From a parent manual I am looking through - thought I would share:

There are many therapies that purport to help children with autism. While
parents and educators should be aware of various treatment options, it is
important for educators and parents to protect themselves and their children
from false treatment claims.

We are providing this checklist adapted from the
American Arthritis Foundation and printed in Science in Autism Treatment,
Premiere Issue, Spring 1999, which can be used to evaluate treatment claims.


PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC THERAPIES: SOME WARNING SIGNS


1. High success rates are claimed.

2. Rapid effects are promised.

3. The therapy is said to be effective for many treatments and disorders.

4. The “theory” behind the therapy contradicts objective knowledge (and
sometimes common sense).

5. The therapy is said to be easy to administer, requiring little training or
experience.

6. Other, proven treatments are said to be unnecessary, inferior or
harmful.

7. Promoters of the therapy are working outside their area of expertise.

8. Promoters benefit financially or otherwise from adoption of the
therapy.

9. Testimonials, anecdotes, or personal accounts are offered in support
of claims about the therapy’s effectiveness, but little or no objective
evidence is provided.

10. Catchy, emotional appealing slogans are used to market the therapy.

11. Belief and faith are said to be necessary for the therapy to “work.”

12. Skepticism and critical evaluation are said to make the therapy’s
effectiveness evaporate.

13. Promoters resist objective evaluation and scrutiny of the therapy by others.

14. Negative findings from scientific studies are ignored or dismissed.

15. Critics and scientific investigators are often met with hostility and are
accused of persecuting the promoters, being “closed-minded,” or
having some ulterior motive for “debunking” the therapy.


Reprinted from Science in Autism Treatment, Premiere Issue, Spring 1999