[Psychopharmacology of autistic disorders]

There is a growing number of studies on the efficacy of pharmacological interventions in autistic disorders. Although the core symptoms of autism can hardly be influenced by medication, drug treatment can be used as a valuable adjunct therapy, targeting above all externalizing disorders associated with autism. The primary goal of drug treatment in autism is to decrease maladaptive behaviors in order to allow the child to better benefit from other therapeutic interventions. Unfortunately, the combination of different psychopharmacological agents has not been studied so far, despite their pivotal role in practical clinical work. It remains to be seen whether future studies will explore the efficacy of a combination of drug treatment with other treatment modalities, respectively the seemingly useful combination of different medications. Newer medications effective in the treatment of autistic children cause fewer unwanted side effects. The number of pharmacological studies with good methodological standards is also increasing.