‘Cutting Edge’ Program For Children With Autism And ADHD Rests On Razor-Thin Evidence

Stephanie and Natalie enrolled their older son in sessions at a Brain Balance Achievement Center in the hope that it would help him make friends.

Hokyoung Kim for NPR

Some parents see it coming. Natalie was not that kind of parent.

Even after the director and a teacher at her older son’s day care sat her down one afternoon in 2011 to detail the 3-year-old’s difficulty socializing and his tendency to chatter endlessly about topics his peers showed no interest in, she still didn’t get the message.

Her son, the two educators eventually spelled out, might be on the autism spectrum.