Or: "Sudden drastic change in personality took 5 years to adjust to; some things better, some worse"

"Effective novel treatment has benefits for one patient" is a less interesting story than "Effective novel treatment has unexpected drawbacks for one patient". Benefits are exactly what every reader expects from an effective treatment.

Actually thought that one of the more interesting aspects of this story is the pure amount of opposing forces that the author went through, even to the point that he seemed non-committal on whether going through the therapy was a net benefit or negative. This is one of those articles where the meaning & feeling of it could never be expressed in a one-sentence title :-).

I believe the implication is that the original title is click-bait. I don't think that's the case. The article is a discussion of the unintended consequences of curing autism. The author, and I imagine most readers, assume that curing autism is an all around good thing and would enhance one's life. The author's experiences contradict that, and that's what the article is trying to communicate. So the title is appropriate for the content. "An experimental autism treatment gave me my son back" is heartwarming, for sure, but a completely expected outcome and contradicts the conclusion intended by the author. I was much more satisfied to have my assumptions challenged by the article, than to have my assumptions reinforced.

I agree with you... though it wouldn't be that dramatic and thus less clic-baitish.

Original headline is quite delicious [soundbite].

Your version is less catchy.

Negative effect of a treatment is more interesting than positive effects.