- With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus consultant in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to MayoClinic.com in general and primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.
Dr. Hoecker, a Fort Worth, Texas, native, is certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was trained at Washington University's St. Louis Children's Hospital, and in infectious diseases at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1989.
"The World Wide Web is revolutionizing the availability and distribution of information, including health information about children and families," Dr. Hoecker says. "The evolution of the Web has included greater safety, privacy and accuracy over time, making the quality and access to children's health information immediate, practical and useful. I am happy to be a part of this service to patients from a trusted name in medicine, to use and foster all the good the Web has to offer children and their families."
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Risperdal: Can it treat autism behaviors?
My 12-year-old son has Asperger's syndrome. He has many nervous tics, including rocking, fidgeting and shaking things. I've read that a small dose of Risperdal may help. But his doctor is reluctant to prescribe it for him. What are your thoughts on Risperdal as a treatment for Asperger's?
Answer
from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Risperidone (Risperdal) is a psychotropic medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating irritability in children and adolescents with autism. Risperdal has not been specifically tested or approved for Asperger's syndrome. However, some doctors may prescribe it for certain behavior symptoms that may be seen in children or adolescents with Asperger's syndrome.
Risperdal is approved to treat specific behaviors that may occur with autism, including:
- Aggression
- Self-injury
- Tantrums
- Mood swings
It hasn't been approved for the behaviors — rocking, fidgeting and shaking things — that you describe.
Also, you should be aware that Risperdal has potential side effects, including increased appetite and weight gain, fatigue, increased saliva or dry mouth, constipation, rapid heart rate, dizziness, upper respiratory tract infection, and movement disorders, such as restlessness, tremors, muscle stiffness and involuntary movements.
Unfortunately, there are currently no medications that specifically treat the core social and communication problems that occur in children and adolescents with either autism or Asperger's syndrome. However, some medications may improve certain behavioral symptoms that may occur in children and adolescents with autism or Asperger's syndrome, such as anxiety, depression or hyperactivity. Also, behavior therapy and communication and social skills training may be helpful for people with Asperger's syndrome.
