Figure A-30. Primary Research Publication Output and Trends in Subcategories of Autism Treatments and Interventions Research.

Pie graph and line graph.  Both the pie graph and line graph plot seven subcategories of autism treatments and interventions research: behavioral, medical slash pharmacologic, technology-based interventions and supports, educational, model systems slash therapeutic targets, occupational, physical, and sensory-based therapies, and complementary, dietary, and alternative.  The pie graph shows the number of autism treatments and interventions-related primary research articles published in the year 2010 as a total and proportion of each of the 7 subcategories.  The largest segment of the pie graph is behavioral publications, which accounted for 30% of autism treatments and interventions primary research publications in 2010, totaling 94 publications.  The second largest segment belonged to technology-based interventions and supports, which accounted for 16% with 52 primary research publications.  Two subcategories were tied for the third largest segment – both medical slash pharmacologic and educational had 45 articles, accounting for 18% of treatment and intervention primary research publications. Fifth was model systems slash therapeutic targets with 40 31 and 10% of total.  Occupational, physical, and sensory-based therapies was the sixth largest segment, with 30 publications and 9% of total.  The seventh and smallest subcategory were publications related to complementary, dietary, and alternative treatments and interventions with 31 articles and 8% of primary ASD research articles in the treatments and interventions critical question area in the year 2010. 

The line graph plots the total number of publications for the 7 subcategories across the years 1980 to 2010.  The y-axis is labeled number of primary research publications related to ASD treatments and interventions, and the x-axis displays the year.  In 1980, the largest subcategory was behavioral with 14 publications and all other subcategories had between one and four publications each. Between 1980 and 2010, the behavioral subcategory generally had the most publications, culminating in 94 primary research publications in 2010.  Between the years 2000 and 2010, the steepest increases in annual publication output were observed in technology-based interventions and supports, which had 8 publications in 2000 and 52 publications in 2010, as well as medical slash pharmacologic, which had 10 primary research publications in 2000 and 45 publications in 2010.