Autism Research Institute

Parent Survey - Efficacy of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT)

Since 1967 the Autism Research Institute (ARI) has collected well over 25,000 parent ratings of the effectiveness of various therapies. (See Treatment Ratings). ARI believes it is of great benefit to you and your child, as well as to the autism community in general, to collect, analyze, and publish parent ratings of the various treatment options, including HBOT.

There has been much discussion on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to treat autistic children and adults. There are several studies underway.

Please complete our HBOT effectiveness survey form, including your email address, so we can inform you and others, as quickly as possible, about the results of the HBOT ratings from parents. (You may fill out the survey form even if you have not yet begun HBOT sessions for your child, so we can keep you updated on the results as new data arrive. See Question 10, below.)

Your identity will be kept completely confidential.

Thank you in advance for your help.


Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. and Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D.
Autism Research Institute, San Diego, California




1.) Name:
2.) Email:
3.) Telephone:

4.) Current age of child:


5.) Date of birth (format: mo/da/yr):

6.) Sex: Male Female

7.) Diagnosis: You may check more than one diagnosis.

Autism Asperger Syndrome PDD-NOS Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
Fragile X Syndrome Retts Syndrome Not yet diagnosed
Other (please specify):

8.) Level of Functioning: Low Moderate High

9.) Did autism start after a period of normal development? Yes No
If 'yes,' at what age (months):

10.) I have not yet started HBOT, so I cannot complete the rest of the survey. Please send me your findings as they become available.


11.) Has your child receive chelation treatment before, during or after receiving HBOT?
    He/she received chelation treatment before HBOT.
      Please rate the effectiveness of the chelation treatment: Definitely Helped Moderate Improvement Possibly Helped No Definite Effect Made a Little Worse Made Much Worse

    He/she received chelation treatment after HBOT.

      Please rate the effectiveness of the chelation treatment: Definitely Helped Moderate Improvement Possibly Helped No Definite Effect Made a Little Worse Made Much Worse

    He/she received chelation treatment during HBOT.

      Please rate the effectiveness of the chelation treatment: Definitely Helped Moderate Improvement Possibly Helped No Definite Effect Made a Little Worse Made Much Worse

    He/she has not received chelation treatment.

      Please rate the effectiveness of the chelation treatment: Definitely Helped Moderate Improvement Possibly Helped No Definite Effect Made a Little Worse Made Much Worse

12.) Do you own an HBOT chamber, or did/does your child receive HBOT at a clinic?

    Yes, we own an HBOT soft chamber.

    Yes, we own an HBOT hard chamber.

    My child uses an HBOT soft chamber at a clinic. (Which clinic? )

    My child uses an HBOT hard chamber at a clinic. (Which clinic? )

12a.) If your child received HBOT at a clinic, what was the cost of each session?



13.) Please provide the details of the HBOT treatment of your child. Don't worry if you cannot answer every question listed below. If you can, please indicate the percentage of oxygen given, treatment schedule, total number of treatments, and amount of pressure treated, and, most importantly, its effectiveness. (If your child has had more than one series of HBOT, use this space to report on the first series, and Question 13B to report on the second series.)

- A -

Treated with: % of oxygen
Duration of each treatment:
Number of treatments per day:
Total number of treatments
to present day (approx.):
Pressure treated at:
(indicate 'atmospheres' or pounds per sq. inch)

Overall, how effective was HBOT? Definitely Helped Moderate Improvement Possibly Helped No Definite Effect Made a Little Worse Made Much Worse
Improvements seen:
Short-term side-effects:
Continuing side-effects:
Other comments:


PLEASE SELECT A LETTER TO RATE EACH OF THE SYMPTOMS / BEHAVIORS THAT YOU BELIEVE HAVE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF HBOT:

A = Definitely Helped; B = Moderate Improvement; C = Possibly Helped;
D = No Definite Effect; E = Little Worse; F = Much Worse
Affectionate A B C D E F
Appetite A B C D E F
Aware of Surroundings A B C D E F
Bowel movements A B C D E F
Communication A B C D E F
Ear Problems A B C D E F
Fatigue A B C D E F
Hyperactivity A B C D E F
Irritability A B C D E F
Motivation A B C D E F
Play/Interaction with Children A B C D E F
Seizures A B C D E F
Sensory Problems A B C D E F
Sleep A B C D E F
Speech A B C D E F
Stimming A B C D E F
Strength A B C D E F



- B - If your son/daughter received more than one series of HBOT treatments, either using the same chamber or two different chambers, please complete the form below, for the second series.

Treated with: % of oxygen
Duration of each treatment:
Number of treatments per day:
Total number of treatments
to present day (approx.):
Pressure treated at:
(indicate 'atmospheres' or pounds per sq. inch)
Overall, how effective was HBOT? Definitely Helped Moderate Improvement Possibly Helped No Definite Effect Made a Little Worse Made Much Worse
Improvements seen:
Short-term side-effects:
Continuing side-effects:
Other comments:


PLEASE SELECT A LETTER TO RATE EACH OF THE SYMPTOMS / BEHAVIORS THAT YOU BELIEVE HAVE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE SECOND SERIES OF HBOT:

A = Definitely Helped; B = Moderate Improvement; C = Possibly Helped;
D = No Definite Effect; E = Little Worse; F = Much Worse
Affectionate A B C D E F
Appetite A B C D E F
Aware of Surroundings A B C D E F
Bowel movements A B C D E F
Communication A B C D E F
Ear Problems A B C D E F
Fatigue A B C D E F
Hyperactivity A B C D E F
Irritability A B C D E F
Motivation A B C D E F
Play/Interaction with Children A B C D E F
Seizures A B C D E F
Sensory Problems A B C D E F
Sleep A B C D E F
Speech A B C D E F
Stimming A B C D E F
Strength A B C D E F



14.) If your son/daughter was treated in more than one type of chamber, based on your experience, which one would you recommend to other parents? (Please include type of chamber, pressure, and percent oxygen, if known.)

15.) Important! Please add any additional information, comments or observations that might be helpful. For example, if a SPECT scan was performed on your child before and after HBOT, what were the results?

16.) If we have further questions, may we contact you?

Yes No