Friday, October 26 
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (ticket)
Alice R. Mao, M.D., Chair 

Child and adolescent psychiatrists in outpatient practice are frequently asked to evaluate children with mental retardation, communication disorders, and social relatedness problems. Often the child may have clinical history and exhibit aberrant behaviors consistent with DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for autism. Unfortunately, after a preliminary diagnosis for autism spectrum disorders has been made, many clinicians feel unprepared for how to proceed with the evaluation. 

The purpose of this Institute is to provide a review of diagnostic assessment tools and pharmacological and behavioral treatment interventions to help the practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist coordinate the complex multimodal treatment interventions for helping the child with autism to achieve optimum habilitation. Obstacles to achieving appropriate care because of parental denial and grief are identified. The importance of providing support to the parents or caretakers in order to help them navigate through numerous evidence-based and nonevidence- based treatments is discussed. The Institute includes a review of neurobiological research advances from leading experts in the field in order to provide a comprehensive overview of clinical and neurobiological research advances. 

Diagnostic Assessment for Autistic Spectrum Disorder 
Diane Treadwell-Deering, M.D. 

Foundations and Implications of Cerebellar Dysfunction in Autism 
Greg Allen, Ph.D. 

Review of Unusual Brain Growth Patterns in Toddlers with Autistic Disorder 
Eric Courchesne, Ph.D. 

Parental Obstacles to Obtaining Appropriate Treatment for Children with Autism 
Alice R. Mao, M.D. 

Specific Interventions for Working with Families of Children with Autism 
Matthew Brams, M.D. 

Pharmacotherapy Interventions for Mood and Disruptive Symptoms of Autism 
Robert Lloyd Doyle, M.D. 

Behavioral and Education Approaches for Increasing Adaptive Functioning Skills 
Jolie S. Brams, Ph.D. 

Discussant 
John O’Brien, M.D. 

Sponsored by the AACAP Autism and Intellectual Disability Committee

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