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You may have encountered such Although it can seriously limit People with ASD generally adopt
a person in your work: a man or daily activities, ASD is considered certain self-regulating behaviors to
boy (ASD affects males 5 times an “invisible disability” because calm themselves. These adaptive
more frequently than females) who many of its symptoms are largely behaviors help them function in a
does not make eye contact, answers unseen by onlookers, including high-anxiety world.
questions in a seemingly random fatigue, dizziness, learning dif- One characteristic self-regulating
way, cannot seem to sit still, and ferences, mental health disorders, behavior is known as stimming. It
possibly covers his ears. Consider hearing and vision impairments, involves repetitive movements such
that this person might not be defi- allergies, and gastrointestinal prob- as foot or finger tapping, fidgeting,
ant, mentally ill, or high. He might lems. It presents in many ways and hand flapping, finger flicking, rock-
have autism spectrum disorder. with varying degrees of severity, on ing, twirling, and repeating words
Autism is a neurodevelopmental a spectrum from Asperger’s syn- and sounds.
disorder characterized by difficul- drome (often referred to as “high- Acclimating allows an autistic
ties with social interactions, verbal functioning autism”) to severe person to adjust to their environ-
and nonverbal communication, lan- autism. ment by wandering around the
guage, muscle control, adaption to area, looking at and touching things
change, and modulation of sensory Recognizing ASD and people. Touching, examining,
input. It can affect the brain, cogni- People on the autism spectrum or smelling things in a new environ-
tion, emotions/behaviors, recep- often seem “off” or “odd” and their ment is their way of adjusting and is
tive/expressive language, motor behavior can be misconstrued as almost always indicative of autism.
functions, impulses, senses, and defiance. It’s important to know the Many with autism have dif-
coping mechanisms. Most people signs and signals so that you can ficulty with eye contact and may
with ASD suffer what is at times react appropriately—that is, calmly appear to be ignoring you. They are
debilitating anxiety. and patiently.
single-track thinkers. It is probable

Medications Commonly Used with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), block excessive activity of nerves in the brain and other
areas in the central nervous system. They are used to reduce anxiety and panic disorders, to induce relax-
ation and sleep, to treat or prevent seizures, to treat alcohol withdrawal, and as a muscle relaxant.

Atypical antipsychotics, such as aripiprazole (Abilify), quetiapine (Seroquel), and risperidone (Risperdal),
are generally prescribed for schizophrenia, severe depression, agitation, anxiety, and bipolar disorder
manic episodes. They are used to relieve delusions, hearing voices, hallucinations, and paranoid or
confused thoughts associated with mental illnesses. They are less likely than traditional antipsychotics to
cause extrapyramidal side effects such as akathisia.

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro),
and fluoxetine (Prozac), block the reabsorption of serotonin into neurons, making serotonin available to
improve transmission of messages between neurons. They are used to treat depression and anxiety.

NSRIs (Norepinephrine-Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), such as atomoxetine (Strattera), duloxetine
(Cymbalta), and venlafaxine (Effexor XR), block the reabsorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine.
They are used to treat depression and anxiety that are resistant to typical SSRIs as well as fibromyalgia.

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