Pharmacotherapy for autistic children: a summary of research.

An overview of research involving pharmacotherapy in infantile autism is presented. Methodological issues relating to experimental design, rating instruments and ecological factors are considered. Classification of infantile autism and diagnostic problems are discussed. Research investigations conducted in order to define diagnostic subgroups in the etiologically heterogeneous population of autistic children are described. An attempt is made to relate biochemical findings to clinical drug response. Recent findings are presented indicating that a potent neuroleptic is able to yield simultaneously significant decrease of behavioural symptoms and improved learning under both clinical and laboratory conditions. The drug can be effective in conservative doses and administered over a period of 14 weeks without untoward effects. New research plans are introduced where attentional learning will be assessed in an operant conditioning paradigm using automated procedures.