Citation

Robb AS. Dev. Disabil. Res. Rev. 2010; 16(3): 258-264.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, George Washington University Medical Center, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. arobb@cnmc.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ddrr.118

PMID

20981764

Abstract

Children with autism and autism spectrum disorders have a high rate of irritability and aggressive symptoms. In one study up to 20% of children with autism have symptoms of irritability and aggression including aggression, severe tantrums, and deliberate self injurious behavior (Lecavalier [2006] J. Autism Dev. Disord. 36:1101-1114.). These symptoms can lead to impairment and distress in both home and school settings. Medications to treat the irritability will be discussed across categories of antipsychotics, antidepressants, antihypertensive agents, and others. Emphasis will be placed on medications with the most safety and efficacy and FDA approval.

Language: en