Pharmacotherapy of Behavioral Symptoms and Psychiatric Comorbidities in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This chapter will focus on the pharmacologic treatment of adolescents (12–18 years) and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research on the pharmacotherapy of associated symptoms of ASD, such as interfering repetitive behaviors and irritability (tantrums, aggression, self-injury), will be reviewed. In addition, the available literature on drug treatment of psychiatric comorbidities in ASD will be covered, including mood and anxiety disorders, among others. This chapter will cover the available literature on adolescents and adults with ASD. Because research to date in ASD has largely focused on the treatment of children, key double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in this population will be summarized where applicable. Further, many studies of pharmacotherapy include children as well as adolescents and/or adults, making it difficult to generalize the results to any population.