With the increasing numbers of children who are being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder there are a wide variety of treatment approaches being marketed to vulnerable parents who are desperate to help their child. However, many of these approaches have not been rigorously evaluated and can lead to false hopes, unreasonable fears, or financial ruin. Critical scientific evaluation of proposed interventions can be the best way to determine the effectiveness of different treatment approaches and to avoid expensive treatments with limited or no evidence of their success. This article offers a brief description and evaluation of treatments for autism based upon the science to date in the field.