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A Parent’s Plea for Reform of School Safety and Mental Health Programming
With an estimated 17.1 million children and adolescents presenting with or having received treatment for a psychiatric disorder including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD), and Anxiety, school systems across the nation are being thrust into the front...
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Medication Treatment of Co-Occurring Illness in Autism Spectrum Disorders
One of my first mentors in psychiatry said early in my career: “when a disorder impacts an organ in the body, other problems and challenges often follow suit within that same organ.” This is apparent in many areas of medicine: a leg deformity related to a prior growth problem may lead to joint...
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Autism and Comorbid Mental Health Issues: Challenges and Issues for School Teams
Children and youth with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) represent a variable and growing population in the K-12 school system who may be served under IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: 2004). ASD is, according to the DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,...
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Autism and Bipolar Disorder
In individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, establishing an additional diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder can be very challenging. In the article below, Dr. Jessica Hellings and Dr. Andrea Witwer of the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (www.autismspeaks.org/atn) discuss a study they conducted...
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Adults with Autism May a Have High Burden of Health Problems
Adults with autism may suffer from various health problems, ranging from psychiatric conditions to motor symptoms that resemble Parkinson’s disease, according to two studies presented Thursday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta. Some of the conditions may stem...
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Addressing the Need for a Behavioral Medicine Approach for Children with ASD
When a child with autism spectrum disorder enters a doctor’s office, are they being treated with the same care and attention as a child not on the spectrum? In many cases, going to the doctor’s office can be a daunting experience. It can be frustrating for families to spend the time and...
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Insomnia and Anxiety May Be Linked in Individuals with ASDs
More than half of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also experience clinically significant problems with anxiety (Sukhodolsky et al., 2008). New research conducted at the Center for Autism Research (CAR) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania...
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Co-Occurring Mental Health Issues in ASDs
We are frequently reminded that often we do not in fact treat “autism,” but rather the co-occurring mental health and behavioral issues associated with ASDs. Youth and adults with ASDs have social and emotional difficulties which, if not addressed as part of a comprehensive intervention...
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Distinguishing Stereotypy from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior: Differential Diagnosis in Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Individuals with autism exhibit a wide variety of repetitive and ritualistic behaviors. Such patterns of behavior are a defining characteristic of autism spectrum disorders, and are generally expected as part of the behavioral profile of individuals with autism. While often conceptualized as...
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Autism and Epilepsy – What We Know, What We Don’t Know, and How We Are Creating Awareness
People with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have a shorter life expectancy than the general population mostly because of various co-morbid medical conditions that affect their health. We do not know why but young people, those with severe intellectual disabilities, and females are at greater risk....
