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Neurodiversity – The New Normal
Over the years, many terms have been used to describe the various neurological conditions that result in developmental, cognitive and behavioral disorders. In the early days of diagnosis and treatment, diagnosis’ ranged from relatively neutral terms like Hyperkinetic Impulse Disorder, (Kimberly...
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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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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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Co-Occurring Conditions in Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder: Integrated Treatment Approaches
Co-occurring mental health conditions are the rule rather than the exception in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A full 70% of individuals with ASD have one co-occurring condition; 40% have two or more (Siminoff et al, 2008). Living with autism is a journey, and in talking to families, I often rely...
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Suspect Molecules Overlap in Autism, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
Most medical disorders have well-defined physical characteristics seen in tissues, organs and bodily fluids. Psychiatric disorders, in contrast, are not defined by such pathology, but rather by behavior. A UCLA-led study, published in Science, has found that autism, schizophrenia and bipolar...
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Psychiatric Problems Common in Siblings of People with Autism
Psychiatric conditions crop up more than twice as often in families that include a child with autism as in the general population. That’s the upshot of the most sweeping study to date of mental health in siblings of children with autism. The findings suggest that clinicians should look...
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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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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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Video Games and Kids – How Much is Too Much?
Although video games have been a part of American culture for over 40 years, their influence in the lives of youth has grown exponentially in recent years, particularly for those on the Autism Spectrum. The Kaiser Family Survey found that, between 2000 and 2010, the average amount of time that 8-18...
