A Controlled Study of Olanzapine in Children With Autism

This is a 12-week study which investigates the use of olanzapine to decrease disruptive
behaviors sometimes associated with Autism in children, aged 3 to 12 years old. The first
six weeks of the study are double-blind and placebo controlled, meaning that patients
receive either placebo or olanzapine, and that neither the researchers nor the patients know
whether or not they are receiving placebo or olanzapine. In the second six weeks all of the
patients receive olanzapine. The purpose in using placebo is that it is otherwise
impossible to know how effective the drug is or whether or not the drug causes side effects.
Patients treated with placebo can have improvement and can have side effects. In the study
patients receive a psychiatric evaluation, physical examination, laboratory tests, and study
medication (olanzapine or placebo), free of charge.