Latest Research

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Aripiprazole in Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified and Asperger’s Disorder: A 14-Week, Prospective, Open-Label Study
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, by Stigler, KA, Diener JT, Kohn AE, Li L., Erickson CA, Posey DJ, and McDougle CJ, published in 2009, summarized Jul 2010

Aripiprazole may help to improve severe irritability in children with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome.

This prospective, open-label study sought to find out if the drug aripiprazole was safe and helpful as a treatment for irritability in children with PDD-NOS and Asperger syndrome. The 14-week study found that aripiprazole was safe and may be helpful for such patients. The patients showed decreased irritability as well as increased social behavior. The authors note that there are not many studies of patients with PDD-NOS (as opposed to autism). PDD-NOS is the most common subtype of PDD and the authors called for more studies of these patients.


The Use of Structural Analysis to Develop Antecedent-Based Interventions for Students with Autism
J Autism Dev Disorder, by Stichter, JP, Randolph JK, Kay D., and Gage N., published in 2009, summarized Jul 2010

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) may be helpful in the classroom when used to identify natural causes of social behavior in a student with autism.

Structural analysis is a way of looking closely at a person’s behavior to see what is causing that behavior. Many studies have shown that structural analysis is helpful in finding the cause behind different behaviors in different students, and can be used to change behavior. This study looked to see how structural analysis can be used to help increase social behavior in students with autism. In the case of one boy, the authors found that the student was more social if the teacher was closer. The authors suggest that time be spent finding out what types of things may cause a child with autism to show more social behavior.


Acute and Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy for Treatment of Severely Disabling Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in a Patient with Asperger Syndrome
Journal of ECT, by Nilsson, BM, and Ekselius L., published in 2009, summarized Jul 2010

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be helpful for people with autism who suffer from severe mental health issues that do not respond to other treatments.

Many people with autism also have other mental health issues such as bipolarity and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This case study describes the use of ECT to treat a 38 year old man with autism who suffered from prolonged and severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms as well as hypochondria. The man did not respond to drug therapy or cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The patient’s health was restored after ECT.


Picture Exchange Communication (PECS) Training for Young Children: Does Training Transfer at School to Home?
Behavior Change, by Carre, AJM, Le Grice B., Blampied NM, and Walker D., published in 2009, summarized Jul 2010

Picture Exchange Communication (PECS) may be easily taught to children with autism, but it may be hard to teach the children to generalize PECS requests outside of therapy sessions and into school and home.

This study focused on the extent to which PECS training transfers to the classroom and home. The three children in the study (5-6 years old) learned PECS quickly. The children did not make many PECS requests outside of the therapy session. The child who had the most PECS training was also the child who made the most PECS requests in school. The authors suggest that it may be important to have trained PECS communication partners in the school and home in order to get the child to use PECS in different settings.


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