Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may someday see relief from disruptive behaviors associated with ASD, thanks to cannabidiol (CBD) extract treatments, according to research presented at the 2025 European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA).
Learning About Autism Treatments
About 1 in 100 children are estimated to have ASD. Children and teens with the disorder often have difficulty interpreting language and expressing emotions. They also sometimes cause disruptions, for instance, by repeating certain words or behaviors.
Current treatments for autism fall into two categories: medication and behavior. Neither has demonstrated large-scale efficacy.
Medications to treat ASD include anti-anxiety and antipsychotic drugs, as well as stimulants. But these medications’ efficacy vary widely from patient to patient. They also don’t appear to control anti-social behavior and often come with side effects.
Behavioral treatments for ASD tend to focus on applied behavior analysis (ABA). That treatment leans into a patient’s strengths or obsessions and uses constant feedback to alter behavior. However, there is some doubt about this approach’s efficacy.
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Looking for a Better Way to Treat Autism
Due to both the extent of ASD and the challenges in treating its symptoms, both parents and physicians have been searching for a more effective and universal approach.
“ASD can be extremely frustrating for all involved; parents of children and adolescents with the disorder, the treating clinicians and of course the children and adolescents themselves,” Geert Dom, EPA president, said in a press release. “A large part of this frustration is down to finding a viable treatment option that works to reduce symptoms.”
The researchers turned to three earlier, small studies where children and teens received varying doses of CBD oil. They then pooled the results in the “meta-analysis” they presented at the conference. Those results appear promising.
Early Signs of Success
The treatments “significantly enhanced” social responsiveness. They also provided “small yet notable reductions” in disruptive behaviors and anxiety, according to the study.
The oral treatments also didn’t appear to cause any substantial adverse effects when compared to a placebo. The authors recommend that the treatment be tried with many more patients to test both the approach’s safety and efficacy before it is approved for widespread use.
This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
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Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.
