Is there anything I should not be offered for autism?

Information for the public

There are a number of medical and drug treatments that you should not be offered specifically to treat the main symptoms of autism (see 'Autism'). These include:

a treatment called chelation (sometimes called detoxification) that involves taking one substance to remove other metallic substances from the body
diets that limit the amounts or do not contain some types of food (such as gluten-free, casein-free or ketogenic diets)
drugs usually given for problems with memory and thinking, such as cholinesterase inhibitors
hormones (such as oxytocin and secretin) and a procedure (called testosterone regulation) that involves using a drug to reduce the amount of the hormone testosterone (or oestrogen) in the body
treatment with oxygen in a pressurised chamber (called hyperbaric oxygen therapy)
vitamins, minerals and supplements (such as vitamin B6 or iron supplements)
medication usually given for seizures (called anticonvulsants), depression (called antidepressants) or serious changes in mental state (antipsychotics).

However, you may be offered antipsychotic or antidepressant medication for a mental health problem (see 'What treatments should I be offered if I also have a mental health problem?') or challenging behaviour (see 'What support should I be offered for challenging behaviour?'), or anticonvulsant medication if you also have epilepsy.

In addition, you should not be offered a programme called 'facilitated communication' where a therapist or other person supports and guides a person's hand or arm while using a device such as a computer keyboard or mouse. There is no evidence that it helps people with autism, and in some cases it has caused harm.