Psychopharmacology of Autism Spectrum Disorder becomes clinically important the moment a team has to turn good intentions into reliable action inside home routines, treatment sessions, interdisciplinary consultation, and health-related skill support. In Psychopharmacology of Autism Spectrum Disorder, for this course, the practical stakes show up in safe, humane intervention that respects health variables and daily-life feasibility, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Profound Autism Summit
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Join Free →The goal of this presentation is to discuss the role of pharmacological treatment for behavioral symptoms commonly associated with autism spectrum disorder. To date, no medication has been identified to effectively treat the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. Research has demonstrated that atypical antipsychotics effectively treat associated irritability (aggression, self-injury, property destruction, severe tantrums, and mood swings). The atypical antipsychotics are associated with side effects that included sedation, increased appetite/weight gain, metabolic syndrome, hyperprolactinemia, and tardive dyskinesia. Buspirone and mirtazapine are two medications that may be effective for treating anxiety associated with autism spectrum disorder. Buspirone has very few potential side effects; mirtazapine can result in sedation and increased appetite/weight gain. Guanfacine, atomoxetine and at times, psychostimulants can be effective for associated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Guanfacine can be associated with sedation, reduced blood pressure and heart rate, and constipation; atomoxetine is generally well tolerated; psychostimulants can cause behavioral worsening, reduced appetite, insomnia, and tics. Melatonin, trazodone, clonidine, mirtazapine. and other medications can be effective for insomnia, and they are generally well tolerated. Limited research exists on the treatment of depression associated with autism spectrum disorder. Duloxetine and mirtazapine can be effective; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) should generally be avoided due to the risk of behavioral activation. These medications (and others), behavioral target symptoms and potential side effects of medication will be discussed, with an emphasis on results from randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
| NASW | 1 | — |
| PSY | 1 | — |
Christopher J. McDougle, M.D.; Director, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital and MassGeneral Hospital for Children; Nancy Lurie Marks Professor in the Field of Autism, Harvard Medical School Dr. McDougle received a B.A. in chemistry from Valparaiso University in 1981 (with Highest Distinction) and an M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1986 (with Highest Distinction and election into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society). He subsequently completed a residency in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine (1990) and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center (1995). After seven years on the faculty at Yale, Dr. McDougle joined the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) in 1997 as the Raymond E. Houk Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In September of 2000, Dr. McDougle was named the Albert Eugene Sterne Professor of Psychiatry and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the IUSM. He continued as Director of the Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, as well. In the fall of 2011, Dr. McDougle became the Director of the Lurie Center for Autism and the Nancy Lurie Marks Professor in the Field of Autism at Harvard Medical School. Dr. McDougle is an internationally recognized expert in the neurobiology and neuropsychopharmacology of childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, across the lifespan. His research interests also include the etiology and pathophysiology of syndromes associated with intellectual disability. Dr. McDougle has been awarded two Young Investigator Awards from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), an Independent Investigator Award from NARSAD, a grant from the Theodore and Vada Stanley Research Foundation, and numerous federal grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including those that led to risperidone becoming the first medication to be approved for autism by the Food and Drug Administration, and another that determined that the neurohormone oxytocin, is not effective for the social-communication impairment of autism with results recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. McDougle has published nearly 350 scholarly papers in scientific journals, including New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics, Lancet, Molecular Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, Harvard Review of Psychiatry, PLoS One, Nature, American Journal of Psychiatry, Archives of General Psychiatry, British Journal of Psychiatry, and Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He has also published nearly 100 Reviews and Chapters and three books. Dr. McDougle was elected to the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology in 1995. He was twice chosen as Teacher of the Year by the Yale Psychiatry Residents. In 2002, Dr. McDougle was selected as a recipient of the 12th Annual Nancy C.A. Roeske, M.D. Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education from the American Psychiatric Association, and in 2007 he was selected as a recipient of the Annual Irma Bland Award for Excellence in Teaching Residents, also by the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. McDougle was awarded the Frank J. Menolascino Award for Psychiatric Services for Persons with Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities from the American Psychiatric Association in 2009. He received the George Tarjan Award for Contributions in Developmental Disabilities from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2012. Dr. McDougle was awarded the Ruane Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Research from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation in 2024. From 2003-2021, he was Associate Editor of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Dr. McDougle has maintained a clinical practice throughout his career and is referred patients for evaluation and treatment from across the nation and numerous other countries.
Side-by-side comparison with a clinical decision framework
Research-backed educational guide for behavior analysts
Research-backed answers to common clinical questions
All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.