Y ears ago, children with autism were usually institutionalized and often forgotten. Today we know that autism is treatable, and most clinicians believe it's best to start sooner rather than later. Isabel Carotenuto, MD, director, Division of Child Development at NJMS, is an autism specialist and a consultant at several special education schools in Newark. The specific undesirable behaviors are targeted and a therapist, teacher and parents all work with the child to change them. It is labor intensive, she says, and requires relentless repetition and consistency.
Some symptoms do improve, and the learning, in and of itself, can modify a behavior.
Tantrums, for example, may decrease as the child learns to speak, making enrollment in an early intervention program and speech therapy valuable adjunct interventions. In the last decade, pharmacological therapy in autism has taken a giant step forward, Carotenuto says. Although effective, it can have dangerous side effects. A newer neuroleptic, risperidone, produces fewer side effects and has shown promise in calming negative behaviors. Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, can be tried for self-injurious behavior.