Aim: Autism spectrum disorder is a class of neurological disorders that affect the development of brain functions. This study aims to evaluate, compare and rank the therapy techniques used in the management of autism spectrum disorder using multicriteria decision-making approaches. Materials & methods: Fuzzy PROMETHEE and fuzzy TOPSIS approaches were used. Fuzzy PROMETHEE utilizes a pair-wise comparison of alternatives under the fuzzy environment while fuzzy TOPSIS utilizes geometric distance from the positive ideal solution under the fuzzy environment for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the alternatives.The techniques selected for evaluation are applied behavioral analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, speech therapy and pharmacological therapy such as Risperidone and Aripiprazole. Criteria used in this study include efficacy, cost and side effects, and their weights are assigned based on specific patient conditions. Results: The results indicate that applied behavioral analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy and speech therapy are the most preferred techniques, followed by Aripiprazole and Risperidone. Conclusion: More criteria could be considered and the weights could be assigned according to the patient profile.
Keywords: PROMETHEE; TOPSIS; autism spectrum disorder; decision-making; fuzzy; therapy.
Lay abstract Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder (affecting the development of the brain) that usually presents during childhood. Because autism spectrum disorder has no cure, selecting the best therapy to manage the disorder is important for therapists, parents, health institutions and researchers with an interest in these types of disorders. This study focuses on comparing specific therapy techniques by using multicriteria decision-making methods. The result obtained by a decision-maker is not always the same, as different decision-makers may come up with different solutions depending on things like the cost and how well a therapy works on different aspects of the disorder. The outcome of the study indicates that applied behavioral analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy and speech therapy are preferred treatment alternatives, followed by treatment with Risperidone and Aripiprazole. Further analyses are needed to obtain more accurate patient-specific results that will incorporate specific patient demographics and data, as well as looking at the combination of two or three techniques.