Joint attention, a foundational nonverbal social-communicative milestone that fails to develop naturally in autism, was promoted for three toddlers with early-identified autism through a parent-mediated, developmentally grounded, researcher-guided intervention model. A multiple baseline design compared child performance across four phases of…

A review of 41 studies on pharmacological treatments for children with autism and pervasive personality disorder not otherwise specified, found empirical evidence for significant reductions in hyperactive symptoms was strongest for the antipsychotics, psychostimulants, and naltrexone. A theoretical model is proposed for using attentional…

This commentary discusses the use of pharmacological treatments to reduce over activity and hyperactivity in children with autism. While it concedes that some medications, particularly antipsychotics, can effectively reduce over activity, it cautions that the effects of psychotropic medications on inattention remain poorly defined and stresses the…