Autism Carlat Reports | Carlat Publishing

Clinical Update

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Autism in Children and Adolescents

Your patient is a young child who has recently been diagnosed with autism. Her parents are asking about the available treatments, and in particular, they want to know whether they should pursue the 40-hour-per-week program recommended by the local autism society. As clinicians, we are often faced with questions from families about the “best” pr

Expert Q&A

Effect Size Matters: The Seismic Shift Toward Naturalistic and Developmental Interventions in Autism

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Autism in Children and Adolescents

CCPR: Welcome, Dr. Sandbank. Tell us about your work. Dr. Sandbank: My current research is in social communication and language interventions for young children with disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum. I am lead researcher on Project AIM, a vast systematic review and meta-analysis of all group design studies of interventions for young

Expert Q&A

Pharmacotherapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Autism in Children and Adolescents

CCPR: Welcome, Dr. Krause. Tell us a little bit about the recent paper you coauthored called Pharmacologic Management of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of Seven Studies (Kothadia RJ et al, Current Psychiatry 2021;20(1):33–38). Dr. Krause: Our study was a review of reviews. The aim was to see if we could find any new insights into medication treat

Research Update

Does Prozac Treat Repetitive and Stereotypical Behaviors in Children With Autism?

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Identity & Culture in Children and Adolescents

Review of: Reddihough DS et al, JAMA 2019;322(16):1561–1569 Restrictive, repetitive, and stereotypical behaviors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a common concern, and there are no FDA-approved medications for their treatment. We know that fluoxetine is effective in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder i

Clinical Update

Exploring the Potential Neurotoxicity of Antipsychotics in Younger Populations

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Autism in Children and Adolescents

Topics: Antipsychotics | Autism | Autism Spectrum Disorder | Neurotoxicity

At Carlat, we bang the drum of caution about antipsychotic use in children and adolescents. In this article, we pair rising concerns about antipsychotic neurotoxicity with the lack of efficacy evidence for off-label usage. Labeled use It is important to treat psychosis. A recent review by Goff and colleagues shows better outcomes for people who rece

Expert Q&A

Managing Irritability in Autism

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Autism in Children and Adolescents

Topics: Autism | Autism Spectrum Disorder | Irritability | Symptom Assessment | Symptom Management

CCPR: Please tell us a little about the work you do. Dr. Brookman-Frazee: Most of my research is focused on children who have mental health needs, including those on the autism spectrum. I’m focused on ensuring that children, in community services and routine care, have access to evidence-based mental health practices. The “laboratory” of much of

Research Update

Engage Those Infants: Maternal Interaction and Autism

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Autism in Children and Adolescents

REVIEW OF: Schwichtenberg AJ et al, Autism 2019;23(4):821–833 Mother-infant interactions are a cornerstone of early development, supporting social and language development of children with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research on the impact of maternal behaviors on these interactions offers helpful guidance in clinical work with infants

Research Update

Weight Gain From Aripiprazole Same as Risperidone

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Autism in Children and Adolescents

Review of: Schoemakers RJ et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharm 2019;29(3):192–196 Many providers prefer aripiprazole over risperidone for young patients due to observed lower incidence of weight gain. This is supported in studies with follow-up of less than 3 months. However, does aripiprazole fare better with long-term use? Researchers reviewed r

Research Update

Melatonin for Insomnia in Patients With Autism

From The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, Depression in Children and Adolescents

Topics: Autism | Child Psychiatry | Research Update | Sleep Disorders

Review of: Maras A et al, J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2018;28(10):699–710 Treating sleep problems in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is tricky at best. One promising treatment is pediatric prolonged-release melatonin (PedPRM) sold under the name Slenyto. In 2017, a randomized controlled trial (funded by the manufacturer) assigned 11

Research Update

Autism: The Goal Posts Have Moved

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Borderline Personality Disorder

Topics: Autism | Autism Spectrum Disorder autism spectrum disorder | Diagnosis | Research Update

Review of: Rødgaard EM et al, JAMA Psychiatry 2019;76(11):1124–1132 Study Type: Meta-analysis of meta-analyses We’ve heard a lot about the increasing prevalence of autism, up from 1 in 2,000 in 1965 to 1 in 45 in 2015. What we have not heard are definitive answers as to why. This study used a novel design to explore whether the research has i

Expert Q&A

Micronutrients in Mental Health

From The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Adult ADHD

TCPR: You’ve studied micronutrients in ADHD and other psychiatric disorders. What are micronutrients?Dr. Rucklidge: They are small nutrients—vitamins, minerals, and amino acids—that are essential for your brain to function optimally. They include cofactors like B6, zinc, and magnesium that are involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and h