Systematic review of the effectiveness of homoeopathy in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Purpose: Over the years there is a significant increase in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet there is no standard medical treatment available for this population. Homoeopathy as reported in literature can prove to be a boon for ASD treatment as in homoeopathy patients are prescribed medicine based on specific symptoms in light of associated physical and mental aspect. A systematic review of literature was required to put together the reported information on the relation between homoeopathy and ASD. This work reviews all the related literature in-depth. Methods: Literature on the concerned issue was searched from databases like Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, JASTOR, Google Scholar, PsycINFO (psychology and psychiatry literature), and ERIC (Education Resources Information Center). Results: In total, 19 published articles were found on the investigation of using homoeopathy in the treatment of ASD. Seventeen studies showed that homoeopathy can be effective in the treatment of ASD. Result of 1 study was inconclusive and 1 more study found homoeopathy to be not suitable in treating ASD. Conclusions: Most reports support the use of homoeopathy in the treatment of ASD. They describe that homoeopathy efficiently control ASD symptoms and also supplements other therapies used in the treatment of ASD. Few authors suggested otherwise too.