The Massachusetts General Hospital Guide To Medical Care In Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This book provides an understanding of the challenges that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face in receiving medical care and helps equip medical professionals to overcome these challenges to provide high quality, compassionate medical care to this population. The book is divided into two sections. The first provides a broad perspective, providing background about the health care needs of patients with ASD and potential barriers to care that they may experience, as well as an overview of general principles in the delivery of care for patients with ASD. In the second section, the text focuses on specific medical issues and specialties, taking a systems-based approach to cover every major area of medical care. Each of these chapters discusses the problems in that area of medicine that are commonly encountered in the ASD population and the best approaches to managing these issues. The Massachusetts General Hospital Guide to Medical Care in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder is the ultimate resource for all physicians, allied health care professionals, medical students, residents, primary care providers, and specialists who treat patients with ASD.

Since psychiatric training in medical school is brief in duration (often 4-8 weeks only), and minimal to nonexistent in many residency programs, most primary care physicians are not adequately equipped to treat psychiatric disorders, despite the fact that this role promises a significant portion of the average physician’s practice. This book provides non-psychiatric physicians, especially primary care physicians, with the tools to successfully diagnose and treat psychiatric disorders in their practices. Primary care physicians are the largest prescribers of psychiatric medications in the US, where they also provide the bulk of psychiatric diagnoses and treatment, especially in traditionally underserved areas. Every chapter is devoted to each of the major psychiatric disorders that a primary care physician is likely to encounter in clinical practice. They are formatted in a nearly identical way to make the text both easy to read and quickly peruse as a reference. Each chapter also includes a clinical description of the disorder, the proper method (including questions to ask, or screening tools, etc.) to make an accurate diagnosis, and differential diagnoses to consider. Additionally, appropriate treatment(s) for the diagnoses are indicated in a stepwise fashion. Chapters also contain information on medical tests that may be appropriate to order to rule out medical conditions, as well as details on proper routine health screening for individuals on specific medications and/or mental health diagnoses. To optimize accessibility of medication prescribing information, several tables of the medications that are commonly prescribed for each disorder will be indicated. This may lead to some redundancy of information, as there is considerable overlap in medication and dosing strategies for different illnesses, ex antipsychotics for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and antidepressants for Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders. However, duplication of information assists in readability and user friendliness, as doctors will not have to flip through different parts of a book or refer to an appendix every time they wish to look up specific medication related information. Written by experts in the field, Handbook of Psychiatric Disorders in Adults in the Primary Care Setting is a valuable resource to aid in the proper assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders by the physicians who are most likely to see and treat these patients. Most psychiatric textbooks are probably not appropriate for most primary care physicians as they contain far too much specialized information that they do not need to know and do not often contain clinical steps and guidelines for treatment. This text fulfills a pressing clinical need.

This book examines opportunities and obstacles in achieving the digital inclusion of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It addresses basic requirements of the digital society and the concepts of digital inclusion (and exclusion), digital participation, and the disability digital divide as well as support for individuals with autism in co-creating digital devices. The book discusses the application of digital technologies across different contexts, including education, leisure activities, community life, daily living skills, and employment of individuals with autism. Featured areas of coverage include: Computer-based interventions for speech development, social communication, executive functions, and other skills in children with autism. Digital health intervention for persons with ASD. Risks for persons with ASD on the Internet (e.g., excessive use, addictive behavior, and cyberbullying). Digital technology use in simulating job interviews, and teaching work skills. Digital technology use in self-advocacy activities of individuals with autism. Digital Inclusion of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder is an essential reference for researchers, professors, graduate students, clinicians and related therapists and professionals in clinical child and school psychology, social work, behavioral therapy/rehabilitation, pediatrics, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, neurology, special education, child and adolescent psychiatry, and developmental psychology.

This handbook addresses treatment planning for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) using a medical home perspective. It examines the medical home model, which has been promoted as the standard of care by the American Academy of Pediatrics since 2002, emphasizing collaboration between patients, families, and providers to optimize care. The handbook addresses treatment planning, including the coordination of the care provided by multiple specialists with a clear, shared vision for maximizing each child’s potential. Key areas of coverage include: · Elements of treatment planning, history of the medical home model, documentation, and strategies to facilitate communication. · Goals of treatment from the perspectives of the family, person served, care providers, and fiscal and regulatory bodies. · Role of each specialist, highlighting the most common conditions experienced by children with ASD and other NDD with expectations for assessment and treatment. · Detailed recommendations for making referrals and assisting the child and family in preparing for appointments. The Handbook of Treatment Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Neurodevelopmental Disabilities is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, therapists, and other professionals across such interrelated disciplines as clinical child, school, and developmental psychology, child and adolescent psychiatry, social work, rehabilitation medicine/therapy, pediatrics, and special education.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, with a lifetime prevalence rate of roughly 20%. MDD is a leading cause of disability and premature death worldwide, leads to greater impairment in work functioning than other chronic medical conditions, and has an estimated annual cost of $210 billion in the US. The proposed text is designed for mental health professionals and will present state-of-the-art treatment options that are used in the Depression Clinical and Research Program (DCRP) at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The text provides different treatment options so that providers can ‘think outside the box’ of conventional interventions. The introductory sections discuss general themes about diagnosing and treating depression. The major body of the book, however, consists of chapters organized under the topics of new medication, new psychotherapy, alternative treatments, and consideration of specific populations and how to modify interventions to best treat these patients. Each chapter begins with a case vignette to illustrate key characteristics of the disorder process or treatment and reviews the history, research support, and new advances of these topics. In addition, the chapters include a description of how to apply this topic in treatment and frequently asked questions and answers. This book will be a unique contribution to the field. Existing guides focus on individual treatments of Depression, or include brief descriptions of interventions as a whole. The DCRP has consistently been a forerunner of clinical treatments for depression and often treats challenging cases of this disorder. This book will provide a practical and useful resource with wide applicability.

This book connects experts in the field of child assessment to provide child psychiatrists with knowledge in evaluation and educational programming. The book provides a review of the latest science behind: common learning disabilities, including etiology and guidelines for assessment/diagnosis; neurodevelopmental disorders, like learning disabilities, ADHD; psychiatric disorders in childhood such as mood and anxiety disorders; and impact learning and development protocols. The Massachusetts General Hospital Guide to Learning Disabilities evaluates the interventions that are effective in addressing these learning challenges in the context of multiple factors in a way that no other current text does. Special topics such as special education law and managing the needs of transitional age youth allow psychiatrists to support their patients’ and their families as they navigate the system. By offering a better understanding the learning needs of their patients, this texts gives readers the tools to consult with families and educators regarding how to address the learning needs of their patients at school and in other settings. The Massachusetts General Hospital Guide to Learning Disabilities is a vital took for child psychiatrists, students, assessment professionals, and other professionals studying or working with children suffering from learning disabilities.

"This book is a thorough and relevant first step for health professionals to learn about mental health disorders among children and adolescents, from diagnosis to treatment to resources and prevention." -Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS 17th Surgeon General of the United States (From the Foreword) Updated with new research findings and best evidence-based practices, the third edition of this quick-access guide aids practitioners in preventing, screening, diagnosing, and managing children and adolescents who present with mental health symptoms and disorders. This new edition describes key changes in the field with an emphasis on trauma and stressor-related disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy/skills building, suicidal and self-harming behaviors, substance abuse disorders, prescribing antidepressants to youth, and promoting mental health in schools. New and updated screening tools, instruments, and interventions add to the therapeutic arsenal, along with diagnostic criteria, case studies, and risk factors. In addition, this guide delivers new information on care for the caregiver and new technologies to enhance life balance. The third edition continues to deliver the essential "nuts and bolts" of evidence-based content in a practical and user-friendly format. Grounded in DSM-V criteria and diagnoses, with a holistic view of the patient, this guide contains a wealth of resources, including screening tools, parent/patient handouts, and other resources to educate families about mental health disorders and ways to foster patient wellness. New to the Third Edition: Describes new evidence-based programs to enhance mental health and well-being Presents updated educational materials for families and caregivers Featured chapters: Evidence-based Assessment and Management of Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders Evidence-based Assessment and Management of Adverse Childhood Experiences Evidence-based Assessment and Management of Substance Abuse and Addiction Spectrum Evidence-based Assessment and Management of Anxiety Disorders Evidence-based Assessment and Management of Depressive Disorders Promoting Mental Health in Schools Self-Care for Clinicians Who Care for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Problems Key Features: Provides a tool kit for healthcare professionals to enhance care and improve outcomes Contains a variety of valid and reliable screening tools for mental health disorders in children and teens Addresses concise, evidence-based assessment and management guidelines Includes downloadable access to patient education handouts, resources, and a variety of other resources for children, teens, and parents

This comprehensive guide enables parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to play an active and effective role in their child's medical care from diagnosis to early adulthood. With a focus on working with health care providers to ensure the best treatment for your child's unique needs, it includes: - a description of the developmental and medical conditions faced by children with ASDs in lay terms - an explanation of common diagnostic tests - a presentation of conventional and alternative therapies and how they work - tips for managing day-to-day medical or behavioral problems - advice for parents considering enrolling their child in a research project - and all the latest medical information. This authoritative and accessible book provides parents of children with an ASD with the foundation of knowledge they need to become an active partner in the medical care of their child and the map that will allow them to navigate the complex medical world.