Table 5. Treatments and professional intervention: Current use and priority for future research.
| Current Use: SR (n=225) | Current Use: LR (n=123) | Priority for Future Study: SR2 (n=100) | Priority for Future Study: LR2 (n=60) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medication | 61%1 | 72%1 | 3.35(1.1) | 3.93(0.9)7 |
|
| ||||
| Complementary and alternative medicine | 30%4 | 20% | 3.24(1.3) | 3.60(1.1) |
| Vitamins, herbs, supplements | -- | -- | 2.99(1.4) | 3.12(1.0) |
| Special diets | -- | -- | 2.97(1.4) | 2.96(0.9) |
| Alternative medicine | -- | -- | 2.66(1.3) | 2.93(1.1) |
|
| ||||
| Behavioral therapy | -- | -- | 4.04(1.0) | 4.45(0.8) |
| Individual psychotherapy | 48%2 | 24% | 3.97(1.1)5 | 3.31(1.2) |
| Group psychotherapy | 8% | 6% | 3.37(1.2) | 3.10(1.3) |
| Marital or family therapy | 4% | 2% | 3.59(1.1) | 3.14(1.1) |
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 3% | 12% | 3.10(1.3) | 3.64(1.1) |
| Support groups for ASD | 15% | 2% | 3.64(1.2) | 3.30(1.2) |
| Social skills training | 9% | 28%3 | 4.16(1.1)2 | 4.31(0.9)2 |
| Vocational skills training | -- | -- | 4.08(1.1)3 | 4.12(1.1)4 |
| Life-skills training | 6% | 36%2 | 4.22(1.0)1 | 4.54(0.8)1 |
| Social activity groups for ASD | -- | -- | 3.65(1.3) | 3.88(1.1) |
| Peer-matching program | -- | -- | 3.54(1.2) | 3.76(1.2) |
|
| ||||
| School-based therapy | -- | -- | 3.98(0.9) | 4.30(1.0) |
| Speech/language therapy | 4% | 28%3 | 3.67(1.2) | 4.25(1.0)3 |
| Occupational therapy | 5% | 15% | 3.75(1.2) | 4.07(1.0)5 |
| Physical therapy | 6% | 7% | 3.32(1.2) | 3.53(1.2) |
|
| ||||
| Creative/expressive therapies | -- | -- | 3.87(1.1) | 3.67(0.9) |
|
| ||||
| Community supports | -- | -- | 3.90(1.0) | 4.07(0.9) |
| Spiritual practice | 29%5 | 10% | 3.25(1.4) | 2.79(1.2) |
| Religious support person | 7% | 2% | 2.65(1.3) | 2.33(1.1) |
| Regular exercise | -- | -- | 3.99(1.2)4 | 4.02(0.7)6 |
| Community clubs | -- | -- | 3.54(1.2) | 3.52(1.2) |
| Self-help books | 36%3 | 6% | 3.02(1.2) | 2.07(0.8) |
| Online communities | 18% | 0 | 3.47(1.3) | 2.88(1.0) |
|
| ||||
| Other | 14% | 9% | -- | -- |
| None | 9% | 14% | -- | -- |
Note. SR=Initial self-reporting subsample; LR=Initial legally-authorized representative ratings about adult wards with ASD; SR2=Follow-up self-reporting subsample; LR2=Follow-up legally-authorized representative ratings about adult wards with ASD. Percentages in first two data columns reflect proportion of SR or LR subsample endorsing current use of each type of treatment. Means (standard deviations) in the second two data columns are shown within group based on priority ratings of 1=Not important at all to 5=Very important. Superscripts reflect relative priority ranking within sample (column) for all treatments except “Other.”