Final answer:
Unproven treatments for autism such as the misguided belief that vaccinations cause autism persist despite extensive research debunking these claims. Chelation therapy is another dubious practice that lacks scientific validation and can disrupt essential body metals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Some dubious treatments for autism continue to circulate despite being scientifically unproven or discredited. One of the most controversial is the misconception that vaccinations cause Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). This has been widely debunked by extensive research, yet it persists in some communities, leading to decreased vaccination rates and outbreaks of preventable diseases.
Another unproven treatment is chelation therapy, which is used by some alternative medicine practitioners and is intended to remove heavy metals from the body. However, this treatment can disrupt biologically important metals, like iron and calcium, without any clear benefit to autistic individuals. Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization actively discourage these and other non-evidence-based treatments.