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The Critical Need for Tracing Individual Trajectories After an Early Diagnosis of Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (here forward referred to autism) is more commonly recognized at early ages (Zwaigenbaum, Bauman, Choueiri, et al., 2015). This has led to increased access to early intervention and special educational supports, which in turn provide opportunities to better long-term...
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Presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Females: Diagnostic Complexities and Implications for Clinicians
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by pervasive deficits in social communication and patterns of restricted, repetitive, stereotyped behaviors and interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Beyond the main diagnostic criteria, however, there is...
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Considerations in Diagnostic Assessment of Females for Autism Spectrum Disorder
The literature suggests that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may go undiagnosed in females who do not have intellectual and/or language impairment (e.g., Mandy et al, 2012). Research on differences in ASD symptom presentation in females versus males is not yet well-developed and findings across...
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So Your Child Was Diagnosed with ASD: What Comes Next?
Receiving an ASD diagnosis for a child may be accompanied by a variety of reactions. For many parents and caregivers, the diagnosis may confirm what they had suspected. For others, it may come as a shock. Parents commonly note whether they had expected an ASD diagnosis or not, they often hoped they...
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Assessing If a Diagnosis is Necessary: Clinical Utility of an Autism Diagnosis Across the Lifespan
Family members of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often have mixed feelings about labeling their loved ones with the term autism as this represents a life-long disability. They may be concerned about stigma, fearing that others will avoid, judge, or exclude their family member with...
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An Accurate Assessment is the Foundation of Your Child’s Future
Whether it is your child’s first IEP or their last, you need an accurate assessment to develop IEP goals. But assessments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have just not been available for all that long. Child Study Teams are often challenged with traditional standardized...
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Evaluation and Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a generally life-long neurodevelomental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and social interaction and the presence of restricted and repetitive behavior. There is significant heterogeneity among individuals with ASD, and symptoms of ASD...
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In Genetic Diagnosis, a Path Forward – Discovering Their Son’s Genetic Diagnosis Helps One Family in Many Ways
By the time her son Curren was 3 months old, Nerissa Ramsey knew there was something different about him. He had low muscle tone and flapped his hands. Hand-flapping is a repetitive behavior commonly seen in autism. After consulting with a series of specialists, the Ramsey family was referred to...
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Screening for Autism in an Adult Psychiatric Facility
Three years ago, the CEO of Oglethorpe, Inc., John Picciano, LCSW, sat snoozing in the back of the room while listening to a presentation at a National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Conference called, “Autism, Asperger’s and the Culture of Neurodiversity.” Somewhere in the middle of...
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The Ultimate Question: Would I Change Him?
My kids went back to school this week, and in preparation for my son Jack’s move to 6th grade, I took out the folder. You know, the folder. The one that holds every single piece of paper and prescription and description, dating back to the day he was officially diagnosed in November of 2006....
