May Institute Endorses National Autism Center Report on Autism Treatments

Randolph, Mass. – May Institute is one of dozens of organizations, scientists, and practitioners throughout the country expressing support for the National Autism Center’s recently published National Standards Report, a comprehensive analysis of treatments for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

“May Institute is proud to have participated in the multi-year National Standards Project that resulted in a groundbreaking report that identifies best practices in the treatment of autism,” said Walter P. Christian, Ph.D., ABPP, President and CEO of May Institute. “We are extremely pleased to have been involved in an effort that will provide families and professionals with better tools to make treatment decisions to meet the needs of individuals with ASD in their care.”

“It is our hope that the National Standards Report will pave the way for future efforts that will provide guidelines for the training of personnel who conduct clinical treatments, address methods by which treatment programs may be evaluated, and provide practitioners with ongoing training in best practices,” said Dennis R. Russo, Ph.D., ABPP, Chief Clinical Officer of May Institute.

The report includes, among other findings, 11 “established” treatments that produce beneficial outcomes and are known to be effective for individuals (under 22) on the autism spectrum. It also identifies 22 “emerging” treatments that have some evidence of effectiveness, but still require more research, and five “unestablished” treatments that have little or no evidence of effectiveness. The report also identifies limitations of the existing autism treatment research and encourages the scientific community to more aggressively pursue targeted treatment research.

“Researchers need to know which treatments have not yet been studied in depth so they can begin to scientifically examine these treatments,” said Susan M. Wilczynski, Ph.D., BCBA, Executive Director of the National Autism Center. “Knowing which treatments do not have enough research support will help scientists conduct more research in important areas that have been understudied.”

The National Standards Report is available for download at nationalautismcenter.org.

About May Institute
May Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral healthcare services to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, brain injury, mental illness, and other behavioral healthcare needs. Since its founding more than 50 years ago, May Institute has evolved into an award-winning national network that serves over 25,000 individuals and their families annually. For more information, call 800.788.7601 or visit www.mayinstitute.org.