I have a 7 year old son with high-functioning autism. is it smart to put him on a drug to improve his behavior?

Autism Spectrum: Autism in children who are high functioning may some times have add and anxiety symptoms and may need medications for that but that decision has to be made by childs pediatri neuro psychiatrist.We can not recommend on this site, so make an appointment and discuss your concern with the doctor, and if doc feels meds will benefit he/she will prescribe, these meds do have side effects you should be awar.

Meds can help...: ..A lot! autism manifests in various forms, probably has various causes, & is extremely complex to treat. Behavioral & social interventions are important, & increasingly psychoactive medications play an important role. These meds need be carefully selected & titrated for the individual, possibly addressing such features as anxiety, anger, mood, hyperactivity, etc. See a true expert& get the right rx.

Proceed with caution: There is no magic pill that will cure a child with autism. While it may be tempting to medicate a hyperactive or challenging child, this poses an ethical grey area for professionals and parents because many drugs have side effects whose long term profile is not yet know; children often cannot express if they feel sick. Meds are not a substitute for individualized intensive behavior intervention.