Atypicals

Last spring, Florida started requiring doctors to get prior approval if they wanted to put kids under 6 on Medicaid on powerful antipsychotics. For Robert Bartlett, 4, who has what his pediatrician Dr. Helene Hubbard calls "intermittent explosive disorder" the delayed waiting period to get approval had catastrophic effects, like him biting other kids in preschool, having uncontrollable tantrums and being inconsolable. He is currently on Depakote sprinkles and the atypical antipsychotic Risperdal. "No kid is perfect," said Robert's mom Cynthia Bartlett. "But on his medication he's a really good boy. It helps level him out, helps him focus and gives him a shot at normalcy." Between a game of air hockey and playing with his pet bunny rabbit Tuesday afternoon, Spongebob Squarepants caught Robert's attention freezing the otherwise active 4-year-old in his tracks for a few minutes.