There is a considerable amount of high quality research evidence (more than 20 controlled and randomised controlled trials) and a considerable amount of low quality research (more than 20 single-case design studies with three or more participants) into the use of risperidone for autistic children and young people.
This research suggests that risperidone may be beneficial for the treatment of behaviours such as aggression, self-injurious behaviours and sudden mood changes in some autistic children and young people.
There is insufficient evidence to determine if risperidone provides any benefits in other areas (such as social communication and social interaction) to autistic children and adolescents. There is insufficient evidence to determine if risperidone provides any benefits to autistic adults.
There is a considerable amount of research evidence of significant side effects of risperidone in some autistic children and young people. Those side effects may include weight gain, drowsiness and raised serum prolactin levels.
There is a need for further, large-scale, randomised, double-blind trials on the effectiveness of risperidone. These studies should