Patient is a 14-year-old male with history of autism spectrum disorder who presents for psychiatric evaluation. Patient was diagnosed with autism at age 3 after his pediatrician noticed concerning signs including speech delay, limited social interaction, and repetitive play. On interview, patient’s mother shares that over the past few months patient has exhibited increased aggression […]
Category Archives: Autism
Beta Blockers 12/18/2024
Case Presentation: Your 11 year old male patient with Autism level 2 without intellectual or verbal impairment and Generalized Anxiety Disorder is not tolerating sertraline well (resulting in weight gain and akathisia) with minimal positive effect. Primary concerning symptoms include: agitation, quick to anger, and difficulty with changes in routine. He previously did not tolerate […]
Sensory Processing Concerns: What is it and how can a Sensory Diet help? Part 1
Case Presentation 7 year old boy with chief complaint of “frequent meltdowns”. Additional history: daily meltdowns (crying, hitting) with loud sounds or when asked to wear certain clothing; wants to make friends but poor boundaries and accidentally hurts peers at school when he is playing with them; hard time sitting during seat work at school […]
Tapering Antipsychotic Medications in Children and Adolescents: Part 1 3/21/24
Although pediatricians do not often initiate prescriptions for antipsychotic agents, this and a subsequent e-newsletter edition discuss important issues in their use that can be of relevance to pediatric practice, both in managing acute clinical situations and in managing care for youth with longer term needs for these medicines. About 1% of children ages 7-12 […]
Co-Morbidity Between Intellectual Disability and Psychiatric Symptoms 7/25/23
The presence of Intellectual Disability (ID) increases the risk for co-occurring psychiatric disorders in child, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. Behavioral and emotional problems are three times more likely to occur in these groups and they are frequently not recognized or appropriately treated. This said, problematic behaviors and emotions in this population may also be […]
Autism Meltdowns & Aggression 8/10/23
With autism currently affecting nearly 1 in 36 children, most healthcare providers will be treating individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at some point in time. Particularly for those more significantly affected, the issue of agitated and aggressive outbursts is often a major concern, though even in those with less significant symptom profiles, affectively charged […]