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Comparative Effectiveness of Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

• CME Information
• Faculty Biographies & Disclosures
• References
• Course Presentations
• CME Posttest

CME Information

Course Overview Educational Objectives Target Audience Method of Participation

Accreditation Statement Term of Approval Peer Review Program Director

Disclaimer Disclosure Acknowledgement of Support

Course Overview

Therapies used to address the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder–not otherwise specified) may involve one or more behavioral, educational, medical, allied health, or CAM interventions.  Treatments for autism spectrum disorders focus on improving core deficits in social communication, addressing challenging behaviors, treating commonly associated difficulties (e.g., anxiety, attention difficulties, sensory difficulties), promoting independence, and improving quality of life. The individual goals for treatment vary by child and typically include a combination of therapies. There is a general lack of consensus regarding treatment effectiveness. Treatment choice is often influenced by availability and costs. Despite the adoption of many of these interventions, few randomized studies have directly compared the clinical effectiveness of one therapy to that of another.

This CME activity will provide an overview of the effectiveness, benefits, and harms of therapies currently used to address the core and associated symptoms seen among children ages 2–12 years with autism spectrum disorders. It covers data from a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research that was conducted by the Vanderbilt Evidence-based Practice Center to evaluate the level of evidence currently available to support the effectiveness and safety of therapies for children with autism spectrum disorders.

Educational Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the participant should be able to:

• Describe the effectiveness of medical, behavioral, and educational interventions used to treat children with autism spectrum disorders.
• Describe the safety of medical interventions used to treat children with autism spectrum disorders.
• Identify gaps in the current evidence base regarding the comparative effectiveness and safety of therapies used to treat children with autism spectrum disorders.

Target Audience

This CME activity is designed to meet the educational needs of primary care and internal medicine physicians, as well as health care professionals who treat children with autism spectrum disorders.

Method of Participation

This activity is in PowerPoint file format and is accompanied by talking points and references linked to PubMed abstracts.

To receive a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ you should:

• View the presentations in this enduring material.
• Complete the posttest (you must answer 5 out of 7 questions correctly).
• Complete and submit the CME registration and evaluation forms.

The estimated time to complete this activity, including review of the materials, is 1.0 hour(s).

Hardware/software requirements: Activities should be run with recent versions of common browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome.

If you have questions about the participation process, please e-mail the Office of Continuing Medical Education, cme@bcm.edu or phone 713.798.8237.

Accreditation/Credit Designation

Baylor College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Baylor College of Medicine designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.    

Term of Approval

June 2011 through June 2014. Original release date: June 2011

Peer Review

In May 2011, this continuing medical education online enduring material was reviewed by Gerald E. Harris, PhD, BCBA, Executive Director, Center for Forensic Psychology, Department of Psychology, The University of Houston, Houston, Texas. To ensure the continued scientific relevance of this enduring material, its content will be reviewed again in June 2014.

Disclosures: Nothing to disclose.

Program Director

Michael Fordis, MD
Sr. Associate Dean
Director, Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technologies
Director, The John M. Eisenberg Center for Clinical Decisions and Communications Science
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas

Disclosures: Nothing to disclose.

Disclaimer

This CME activity is designed for use by healthcare professionals for educational purposes only. Information and opinion offered by the contributors represent their viewpoints. Conclusions drawn by the participant should be derived from careful consideration of all available scientific information. Prescription information and use of medical devices should be undertaken only after confirmation of information by consulting the FDA-approved uses and information.

Baylor College of Medicine makes every effort to have accurate information presented, no warranty, expressed or implied, is offered. The participant should use his/her clinical judgment, knowledge, experience, and diagnostic decision-making before applying any information, whether provided here or by others, for any professional use.

Links are provided to other Internet sites solely for the convenience of users. Once you link to another site, you are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use including copyright and licensing restrictions.

Disclosure

The Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) makes every effort to develop CME activities that are scientifically based, accurate, current, and objectively presented. In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Standards for Commercial Support ^SM, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) has implemented a mechanism requiring everyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity (e.g., directors, planning committee members, contributors, peer reviewers) to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests (drug/device companies) and manage/resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. Individuals must disclose to participants the existence or non-existence of financial relationships: l) at the time of the activity or within 12 months prior; and 2) of their spouses/partners.

Baylor College of Medicine does not view the existence of interests or relationships with commercial entities as implying bias or decreasing the value of a presentation. It is up to the participants to determine whether the interests or relationships influence the presenter with regard to exposition or conclusions.

If at any time during this activity you feel that there has been commercial or promotional bias, please inform us by using the commercial bias comments box in the evaluation form. Please answer the questions about balance in the CME activity evaluation candidly.

The following individual(s) has/have reported no financial or other relationships with commercial entities whose products/services may relate to the educational content of this activity:

Kim L. Farina, PhD, Medical Writer: nothing to disclose
Michael Fordis, MD, Activity Director: nothing to disclose
Gerald E. Harris, PhD, BCBA, Peer Reviewer: nothing to disclose
Melissa McPheeters, PhD, MPH: Contributor: nothing to disclose
Carla Sharp, PhD, Contributor: nothing to disclose

Some drugs/devices identified during this activity may have United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for specific purposes only or for use in restricted research settings. The FDA has stated that it is the responsibility of the individual physician to determine the FDA status of each drug or device that he/she wishes to use in clinical practice and to use the products in compliance with the applicable law.

Baylor College of Medicine requires that all contributors disclose an unlabeled use or investigational use (not yet approved for any purpose) of pharmaceutical and medical device products, and provide adequate scientific and clinical justification for such use. Physicians are urged to fully review all the available data on products or procedures before using them to treat patients.

Acknowledgement of Support

This CME activity is supported by a contract, HHSA290200810015C, from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

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