Flashback to the 1960s: LSD in the treatment of autism
Jeff Sigafoos, Vanessa A. Green, Chaturi Edrisinha, Giulio E. Lancioni
Developmental Neurorehabilitation 2007 DOI: 10.1080/13638490601106277 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Children with autism |
| Intervention | LSD |
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | Autism Descriptive research Narrative review Clinical psychology Psychotherapist Developmental psychology |
| Citations | 43 |
| Key findings | Early LSD studies on autistic children reported some positive outcomes but lacked proper experimental controls and relied on narrative data. |
Abstract
Between 1959 and 1974, several groups of researchers issued reports on the use of d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in the treatment of children with autism. This paper reviews that literature to consider how the authors justified these studies, as well as their methods, results, and conclusions. The justification for using LSD was often based on the default logic that other treatment efforts had failed. Several positive outcomes were reported with the use of LSD, but most of these studies lacked proper experimental controls and presented largely narrative/descriptive data. Today there is renewed interest in the use of psychedelic drugs for therapeutic purposes. While this resurgence of research has not yet included children with autism, this review of the LSD studies from the 1960s and 1970s offers important lessons for future efforts to evaluate new or controversial treatments for children with autism.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study of a New Schizophrenomimetic Drug—Sernyl | 1959 | Review | |
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review | 2008 | Review | |
| Serotonin research: contributions to understanding psychoses | 2008 | Review | |
| ADVERSE REACTIONS TO PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE | 1984 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 25
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin Molecules May 15, 2021
- MDMA-assisted therapy: A new treatment model for social anxiety in autistic adults. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry January 4, 2016
- Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution Frontiers in Psychology September 29, 2021
- Return of the lysergamides. Part I: Analytical and behavioural characterization of 1‐propionyl‐d‐lysergic acid diethylamide (1P‐LSD) Drug Testing and Analysis October 12, 2015
- Psychedelics: Alternative and Potential Therapeutic Options for Treating Mood and Anxiety Disorders Molecules April 13, 2022
and 20 more in the library
Cites 3
- A Clinical Plan for MDMA (Ecstasy) in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Partnering with the FDA Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2002
- The Renewal of Psychedelic Research: Implications for Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology. The Humanistic Psychologist 2006
- The Use of LSD in Psychotherapy Journal of Psychedelic Drugs September 1, 1970