Description: Administration of secretin, a hormone involved in digestion. This hormone (which can be natural or synthetic) is administered intravenously, orally or transdermally.
Research Summary: Fourteen large, well-designed studies with many hundreds of individuals with autism spectrum disorders have shown that secretin is ineffective (Williams, Wray, & Wheeler, 2005). Secretin is an inappropriate treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
Recommendations: Secretin is not a useful intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
Selected References:
Systematic reviews of scientific studies:
Williams, K. W., Wray, J. J., & Wheeler, D. M. (2012). Intravenous secretin for autism spectrum disorder. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 4. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003495.pub3
