MEDICAL
ISSUES IMPACTING AUTISM THROUGH THE LIFE
SPAN
R.
Melmed1, L. Rubin2
1
Southwest Autsim Research and Resource
Center, USA
Medicine
Specialists, USA
Autism has
captivated our society if not our world and can no longer
be regarded as
rare. The greater appreciation we have of this
condition and its
associated medical, genetic, educational, social,
recreational and
vocational factors has changed the way we view
children and adults
with developmental disabilities. Topics will include
newer tools for
screening, assessment, and diagnosis of both Autistic
Disorder and
Asperger Disorder. Evidenced based treatment for the
core symptoms will
be discussed in the context of developing an
individualized
profile of strengths and weaknesses. The physician’s
role in identifying
the bio-psychosocial needs of the individual at
different ages and
stages will be the central theme of the workshop.
Medical management
and intervention guidelines for challenges such
as gastro-intestinal
and sleep problems will be discussed in a case
presentation
format. Novel treatment strategies for co-occurring
psychiatric
disorders will be presented. Vocational issues will be
reviewed including
adult community living arrangements. Health care
approaches in the
ever aging population of individual with autism will
be discussed.
Practical day to day management will be reviewed
including
communication with team members and the coordination of
multimodal
interventions. Key areas for needed improvement for care
of individuals with
autism will be identified including sensitivity to the
impact an
individual with disabilities has on families, the availability of
educational and
vocational services and medical personnel trained in
the care of
individuals with autism throughout the life span.
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