Pharmacological treatment of autism spectrum disorder.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro developmental disorder whose core symptoms include difficulties with social communication and interactions and restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013;Tidmarsh & Volkmar, 2003). ASD is a disorder that has been the subject of much controversy over recent years, from its etiological basis to diagnostic practices to effective treatments. Current bestpractice approaches to treatment involve behavioral interventions, specifically applied behavior analysis (ABA), which has been shown to be effective in increasing socialization, adaptive skills, and communication (ViruésOrtega, 2010). There are currently no approved medications that are considered evidence based in addressing core autism symptomology, such as deficits in social