The Effectiveness of Dimethylglycine (DMG) As Dietary Supplement and Adjunct Intervention to P.E.C.S. Approach in Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Severe Speech Delay

This 6½-month study, using an ABACA research design, has attempted to measure the effectiveness of dimethylglycine (DMG) as a dietary supplement and adjunct intervention to the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) treatment of seven young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and severe speech delay. Picture recognition (using the PECS cards), word expression (in terms of number of words uttered in response to the PECS cards), and mean length of sentence in words uttered were the three main types of responses observed and measured in this study. Despite the positive results in this study suggesting that DMG as dietary supplement might be a promising adjunct in addition to the PECS approach in treating children with ASD and severe speech delay to elicit and/or improve their speech, the authors have cautioned that such preliminary findings do not mean the treatment is conclusively effective.