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Autism Spectrum Disorder and Comorbidity: A Systematic Approach to Treatment
Comorbidity refers to the presence of one or more mental or physical conditions that coincide with a primary mental or physical condition (Al-Beltagi, 2021). Research has shown that 70% of autistic children meet the criteria for one comorbid disorder and 40% meet the criteria for two or more...
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When Anxiety and Depression Coexist with Autism
Today, one in fifty-nine children are diagnosed with Autism. The characteristics of Autism often present in poor communicative and social skills, restricted or inappropriate affect and poor emotional regulation. Most of these individuals have significant functional impairments in one or more areas...
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Autism and Comorbidities: Opening the Pathway to Communication Through Treatment
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder commonly suffer from other medical conditions, or comorbidities, that can sometimes mask or even exacerbate symptoms of autism. At the top of the list are psychiatric conditions, neurological issues and even gastrointestinal problems. In fact, 70 percent...
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Autism and ADHD: DSM-5 Conditions with Significant Symptom Overlap
In the last twelve years, a number of peer reviewed studies have demonstrated the elevated incidence of ADHD symptoms within populations of children receiving DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5 diagnoses of Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not...
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Prevalence, Assessment, and Treatment of Psychiatric Comorbidities in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Living in Residential Care – A Literature Review
Despite the existence of severe and challenging behavioral presentations for many children with autism spectrum disorders living in residential and inpatient settings, children with complex ASD continue to be underrepresented in the literature (Siegel, et al. 2015) and there is a marked lack of...
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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...
