‘We can’t stop’: Despite pandemic, providers must continue to focus on autism, expert says
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This April marks the first Autism Acceptance Month, according to the Autism Society.
The observance first began as National Autistic Children’s Week in 1972, and then later became Autism Awareness Month before changing to the new name. However, the purpose remains the same: “to spread awareness, promote acceptance and ignite change,” the Autism Society said.
According to the CDC, about one in 54 children have been identified with autism.
Kristin Sohl, MD, FAAP, the executive director of ECHO Autism, told Healio Primary Care that despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, providers must continue to focus their efforts on the diagnosis and treatment of children with the disorder.
“Some of my colleagues have said they are going to have to stop helping these patients, because we can't do all of the things we've always done,” she said. “But we can’t stop. The silver lining of the pandemic is that it provides us a big, exciting opportunity to improve the system.”
Sohl added that since the pandemic, telehealth has enabled physicians to deliver best-practice diagnostic and follow-up care, as well as opportunities to challenge the “traditional mindset of diagnostic and intervention protocols and to consider more parent-caregiver mediated observations in a naturalistic environment, thereby reducing the barriers to access that were found before and magnified during the pandemic, like transportation, missed work or school and costs.”
In commemoration of Autism Acceptance Month, Healio Primary Care compiled 10 recent articles about the latest research on the risks for autism and its diagnosis and treatment.
Cannabis use in pregnancy may increase child’s risk for autism
Children whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy are at a higher risk for autism compared with children whose mothers did not, according to a study published in Nature Medicine. Read more.
Autism risk higher among children whose parents have sibling with autism
Children with parents who have a sibling with autism spectrum disorder are at a higher risk for the condition compared with the general population, according to the results of a study published in Biological Psychiatry. Read more.
Telehealth may improve autism diagnosis
Online tools may be able to improve diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to results of a survey study published in PLoS One. Read more.
Compensatory strategies that mask autism may impede diagnosis
Compensatory strategies — techniques to disguise autism — increased social integration but were associated with poor mental health and delayed diagnosis among people with autism, according to a study published in Lancet Psychiatry. Read more.
Teens, young adults with ASD three times more likely to attempt suicide
Teenagers and young adults with autism spectrum disorder were significantly more likely to attempt and die by suicide than those without ASD, a cohort study from Denmark showed. Read more.
Children with autism vulnerable to developing substance use disorder
Children with autism spectrum disorder are vulnerable to developing substance use disorder, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Elizabeth Klinepeter, PhD, BCBA, an assistant professor of pediatrics and licensed psychologist at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, gave Healio her perspective on the results. Read more.
Most children with autism 'do well' by middle childhood in key developmental domains
A significant number of children with autism spectrum disorder did well by middle childhood in one or more key domains of developmental health, according to results of a longitudinal cohort study published in JAMA Network Open. Read more.
Children with autism at increased risk for several mental health conditions
Caregiver-reported mental health conditions were prevalent among children with autism spectrum disorder in the United States from a young age, according to study results published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Read more.
Adapted low-intensity CBT lessens depression among patients with autism
Low-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy, when adapted and informed by behavioral action, can mitigate depression among adults with autism, according to findings of a pilot randomized controlled trial conducted in the United Kingdom and published in Autism. Read more.
Melatonin may help address sleep disorders in youths with autism
The American Academy of Neurology published a clinical practice guideline to address sleep disturbances in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, which included a recommendation that they be offered melatonin if other strategies are not helpful. Kristin Sohl, MD, FAAP, president of the AAP’s Missouri Chapter, weighed in on the findings. Read more.
References:
Autism Society. Autism Acceptance Month. https://www.autism-society.org/get-involved/national-autism-awareness-month/. Accessed April 22, 2021.
CDC. Data & statistics on autism spectrum disorder. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html. Accessed April 22, 2021.