What are the medications for treating childhood disintegrative disorder?
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Childhood disintegrative (or disintegration) disorder, also known as Heller syndrome, and now subsumed under the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM5), is characterized by a loss of previously acquired language and social skills and results in a persistent delay in these areas. For example, a child previously able to speak in 2- or 3-word phrases gradually or abruptly loses the ability to communicate using words or can use only fragments. What are the medications for treating childhood disintegrative disorder?
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@arvind The principles of therapy for childhood disintegrative disordere (CDD) are generally supportive in nature but do include specific behavioral interventions designed to halt behavioral deterioration and to improve communication, self-help, and social skills, thereby stabilizing the child’s reality testing scores and global functional level. No known medications address the core processes of CDD. No specific medications treat this disorder; generally, medications only address specific symptoms. Only haloperidol and risperidone have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat autism in children. Children who present with markedly impaired attention may improve with very low-dose (and carefully monitored) treatment with stimulants or nonstimulants (eg, atomoxetine).