Other Psychological Interventions and Autism

Introduction

This section contains information about other psychological interventions not covered elsewhere in this section such as hypnotherapy and packing therapy.

Evidence

Determining the benefits of the therapies in this section  is not currently possible. We must wait for further research of sufficiently high quality to be completed.

Risks

No specific risks are associated with hypnotherapy other than those found in other psychological therapies.However some autistic people , and some health care professionals, have described packing therapy as a form of child abuse and a gross violation of basic human rights.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis is an intervention that uses hypnosis, an altered state of consciousness.

Hypnosis is widely promoted as a treatment for various long-term conditions and for breaking certain habits.

Some people think that it can be used as an intervention for reducing anxieties and/or alleviating features associated with autism.

More Information

Please see Publications on Hypnotherapy

Packing Therapy

Packing therapy involves wrapping the individual in towels previously wet in cold water. The individual is then wrapped with blankets to help the body warm up.

The supporters of packing claim that it reinforces childrens' consciousness of their bodily limits, which in some psychiatric conditions (such as autism) becomes fragmented.

However some autistic people , and some health care professionals, have described this treatment as a form of child abuse and a gross violation of basic human rights.

'Against Le Packing: A Consensus Statement' signed by academics from around the world appeared in the Lancet in February 2011 and concluded

''We have reached the consensus that practitioners and families around the world should consider this approach unethical. Furthermore, this 'therapy' ignores current knowledge about autism spectrum disorders; goes against evidence-based practice parameters and treatment guidelines published in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Hungary, and Australia; and, in our view, poses a risk of preventing these children and adolescents from accessing their basic human rights to health and education."

More Information

Please see Publications on Packing Therapy

Related Pages

• Psychological Interventions
• Types of Intervention
• Interventions

Updated

27 May 2022