Clinical Trial Evaluating the Effects of Ganaxolone in Children With Autism

Inclusion Criteria

• •1. children between the ages of 5 years and 17 years old at enrollment
• •2. diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder based on DSM-5 criteria and confirmed with the Autism Diagnostic Inventory - Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2nd edition (ADOS-2), or Childhood Autism Rating Scales (CARS)
• •3. medical stability based on clinical interview
• •4. stable medication regimens (2 weeks, with the exception of fluoxetine for 4 weeks)
• •5. stable psychosocial therapies (4 weeks) prior to randomization and no plans to change treatments or intensity during the trial
• •6. high rates of irritability defined as the Aberrant Behavior Checklist irritability subscale score \> 18
• •7. for participants who are sexually active, use of an effective contraceptive (e.g., birth control medications for female participants and condoms for male participants) and no plans for pregnancy throughout the trial
• •8. for females, negative urine pregnancy test at baseline
• •9. no planned changes in school placement
• •10. for participants living within 150 miles of Stanford University, have the ability to attend site visits and attempt EEG and MRI procedures before and after the trial
• •11. availability of a reliable informant who interacts with the participant regularly and can reliably complete assessments in English regarding their behaviors throughout the trial
• •12. ability to participate in the testing administered in English to the extent that valid standard scores and biological samples can be obtained.