Betts says that "there are thousands of families using [hyperbaric chambers] for autism, and they are seeing results." She says she knows of one autistic child who started speaking after 110 treatments.
Though hyperbaric treatments are generally safe, especially when they're filled with room air, there is always a risk when oxygen tanks are involved, Freiberger says. In May, a 4-year-old Italian boy and his grandmother were severely burned by an explosion in a hyperbaric chamber at an alternative health clinic in Florida. The grandmother died the day after the explosion. The boy, who was receiving treatment for cerebral palsy, died a little more than one month later, with burns over 90% of his body.
