Foreword: Treating That Which We Now Know…

Much progress has occurred in our ability to identify and differentially diagnose children and adolescents who are “in the spectrum.” Even among providers who do not specialize in treating these youth, there has been an emerging appreciation for the many phenotypes of autism spectrum disorders (also known as pervasive developmental disorders). The early identification of these children has improved so much over recent years that there are some who are calling this an “autism epidemic.” Without entering into the issue of whether these are new cases, or rather a better appreciation for what was already there, the focus of this issue is intentionally something quite different.

With many more youths being diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorders, the reality is that neither the number of treatment providers nor the availability of specialized services has increased dramatically. Certainly, any modest gains are not sufficient to meet the current need. Practically, what many of us have probably noticed in our own clinical work is that we find ourselves being referred and treating some of these affected youth.

Instead of creating an issue on the entire topic of autism spectrum disorders, a conscious effort has been made to focus this issue on treatment. Much is known at this time regarding treatments, both psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic, to help these youths. There is no doubt that significant advances will be made with autism spectrum disorders, as will occur in many other parts of our field. The intention here, however, was to create an issue that would serve as a resource for the current state of the art regarding treatments for autism spectrum disorders.

I am grateful to David J. Posey and Christopher J. McDougle for creating such a thorough yet concise review of the major treatment modalities for autism spectrum disorders. I also thank each of the outstanding contributors for sharing their expertise and creating articles that are not only richly educational but also clinically invaluable. I have no doubt that we will get better at diagnosing and treating these youths as our research guides us forward. Let us focus our attention, however, on treating that which we now know.