Fifteen-year-old Marshall Scarpulla is one of three children in his family with autism. His mother, Alissa Scarpulla, said she noticed some of the signs when he was 3 years old.
“He was having a speech delay and the school brought it to my attention, too,” she told CBS News.
There is no cure for autism, but researchers at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx are studying whether a first-of-its-kind drug called balovaptan, could make a difference for kids like Marshall.
“There are not any approved treatments for what we think of as the core symptoms of autism… all of the social difficulties, repetitive behaviors and the ability to function in everyday life,” said Dr. Eric Hollander, director of the Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Program at Montefiore. Marshall is part of the nationwide clinical trial, which includes 300 children and teens with high functioning autism.
Researchers are testing whether the drug, balovaptan, can help with autism symptoms by affecting neuro-system to influence social behavior. Hollander says the drug could be one piece of the puzzle.
“There would still be need for speech therapy, occupational therapy, educational interventions and applied behavioral interventions,” he explained.
Full article available at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-autism-drug-balovaptan-could-it-help-kids-with-asd-autism-spectrum-disorder/
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