In the United States today, approximately 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is a disorder of the brain that can include, but is not limited to, social interaction difficulties, communication challenges, and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. Autism is often misunderstood both in the public and in the scientific community. A large part of the problem is that it is not understood in the brain.
Autism diagnosed on a very large spectrum and people with the disorder vary on levels of functionality and ability to do things such as communicate, socialize, and control their behaviors. As for genetic factors, there are diverse variations underlying the development of ASD and this limits the development of medication for people living with ASD. Currently, there are only a few FDA-approved medications for ASD including a drug called Risperidone. Risperidone is a dopamine antagonist that acts as an antipsychotic in the brain and is most commonly used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The problem with using this medication in ASD is that it doesn’t help with all the symptoms of the disorder. While taking the antipsychotic, there is a reduction in hyperactivity, irritability, and repetitive behaviors that people with ASD tend to experience. When these symptoms are treated, there still are the problems with social withdrawal and communication skills.
With this limited treatment option, the focus in research lies on cause of the social and communication impairments. Likely, the “core” of ASD symptoms can be attributed to problems in excitatory synapse transmission. As the brain was developing in ASD children, The greater the malfunction of excitatory pathways in the brain, the greater deficits. In excitatory pathways of ASD patients, studies have shown that there is improper development in adhesion molecules and scaffolding proteins. When these components are incorrectly developed, the excitatory pathways associated with social skills and communication are impacted negatively.
Unfortunately for ASD patients, the misunderstanding of this pathway malfunction is the reason they cannot be effectively treated. For this disorder, medication may or may not be the answer, but without understand the neuronal pathways affected, the scientific community can never find out. It is possible that behavioral therapy may be the most promising way to treat children with ASD. As research on autistic brains continues, hopefully the thousands of children with the disorder can benefit. Regardless of research outcomes, children with autism are full of light and deserve to be advocated for in any way possible. Advocacy needs to happen in the scientific, medical, and public settings for the 1 in 68 children currently living with ASD.
Fun fact: April is Autism Awareness Month!
Why Are We Only Treating Half of Autism?
