Prevalence and patterns of use of psychoactive medicines among individuals with autism in the Autism Society of Ohio.
Over half of Ohio families already use psychoactive meds or supplements—always ask for the list and check the science.
01Research in Context
What this study did
DeLeon et al. (2003) mailed a one-page survey to every family listed with the Autism Society of Ohio.
Parents checked yes or no for any psychoactive drug or supplement their child with autism was taking.
The team counted how many families used these products and which ones they chose.
What they found
Fifty-five percent of Ohio families reported giving their child a psychoactive medicine or supplement.
Many of the products lacked strong research support for autism.
The survey showed wide use without clear science backing each choice.
How this fits with other research
Smith et al. (2010) asked the same question in a national registry and found a lower rate: 35%. The Ohio number is higher, but both studies show heavy use.
Memari et al. (2012) found an even steeper 80% rate among Iranian children. The gap looks like a clash, yet it mirrors different health-care cultures, not survey flaws.
Hudson et al. (2012) reviewed 33 gold-standard drug trials and found solid proof for only a handful of medicines. Their work warns that many products in the Ohio survey rest on shaky ground.
Why it matters
You will meet children whose parents already give them melatonin, vitamins, or antipsychotics. Ask for the full list, check the evidence, and track effects. This quick step keeps you, the family, and the prescriber on the same page and protects the child from unneeded pills.
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Join Free →Start each intake by writing down every pill and supplement the parent names, then compare that list to the evidence in Matthew et al. (2012).
02At a glance
03Original abstract
To date, there have been few surveys of psychotropic and antiepileptic drug (AED) prevalence in individuals with autism-spectrum conditions. We surveyed 747 families in the Autism Society of Ohio regarding the use of psychotropic drugs, AEDs, and over-the-counter (OTC) preparations for autism. In all, 417 families (55.8%) replied. A total of 45.6% were taking some form of psychotropic agent (including St. John's wort and melatonin), whereas 11.5% were taking AEDs, and 10.3% took OTC autism preparations. The most common psychotropic agents included antidepressants (21.6%), antipsychotics (14.9%), antihypertensives (12.5%), and stimulants (11.3%). Some 51.6% were prescribed psychotropic drugs or AEDs, and 55.4% took psychotropic drugs, AEDs, or autism supplements. Demographic variables frequently found to be associated with medication use included greater age, more severe autism, more severe intellectual handicap, and housing outside the family home. Whereas there is empirical support for the use of some of these psychotropic agents in autism, others are being prescribed with minimal research support. OTC autism preparations were used in substantial numbers of individuals, despite limited research support and the possibility of toxic effects.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2003 · doi:10.1023/a:1025883612879