | 57% | 11:1 | 653 |
| AntifungalsC: Nystatin | 5% | 44% | 50% | 9.7:1 | 1388 |
| Atarax | 26% | 53% | 22% | 0.9:1 | 517 |
| Benadryl | 24% | 50% | 26% | 1.1:1 | 3032 |
| Beta Blocker | 17% | 51% | 31% | 1.8:1 | 286 |
| Buspar | 27% | 45% | 28% | 1.0:1 | 400 |
| Chloral Hydrate | 41% | 39% | 20% | 0.5:1 | 459 |
| Clonidine | 22% | 31% | 47% | 2.1:1 | 1525 |
| Clozapine | 37% | 44% | 19% | 0.5:1 | 155 |
| Cogentin | 19% | 54% | 27% | 1.4:1 | 186 |
| Cylert | 45% | 36% | 20% | 0.4:1 | 623 |
| Deanol | 15% | 57% | 28% | 1.9:1 | 210 |
| DepakeneD: Behavior: | 25% | 43% | 32% | 1.3:1 | 1071 |
| DepakeneD: Seizures | 11% | 33% | 56% | 4.8:1 | 705 |
| Desipramine | 34% | 35% | 31% | 0.9:1 | 86 |
| DilantinD: Behavior | 28% | 49% | 23% | 0.8:1 | 1110 |
| DilantinD: Seizures | 15% | 37% | 48% | 3.3:1 | 433 |
| Felbatol | 20% | 55% | 25% | 1.3:1 | 56 |
| Fenfluramine | 21% | 52% | 27% | 1.3:1 | 477 |
| Haldol | 38% | 28% | 34% | 0.9:1 | 1199 |
| IVIG | 10% | 44% | 46% | 4.5:1 | 79 |
| KlonapinD: Behavior | 28% | 42% | 30% | 1.0:1 | 246 |
| KlonapinD: Seizures | 25% | 60% | 15% | 0.6:1 | 67 |
| Lithium | 24% | 45% | 31% | 1.3:1 | 463 |
| Luvox | 30% | 37% | 34% | 1.1:1 | 220 |
| Mellaril | 29% | 38% | 33% | 1.2:1 | 2097 |
| MysolineD: Behavior | 41% | 46% | 13% | 0.3:1 | 149 |
| MysolineD: Seizures | 19% | 56% | 25% | 1.3:1 | 78 |
| Naltrexone | 20% | 46% | 34% | 1.8:1 | 302 |
| Paxil | 33% | 31% | 36% | 1.1:1 | 416 |
| Phenergan | 29% | 46% | 25% | 0.9:1 | 301 |
| PhenobarbitalD: Behavior | 47% | 37% | 16% | 0.3:1 | 1109 |
| PhenobarbitalD: Seizures | 18% | 43% | 39% | 2.2:1 | 520 |
| Prolixin | 30% | 41% | 29% | 1.1:1 | 105 |
| Prozac | 32% | 32% | 36% | 1.1:1 | 1312 |
| Risperidal | 20% | 26% | 54% | 2.8:1 | 1038 |
| Ritalin | 45% | 26% | 29% | 0.7:1 | 4127 |
| Secretin: Intravenous | 7% | 49% | 44% | 6.3:1 | 468 |
| Secretin: Transdermal | 10% | 53% | 37% | 3.6:1 | 196 |
| Stelazine | 28% | 45% | 26% | 0.9:1 | 434 |
| Steroids | 35% | 33% | 32% | 0.9:1 | 132 |
| TegretolD: Behavior | 25% | 45% | 30% | 1.2:1 | 1520 |
| TegretolD: Seizures | 13% | 33% | 54% | 4.0:1 | 842 |
| Thorazine | 36% | 40% | 24% | 0.7:1 | 940 |
| Tofranil | 30% | 38% | 32% | 1.1:1 | 776 |
| Valium | 35% | 41% | 24% | 0.7:1 | 865 |
| Valtex | 6% | 42% | 52% | 8.5:1 | 65 |
| ZarontinD: Behavior | 35% | 46% | 19% | 0.6:1 | 153 |
| ZarontinD: Seizures | 19% | 55% | 25% | 1.3:1 | 110 |
| Zoloft | 35% | 33% | 32% | 0.9:1 | 500 |
Biomedical/Non-Drug/Supplements
| Got
WorseA |
No
Effect |
Got
Better |
Better:
Worse |
No. of
CasesB |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CalciumE: | 3% | 62% | 35% | 14:1 | 2097 |
| Cod Liver Oil | 4% | 45% | 51% | 13:1 | 1681 |
| Cod Liver Oil with Bethanecol | 10% | 54% | 37% | 3.8:1 | 126 |
| Colostrum | 6% | 56% | 38% | 6.1:1 | 597 |
| Detox. (Chelation)C: | 3% | 23% | 74% | 24:1 | 803 |
| Digestive Enzymes | 3% | 39% | 58% | 17:1 | 1502 |
| DMG | 8% | 51% | 42% | 5.4:1 | 5807 |
| Fatty Acids | 2% | 41% | 56% | 24:1 | 1169 |
| 5 HTP | 13% | 47% | 40% | 3.1:1 | 343 |
| Folic Acid | 4% | 53% | 43% | 11:1 | 1955 |
| Food Allergy Treatment | 3% | 33% | 64% | 24:1 | 952 |
| Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy | 5% | 34% | 60% | 12:1 | 134 |
| Magnesium | 6% | 65% | 29% | 4.6:1 | 301 |
| Melatonin | 8% | 27% | 65% | 7.8:1 | 1105 |
| Methyl B12 (nasal) | 15% | 29% | 56% | 3.9:1 | 48 |
| Methyl B12 (subcutaneous) | 7% | 26% | 67% | 9.5:1 | 170 |
| MT Promoter | 13% | 49% | 38% | 2.9:1 | 61 |
| P5P (Vit. B6) | 12% | 37% | 51% | 4.2:1 | 529 |
| Pepcid | 12% | 59% | 30% | 2.6:1 | 164 |
| SAMe | 16% | 63% | 21% | 1.3:1 | 142 |
| St. Johns Wort | 18% | 66% | 16% | 0.9:1 | 150 |
| TMG | 15% | 43% | 42% | 2.8:1 | 803 |
| Transfer Factor | 10% | 48% | 42% | 4.3:1 | 174 |
| Vitamin A | 2% | 57% | 41% | 18:1 | 1127 |
| Vitamin B3 | 4% | 52% | 43% | 10.1:1 | 927 |
| Vitamin B6 with Magnesium | 4% | 48% | 48% | 11:1 | 6634 |
| Vitamin B12 (oral) | 7% | 32% | 61% | 8.6:1 | 98 |
| Vitamin C | 2% | 55% | 43% | 19:1 | 2397 |
| Zinc | 2% | 47% | 51% | 22.1:1 | 1989 |
Special Diets
| Got
WorseA |
No
Effect |
Got
Better |
Better:
Worse |
No. of
CasesB |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candida Diet | 3% | 41% | 56% | 19:1 | 941 |
| Feingold Diet | 2% | 42% | 56% | 25:1 | 899 |
| Gluten- /Casein-Free Diet | 3% | 31% | 66% | 19:1 | 2561 |
| Removed Chocolate | 2% | 47% | 51% | 28:1 | 2021 |
| Removed Eggs | 2% | 56% | 41% | 17:1 | 1386 |
| Removed Milk Products/Dairy | 2% | 46% | 52% | 32:1 | 6360 |
| Removed Sugar | 2% | 48% | 50% | 25:1 | 4187 |
| Removed Wheat | 2% | 47% | 51% | 28:1 | 3774 |
| Rotation Diet | 2% | 46% | 51% | 21:1 | 938 |
| Specific Carbohydrate Diet | 7% | 24% | 69% | 10:1 | 278 |
- “Worse” refers only to worse behavior. Drugs, but not nutrients, typically also cause physical problems if used long-term.
- Number of cases is cumulative over several decades, so does not reflect current usage levels (e.g., Haldol is now seldom used).
- Antifungal drugs and chelation are used selectively, where evidence indicates they are needed.
- Seizure drugs: top line behavior effects, bottom line effects on seizures.
- Calcium effects are not due to dairy-free diet; statistics are similar for milk drinkers and non-milk drinkers.
Special thanks to the Autism Research Institute for their permission to provide these results to you and for their tireless and wonderful work for children with autism! We could not imagine life without ARI and their influence. God bless Dr. Rimland!
