Autism-Open Access
Open Access

Medication Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Ratan Baral^{* *}Correspondence: Ratan Baral, Department of Pediatrics, Dr. D Y Patil Medical College and Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India, Email:

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Description

Autism medications are prescribed to treat some of the behavioral symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is currently no treatment for the entirety of the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. There is no specific medication for autism. Many children with autism, however, use medication to treat related conditions like anxiety, hyperactivity, and violence. Medication can help with behavioral disorders, preventing children from entering residential care and allowing them to stay at home or complete their education.

A complicated developmental disease called autism impacts behavior and inhibits one's ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is a spectrum of disorders with modest to severe symptoms. People with severe forms of ASD may never be able to live independently, although high-functioning ASD patients can be bestowed with outstanding skills. Early childhood is when autistic disorder first becomes apparent, even though many children with ASD may seem normal as infants. ASD is reported to be four times more common in boys.

There is no medication that can treat all of the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). But some drugs, particularly those that target specific behaviors, can help alleviate some ASD symptoms. Medication is frequently prescribed by medical professionals to address a particular behavior, such as violence or self-harm. A person with autism can concentrate on other things, like learning and communication, by minimizing a symptom. According to research, using medication in conjunction with behavioral therapy maximizes its effectiveness.

Some antipsychotic medications, including risperidone and aripripazole, have FDA approval for the treatment of ASDrelated irritability in children between specific ages. Parents should discuss any drugs for children with ASD with their child's medical professionals.

The most common use of autism medications is in conjunction with behavioral therapy. Generally, medications work in conjunction with other forms of treatment. For a very long time, there has been a significant unmet demand for medications to treat the three main symptoms of autism: repetitive behavior, social issues, and communication difficulties. Unfortunately, there aren't many medications on the market today that can properly treat these symptoms, and none of the solutions most frequently suggested by doctors is beneficial for everyone.

Risperidone and aripiprazole are two medications the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has licensed to treat the irritability associated with autism; however, the FDA has not yet approved a medication to address the three essential aspects of autism. However, medications like risperidone and aripiprazole may be helpful in ways that can ease these primary symptoms, as reducing irritability frequently enhances sociability while lowering tantrums, angry outbursts, and self-harming behaviors.

We will have to wait at least a few more years before we can determine whether any of these drug studies produce enough data on safety and efficacy to justify FDA approval for the treatment of core symptoms, despite the fact that these developments are exciting and hold real promise for improving the lives of people with autism.

The majority of medications used to treat the debilitating symptoms of autism are administered "off label," which means that their FDA approval is for other, occasionally concomitant illnesses like depression, sleep disorders, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In almost all fields of medicine, such off-label usage is frequent and typically done to alleviate severe pain in the absence of sufficiently sizable and focused investigations.

A group of neurodevelopmental problems are grouped under the term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classifies "pervasive personality disorder not otherwise specified," Asperger's syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders generally as ASD.

Medications: How they can help autistic children and what their side effects are

Children with autism who exhibit the following features may benefit from medication:

• Aggressive behavior

• Anxiety and obsessive behavior

• Hyperactive behavior or over activity

• Seizures

• Sleep problems

• Tics