Dear Ms. Schlanger:
I am writing to extend my appreciation for your story titled, “Autism Therapy in 6-Month Old Babies Eliminates Symptoms in Limited Study” (Newsweek.com, September 9, 2014), and commend you for balancing the potential benefits of a relatively low-cost, low-intensity therapy, and the limited conclusions that can be made given the small sample size and lack of a control group. Equally important is your honesty that the study participants were not yet formally diagnosed with autism. Your article adequately conveys a tone of hope for early behavioral therapy while also educating readers that additional research is necessary. Sadly, the media and the Internet bombards parents and practitioners with pseudo-scientific treatments. Thank you for your responsible reporting.
The Association for Science in Autism Treatment is an organization committed to disseminating accurate information about science-based autism treatment. Please do not hesitate to use our freely available resources at https://asatonline.org/.
With much appreciation,
Florence D. DiGennaro Reed, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Vice President, Association for Science in Autism Treatment
