Medication Treatment Outcomes for School-Aged Children Diagnosed with Autism

Recent studies on the prevalence of autism indicate that approximately 1 in 200 children meet diagnostic criteria, significantly greater than rates reported just a decade ago (Blanchard, Gurka, & Blackman, 2006). Concurrently, biomedical treatments including psychotropic medication have been used with increased frequency to treat children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (Aman, Lam, & Van Bourgondien, 2005). Medication treatments are often sought as an adjunct to social, behavioral, and educational interventions in an attempt to improve children’s academic, social, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Anticipated and unanticipated effects of medications commonly used to treat behaviors associated with autism are reviewed. Knowledge about the types and evidence-based support for different medication treatments used within this population of children is essential to integrating medical, educational, and psychosocial treatments within the school context. Finally, a simple and efficient means by which school psychologists may contribute to the evaluation of treatment services to those with autism is provided.