Buspirone for Anxiety in Autistic Youth

After being informed about the study and potential risks, all patients or their legal guardians giving written informed consent will be screened for study eligibility. Patients who meet the eligibility requirements will participate in a 16-week, flexibly-dosed, randomized controlled trial of buspirone versus placebo. The dose of buspirone will be adjusted over the first 12 weeks of the study and a stable dose will be maintained for the final four weeks of the trial. Adverse effects will be reviewed at each visit and standardized measures of anxiety will be conducted at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16.