Supporting the Well-Being, Autonomy, Self-Regulation and Quality of Life of Autistic People with Acupuncture: A Scoping Review

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that affects cognition, communication, language, social skills and behaviour, with an increasing incidence, especially in boys. Treatment typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, combining intensive behavioural therapy, medications, and increasingly, complementary interventions such as acupuncture, which may enhance cognitive, social and emotional functioning. This scoping review assesses the effectiveness of acupuncture and behavioural interventions in children and adolescents with ASD, emphasising practices that promote well-being, selfregulation and quality of life. It also highlights the need to investigate acupuncture as a complementary therapy for ASD, focusing on strengthening autonomy and alleviating suffering. A total of 357 studies were identified across multiple research databases. Twelve studies involving 938 children with ASD were included in the review, in which different acupuncture techniques were applied, such as scalp acupuncture, electroacupuncture, laser acupuncture, lingual acupuncture, seven star needle and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation, with outcomes related to communication and language, social interaction, attention, behaviour, motor skills, emotional regulation and self-care. Overall, the results indicated positive effects of acupuncture, particularly on communication, language, attention and self-care. The analysis indicated that acupuncture may be effective in promoting the development of communication, language, attention and selfcare skills in people with autism, thereby improving well-being, self-regulation, autonomy and quality of life and helping to manage behaviours and support cognitive and communication skills.