autism

I have a 5 yr old son with Autism. He is on Risperidone because he has alot of outburts on a daily basis. I don't think the medicine is working for him. He is still having outburts. I was told he might need Retlin. I want to know if there is any medication out there that can help him. He has never spoken a word. I need help.

[Jason C Bourret, Ph.D., BCBA]

Risperidone is an antipsychotic that may decrease problem behavior in some individuals. If you are not seeing effects, it may be that your son is not at an effective dose or it may be that the medication is just not effective for him. Unfortunately, there is no medication that will help your son begin to speak. Medication like risperidone has serious side effects, its efficacy needs to be continually monitored to make sure that it is producing a clinically significant benefit for your son, and there should be ongoing attempts to attempt to taper and remove the medication as soon as possible. The choice of appropriate medication is one that should be made by your son’s psychiatrist, taking your input into account. It is extremely important that you have a good working relationship with the psychiatrist. If you are unsure why a medication is being used, how its effects will be measured, or how decisions will be made about increasing or decreasing doses, seek a different psychiatrist.