Autism is increasingly being recognized as a common disorder with enormous public health significance. The core symptoms of autism include severe deficits in social relatedness and communication, and interfering repetitive behavior. No medications have been shown to consistently improve any of these symptoms.~The central hypothesis of this study is that NAC will improve behavioral manifestations of autism which may include core or associated symptoms. We plan to test our hypothesis and complete the objectives of this project by pursuing the following specific aims:~Evaluate the efficacy of oral NAC in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 32 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.~Evaluate the safety and tolerability of oral NAC in 32 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether treatment with oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) will improve behavior problems often associated with autism spectrum disorders.