47.3 Fractured Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Mental Health Disorders and Co-Existing Autism Spectrum Disorder Developmental Disabilities and an Effort to Develop a Specialized Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. S69-S70
Author(s):  
Matthew Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Unit ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Stratigos ◽  
Nina Tioleco ◽  
Anna Silberman ◽  
Agnes Whitaker
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Care Needs

Persons with developmental disabilities (DD), such as autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, are at substantially greater risk of having comorbid mental illness compared to the general population. Their mental health care needs, however, are vastly undertreated. Contributors to this situation include the challenges of evaluating mental illness in individuals with DD; stigma associated with and systematic barriers against people with DD; communication barriers; inadequate training of health care workers; insufficient availability of community mental health services; and the complexity of the available social services and legal systems at the federal, state, and community levels. This chapter uses a case to review the different factors that contribute to irritability and problem behavior in a person who has autism spectrum disorder with intellectual and language impairment. Also reviewed is the complicated system of services and statutes that may be of assistance when working with this population.

scholarly journals Darmok and Jalad at the Psych Ward: A Case Demonstration of How to Creatively Communicate with a 19-Year-Old Patient with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kim ◽  
Katherine Martin ◽  
Laurence Karper ◽  
Siddhartha Maru ◽  
Maggie Driscoll
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Star Trek ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Psychiatric Unit ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

Difficulties in communication often arise between individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their treating physicians because both sides struggle to find a common ground. The story of Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra from Star Trek: The Next Generation nicely exemplifies how two populations that spoke different languages were still able to find a creative way to communicate with each other. This story is used as a metaphor to illustrate how a novel connection was made with a 19-year-old patient with autism spectrum disorder who was admitted to the inpatient psychiatric unit.

Mental Health Emergencies

2020 ◽  
pp. 627-644
Author(s):  
Genevieve Santillanes ◽  
Shilpa Agraharkar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Pediatric Anxiety ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Mental health disorders are common in children and adolescents, and emergency visits related to mental health complaints are increasing. This chapter discusses presentation and emergency management of pediatric anxiety, depression, suicidality, psychosis, trauma-related disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and agitation. Differences in presentations of anxiety, depression, psychosis, and trauma-related disorders between adults and children are summarized. Emergency management of patients with agitation is reviewed, with an emphasis on treatment in early stages of agitation. Screening for suicidality is discussed. The chapter includes an approach to behavioral changes in patients with autism spectrum disorder and also practical tips for evaluation of medical complaints in these patients.

Characterizing therapist delivery of evidence-based intervention strategies in publicly funded mental health services for children with autism spectrum disorder: Differentiating practice patterns in usual care and AIM HI delivery

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110016
Author(s):  
Eliana Hurwich-Reiss ◽  
Colby Chlebowski ◽  
Teresa Lind ◽  
Kassandra Martinez ◽  
Karin M Best ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Active Teaching

This study identified patterns of therapist delivery of evidence-based intervention strategies with children with autism spectrum disorder within publicly funded mental health services and compared patterns for therapists delivering usual care to those trained in AIM HI (“An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for ASD”). Data were drawn from a randomized community effectiveness trial and included a subsample of 159 therapists (86% female) providing outpatient or school-based psychotherapy. Therapist strategies were measured via observational coding of psychotherapy session recordings. Exploratory factor analysis used to examine patterns of strategy delivery showed that among therapists in the usual care condition, strategies loaded onto the single factor, General Strategies, whereas for therapists in the AIM HI training condition, strategies grouped onto two factors, Autism Engagement Strategies and Active Teaching Strategies. Among usual care therapists, General Strategies were associated with an increase in child behavior problems, whereas for AIM HI therapists, Active Teaching Strategies were associated with reductions in child behavior problems over 18 months. Results support the effectiveness of training therapists in evidence-based interventions to increase the specificity of strategies delivered to children with autism spectrum disorder served in publicly funded mental health settings. Findings also support the use of active teaching strategies in reducing challenging behaviors. Lay abstract This study was conducted to identify patterns of therapist delivery of evidence-based intervention strategies with children with autism spectrum disorder receiving publicly funded mental health services and compare strategy use for therapists delivering usual care to those trained to deliver AIM HI (“An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for ASD”), an intervention designed to reduce challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. For therapists trained in AIM HI, intervention strategies grouped onto two factors, Autism Engagement Strategies and Active Teaching Strategies, while strategies used by usual care therapists grouped onto a broader single factor, General Strategies. Among usual care therapists, General Strategies were related to an increase in child behavior problems, whereas for AIM HI therapists, Active Teaching Strategies were related with reductions in child behavior problems over 18 months. Findings support the use of active teaching strategies in reducing challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder and provide support for the effectiveness of training therapists in evidence-based interventions to promote the delivery of targeted, specific intervention strategies to children with autism spectrum disorder in mental health services.

Mental health correlates and potential childhood predictors for the wish to be of the opposite sex in young autistic adults

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110240
Author(s):  
Jung-Chi Chang ◽  
Meng-Chuan Lai ◽  
Yueh-Ming Tai ◽  
Susan Shur-Fen Gau
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Item Endorsement ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Autistic Adults

Cross-sectional research has demonstrated the overrepresentation of gender dysphoria in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. However, the predictors and underlying mechanisms of this co-occurrence remain unclear. This follow-up study aimed to explore baseline (childhood/adolescence) predictors for the follow-up (adulthood) self-reported wish to be of the opposite sex and to investigate its mental health correlates in a sample of 88 autistic individuals as compared with 42 typically developing controls. An item on the Adult Self-Report Inventory-4, “I wish I was the opposite sex,” was used. We compared mental health symptoms between adults with and without this item endorsement. We used prediction models to explore family and autism-related predictors in childhood/adolescence to endorse this item in adulthood. There were more adults endorsing the item in the autism spectrum disorder group compared with the typically developing group. Autistic adults who endorsed the item experienced more mental health challenges, more bullying victimization, more suicidal ideations, and worse quality of life. Lower parent-reported family support and more stereotyped/repetitive behaviors during childhood/adolescence predicted the self-reported wish to be of the opposite sex in adulthood in autistic individuals. It is necessary to raise more attention to gender development and related mental health impact in autistic individuals. Lay abstract Autistic people/people with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to experience gender dysphoria. However, the possible longitudinal predictors and underlying mechanisms of this co-occurrence are unclear. To fill this knowledge gap, we assessed 88 people with autism spectrum disorder and 42 typically developing individuals at their average ages of 13.0 (baseline, childhood/adolescence) and 20.2 years old (follow-up, adulthood). At follow-up, their endorsement on the item “I wish I was the opposite sex” was used to evaluate gender dysphoric symptoms. We compared mental health symptoms between adults with and without this item endorsement at the follow-up assessment. We explored parent-reported family and autism characteristics-related predictors in childhood/adolescence to this item endorsement in adulthood. We found that more autistic adults reported the wish to be of the opposite sex than did typically developing individuals. Autistic adults who endorsed this item experienced more mental health challenges, more school bullying and cyberbullying, more suicidal ideation, and worse quality of life. Moreover, parent-reported lower family support and more stereotyped/repetitive behaviors during childhood/adolescence predicted the self-reported wish to be of the opposite sex in adulthood in autistic individuals. More attention and support should be provided to autistic people regarding gender development and related mental health and quality of life impact, especially during the transition period to young adulthood.

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