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Always beware the snake oil salesman, and anyone promising a “cure” for autism. While ABA therapy and changes in diet are the two of the leading paths used in providing assistance to those with autism it is nonetheless amazing to witness the treatments and purported cures floating around. Just yesterday, the Times of India, ran a story declaring “music a wonder drug for autism.”
Somewhat disingenuously, Mysore-based neurosurgeon Dr. Anil Sangli – who is leading a three-hour long raga accompanied by ballet and audio-visual presentations this week -- goes on to report that in his experience “patients” treated with medicines and music have recovered faster than those who were given only drugs. He claims he studied 160 patients in which 80 were exposed to medical-music “reverberation therapy,” and noted that the “recovery rate” of these 80 patients was faster.
While music has certainly been used to help calm patients and used as an ancillary part of larger therapeutic efforts, from as long ago as the medieval era, there has been no scientifically and formally driven study of Sangli’s “reverberation therapy” specific to autism spectrum disorders or autism therapy. It may be that Sangli’s reported successes have been around music’s use as an small sub-set of treating various physical maladies (post-opertative recovery, for example) – but stating that his patients “recover 80% faster” makes it sound like treating the symptoms of autism is akin to treating a finite malady of some kind: twisted ankle, 1 week recovery time; broken arm, 3 weeks recovery time, etc. Autism, however, is not in this category at all since at its essence is how the brain is wired. And while one can learn how to better live in the world-at-large, interact with others, live more healthy and better understand oneself – there is no “undoing” the underlying neurology.
While the patters of music can provide comfort to some with autism, others with ASD may be highly sensitive to music and be distressed by it. Catherine Lord, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan specializing in autism research, says, "We know that music therapy treatment is associated with improvement, but we don't know what the cause of that improvement is." Studies suggesting positive results for music therapy, she says, typically "don't control for what you need to control to find out what causes the change."
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Comments
Please write an article on the Swedish study that linked vinyl floors to autism, but found evidence inconclusive. Is there anyone out there with conclusive evidence? The plastics and vinyl industry keep trying to beat back nosey reporters by telling them they wrote misinformation if they write anything that even suggests a hypothesis that maybe there is and maybe there is not any links. Can you write something about that topic? Readers want to know if reporters are being intimidated by the big rich bosses of the industries or their hired mouthpieces. Thanks, if you want to cover this dangerous topic to reporters' reputations. Are vinyl floors dangerous to children or the elderly or not? Thanks.
Music therapy was the 1st partially effective speech therapy for my son. The normal paths of functioning speech were injured during his regression period, also affected by his bilateral frontal lobe absence seizures after MMR/DTap. Since music is formed in a different area of the brain he was able to begin enough speech for wants, needs, etc by using music and song. Other areas where music is helpful is how it's organized, the beat is always consistent. It's not curative for him, but a definitive help in initially regaining some abilities in the area of speech. The reason why there are so many different therapies, diets, supplements, protocals, etc with autism is that for every child a different combination is needed. One person's snake oil is another person's answer. With autism you really need to leave all doors open, educate yourself on them all and make sure that every door taken is one that fits each individual child.
Brian,
Thank you thank you for preaching to the choir that "snake oil" is to be recognized for what it is. Every time I write a column stressing this, the opposing comments are numerous.
However, it struck me as poignant today, when a news report talked about the anniversary of Lou Gehrig's death. It was four decades ago, that at the age of 37 he was diagnosed with ALS, and there is no cure to date. Time is a sobering notion.
Autism has been invading our lives for many years now. Yes we all desperately want a cure, and with scientific research, we hopefully will get there. Snake oil just gets in the way.
Robin Hausman Morris
Autism Parent Examiner
Dear Brian Field,
I happened to come across your web-article just now, by accident. I was shocked to see that you have quoted me in your article "The pied-piper, autism cures and therapy"; the part of which reads as " ---but stating that his patients “recover 80% faster” makes it sound -----". I would like to reiterate and emphasize that my study has been in a variety of patients with coma secondary to trauma, tumors, infections, CVA, hemorrhage etc. and were all with a low GCS. In the study that is quoted, I have observed that patients provided with music therapy recovered 3 to 6 months earlier, compared to those who were not provided with music therapy.
I also happened to treat several other patients with anxiety, neurosis and other psychological ailments which also included patients with autism. This group was not included in my study which has been quoted. I am also very well aware that management of autism is a continuous process and does not end by giving music.
You have misread the article in the Times of India. The article states as follows "The data reveals that the recovery rate of these 80 patients was faster, he said.". It is 80 patients and not 80 percent.
Please correct the same in the article above and in other references, if you have quoted as such.
Regards,
Dr. Anil Sangli,
Consultant Neurosurgeon, Mysore
dranilsangli@gmail.com
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