Secretin and Autism Ranking:

Future Research

Summary of Existing Research

There is a reasonable amount of research evidence (17 group studies and four single-case design studies with three or more participants) into the use of secretin for autistic people.

The vast majority of those studies reported no benefits of any kind and some reported adverse effects (such as an increase in challenging behaviours). 

A minority of lower quality studies reported a range of benefits (such as improved gastrointestinal symptoms, alongside improved eye contact and alertness) in a sub-group of participants. However those benefits failed to reach statistical significance, meaning that they could have happened as the result of chance.  

There is evidence from a range of sources to suggest that secretin may sometimes cause potentially harmful effects.

Recommendations for Future Research

There is already sufficient research evidence to suggest that secretin is ineffective as an intervention for autistic people. There is therefore no reason to carry out further studies. 

Updated

16 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Dec 2018

Next Review

01 Aug 2024