Autism Therapy: psychotropic

definition of psychotropic: Drug or medication that affects the mind, emotions, mood, and/or behaviors. Psychotropic drugs can sometimes be used to treat people with autism.

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National Patterns in the Outpatient Pharmacological Management of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, by Gerhard, T., Chavez B., Olfson M., and Crystal S., published in 2009, summarized Jun 17, 2010

Many drugs are prescribed to help manage the symptoms of autism and yet very few studies have been done to demonstrate that these medications are helpful.

This article describes the use of drug therapy in the U.S. for youth with autism. Recently, there has been a large increase in the use of brain drugs (psychotropic medications) to treat young people with autism. This may be due to the fact that more people know about autism. It may also be due to the presence of new drugs such as atypical antipsychotics and newer stimulants. There are no guidelines to help doctors know how to prescribe brain drugs to help children with autism.


State Variation in Psychotropic Medication Use by Foster Care Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Pediatrics, by Rubin, DM, Feudtner C., Localio R., and Mandell DS, published in 2009, summarized Feb 10, 2010

Children with autism in foster care may be more likely to take 3 or more medications than children with other disabilities.

This study looked at Medicaid claims of 43,406 children with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Children were 3 to 18 years old. The authors compared children with autism in foster care to children with other disabilities. Almost 1 out of 3 children in foster care took 3 or more medications, compared to about 1 out of 16 children with other disabilities. Medication use also varied by state. Texas, Arizona, and South Carolina had the highest percentages of children with autism using prescribed medications. The authors think that state programs may need more oversight for appropriate medication use for children with autism.


A Longitudinal Investigation of Psychotropic and Non-Psychotropic Medication Use Among Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, by Esbensen, AJ, Greenberg JS, Seltzer MM, and Aman MG, published in 2009, summarized Jan 18, 2010

Many (70 to 80%) of adolescents and adults with autism take medications.

This study followed a group of 286 teenagers and adults (10 to 48 years old) with autism for 41/2 years. The authors asked which, if any, medications the people in the study were taking. At the start of the study, 70% were taking some medication (57% of patients were taking brain-related medication; 37% of patients were taking other medication). The more common brain-related medications were antipsychotics and antidepressants. After 41/2 years, 81% of the adolescents and adults were taking medication (64% of patients were taking brain-related; 50% of patients were taking other medication). The authors were surprised by the high level of medication use and wondered if the result was due to the fact that the study included adolescents and adults (as opposed to just children).


Psychotropic Medication Use among Medicaid-Enrolled Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Pediatrics, by Mandell, DS, Morales KH, Marcus SC, Stahmer AC, Doshi J., and Polsky DE, published in 2008, summarized May 28, 2008

White children with autism are more likely to get drug therapy than other children.

This study was designed to see how many children with autism receive drug therapy. The authors found that over half of Medicaid-enrolled children with autism received drug therapy. Children who are on Medicaid because of disability are more likely to receive drug therapy than children who are on Medicaid because of poverty. Children who had been hospital inpatients were also more likely to receive drug therapy. The authors suggest that care should be taken to make sure that all children have the health care resources that they need and are getting drug therapy if they need it.


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