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Advancing Behavioral Health Strategies as Individuals Approach Adulthood
Individuals connected to the behavioral healthcare system are well aware that autism does not magically disappear on a teenager’s 18th birthday. Yet, the challenges facing people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) shift considerably as they make the transition to adulthood....
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Treating Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Clinical and Moral Breakthroughs in Medical Education Can Accomplish
“The arc of the moral universe is long,” said a young Martin Luther King, Jr. (quoting a nineteenth-century preacher), “but it bends toward justice” (King, 1956). He knew that the struggle for civil rights would last, not for years, but for generations. It took twenty years to expand civil...
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Obesity and Related Issues in Individuals with ASD: The Scope of the Problem and Potential Solutions
Obesity is a major problem around the world and in the United States for individuals with and without disabilities. The World Health Organization (2011) identified childhood obesity as one of the most serious public health risks in this century (Alwan, 2011). Obesity rates in the United States have...
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Michael Gilberg, Self-Advocate and Special Education Attorney, Joins Autism Spectrum News Editorial Board
Mental Health News Education, Inc. (MHNE), publisher of Autism Spectrum News, is proud to announce that Michael Gilberg, Esq., Special Education Attorney, has become the newest member of the ASN Editorial Board. David Minot, Associate Director of MHNE and Publisher of Autism Spectrum News...
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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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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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Comprehensive Programming to Support Children with Developmental Disabilities and Significant Medical Conditions in a School Setting
Supporting children with autism or other developmental disabilities and significant co-occurring medical conditions presents substantial challenges to teachers, parents and all involved caretakers. This article presents an overview of the interdisciplinary model and a representative case study...
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Helping Children with Autism Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep Without Medication
Sleep is an essential restorative process for every child’s body and brain. Sleep has been shown to promote growth of one’s muscles, bones, and skin, help protect the heart, combat germs, sickness, and injuries, and impact one’s weight. Further, research has shown that sleep helps individuals...
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Understanding the Relationship Between Autism, OCD, and Repetitive Behaviors
One of the long-standing challenges in supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is the high rate of repetitive behavior they demonstrate. In addition to these individuals demonstrating high rates of repetitive behavior, many caregivers and support providers find it difficult to...
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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...
