AccScience Publishing / AN / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/an.3783
CASE REPORT

Transforming lives in autism spectrum disorder treatment through acupuncture: A case report

Zhenhuan Liu1 Yitao Huang2 Alan Wang3,4,5,6*
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1 Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Nanhai Maternity and Children Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
2 Department of Children’s Rehabilitation, LongDu Children’s Hospital, Chongqing, China
3 Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
4 Medical Imaging Research Center, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
5 Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
6 Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Advanced Neurology, 3783 https://doi.org/10.36922/an.3783
Submitted: 29 May 2024 | Accepted: 19 August 2024 | Published: 22 October 2024
© 2024 by the Author (s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and narrow interests. Given the high prevalence of ASD and the lack of specific pharmacological treatments, there is a pressing need for alternative therapeutic approaches. Acupuncture has shown promise in improving the clinical symptoms of ASD. This report presents the case of a 6-year-old girl diagnosed with ASD, intellectual developmental disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and articulation disorder. She underwent Liu’s pediatric neurological rehabilitation acupuncture therapy (PNRAT) for over 2 years. The treatment involved specific scalp acupuncture techniques targeting cognitive and linguistic rehabilitation. After the treatment course, the patient showed significant improvements in cognitive, linguistic, social, and behavioral symptoms, transitioning from limited verbal communication and marked social difficulties to thriving in a mainstream school setting. This case highlights the potential of Liu’s PNRAT as an effective intervention for ASD. The observed improvements suggest that acupuncture may offer valuable therapeutic benefits for children with ASD, contributing to the growing interest in its potential as an adjunct therapy. Further research is needed to optimize treatment protocols and explore synergies with conventional therapies.

Keywords
Autism spectrum disorder
Acupuncture
Liu’s pediatric neurological rehabilitation acupuncture therapy
Cognitive rehabilitation
Linguistic rehabilitation
Case report
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Advanced Neurology, Electronic ISSN: 2810-9619 Print ISSN: 3060-8589, Published by AccScience Publishing