The effects of fenfluramine on communication skills in autistic children.

The effect of fenfluramine on communication skills in six autistic males was examined over a 9-month period. Communication behaviors were analyzed via standardized receptive and expressive measures, spontaneous speech samples gathered in the clinic, and videotaped observations of the numbers of noncommunicative utterances, immediate echolalia, and spontaneous initiations. The results demonstrated that fenfluramine had no significant effects on the communication behaviors of these six autistic males.