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Autism Specialist Speaks At Greenwich Hospital

GREENWICH, Conn. – Friends of Autistic People and Greenwich Hospital will co-host Dr. Roger Jou, medical director at the Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Yale Child Study Center, for a presentation titled “Medication, Mental Health, and Autism” Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Noble Conference Center.

Brita Darany von Regensburg, founder and president of FAP, Dr. Roger Jou, Dr. Linda Rammler, Roses for Autism, at a recent autism event.

Brita Darany von Regensburg, founder and president of FAP, Dr. Roger Jou, Dr. Linda Rammler, Roses for Autism, at a recent autism event.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Jou will speak about new treatment strategies, including experimental approaches targeting core social and communication vulnerabilities. He is one of the few autism-focused psychiatrists who treats older children and adults with autism. He advises on using as little medication as possible and warns against overmedicating. He states that people with autism are at increased risk for mental health conditions. Some examples include anxiety, depression, inattention and hyperactivity.

While there are no medications approved for treating the underlying social disability of autism, these co-occurring mental health conditions can often be effectively treated with the same medications approved for use in their typically developing peers. However, careful adaptation is required to ensure accurate assessment, which is essential for safe and effective treatment. Adaptations not only include tailored prescribing practices, but also close collaboration with key professionals and family members.

This presentation addresses these various challenges by providing an overview of psychotropic medications followed by principles and practices for use in this special population.

A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

The Greenwich Hospital is located at 5 Perryridge Road. 

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