Antipsychotics Medication Use and its Metabolic Challenges for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

There has been a growth in the knowledge about autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the United States and worldwide. As the prevalence rates have grown, so has the awareness of the need to develop effective and safe treatments for children with ASD. In addition to the behavioral interventions such as applied behavioral analysis, parent training, and adaptive skills training, there has been an increase in the use of medications for the treatment of ASD symptoms. At this time, there are two antipsychotics approved by the FDA for the use in children with ASD, risperidone and aripiprazol. Generally, the use of this classification has been more recently associated with changes in metabolic function in children. The purpose of this article is to review briefly the use of psychotropic medications, focusing on antipsychotics, and discuss the metabolic risks and risk factors associated with their use within children with autism.