A case report of an autism spectrum patient treated with scalp acupuncture combined with standard acupuncture
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Abstract
This article presents the management a case of a 12-year-old female patient diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) accompanied by developmental delay. The patient underwent a five-week course of scalp acupuncture combined with standard body acupuncture. To evaluate treatment outcomes, the Thai version of the autism treatment evaluation checklist (Thai-ATEC) was used to assess symptom severity before and after the intervention. It was found that there was a reduction in the total Thai-ATEC score and all subdomain scores. Notable progress was observed in language and speech, communication, social interaction, sensory perception, cognition, physical health, and behavior. The findings from this case study suggest that acupuncture may play a role in promoting development in patients with ASD and could be utilized as an adjunctive treatment to standard care. However, since the evaluation relied on the Thai-ATEC instrument and represents a single case report, these results cannot be generalized or cited as definitive evidence of the efficacy of acupuncture in the broader ASD population. Further studies involving larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm the efficacy and safety of this treatment approach, particularly when integrated into a holistic medical care plan for patients with autism spectrum disorder.
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References
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