What is Valued and Under-Considered in Current Practice

What is valued in current practice?
For families that have children on the autism spectrum, CAM's can be a valued commodity. Some of the CAM's that are valued by families based on the frequency of usage include; specialized diets, vitamins and supplements, and sensory integration therapy. According to Hanson et al. (2007), of the parents surveyed, 54% used biologically based therapies (diet, vitamins, food supplements, herbal remedies), and 71% used sensory integration therapy.
Wong and Smith (2006) found in their parent surveys that 76% used biologically based therapies (diets, vitamins, supplements), and 69% used manipulative and body based therapies (chiropractic, massage, and sensory integration therapy).

What is under-considered and may be valuable to current practice paradigms?
One CAM that may be under-considered is behavioral optometry (vision therapy). Children with autism can have problems coordinating their central and peripheral vision, leading to difficulties with processing and integrating visual information (www.covd.org). Insurance coverage for vision therapy is very limited and is often not covered at all, which can deter families from seeking this service. It is a valuable service for children with autism, but is under considered.