Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Some people have mild symptoms, and othe

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Some people have mild symptoms, and others have much more severe ones. Many parents try complementary health approaches, usually along with conventional medical care, for their children with ASD. But theres only a small amount of high-quality research on complementary health approaches for this condition.

  • Special diets have shown some promise for symptoms of ASD, but the individuals nutritional well-being needs to be carefully monitored before and while on the diet.

  • Melatonin may help with sleep problems in people with ASD.

  • Other complementary approaches have not been proven helpfulthese include omega-3 fatty acids, massage therapy, the hormones oxytocin and secretin, chelation, and antifungal agents.

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