Specialized inpatient psychiatry for serious behavioral disturbance in autism and intellectual disability.

Psychiatric hospitalization of children with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability is common, however, the effectiveness of this intervention is largely unknown. Thirty-eight clinically-referred children 8-19 years old admitted to a specialized inpatient psychiatry unit were assessed by a consistent caregiver on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Irritability (ABC-I) subscale at admission, discharge and 2 months post discharge. There was a decrease in the mean ABC-I score from admission (27.

Telephone administration of the aberrant behavior checklist: a pilot study of feasibility in children with intellectual disability and autism.

To advance clinical care and research in children with intellectual disability and autism there is a growing need for efficient means to measure behavioral severity and response to treatment. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of telephone administration of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Irritability Subscale (ABC-I). The ABC-I was administered by telephone to the primary caregivers of 39 subjects with intellectual disability and/or autism.

Participation in outdoor recreation program predicts improved psychosocial well-being among veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: a pilot study.

Purpose: Evaluate the effectiveness of a 2-day, 3-night outdoor recreation intervention involving fly-fishing in reducing the psychological concomitants of stress among 74 veterans (M = 47.27, SD = 14.55 years) with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Electroconvulsive therapy in an adolescent with autism and bipolar I disorder.

Objectives: We report a positive response to electroconvulsive therapy in a severely functionally impaired adolescent with autistic disorder and classic bipolar I disorder, including an episodic pattern of decreased need for sleep, hypersexuality, expansive and agitated affect, aggression, self-injury, and property destruction.

Methods: After ineffective trials of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics as well as inability to sustain a positive response to lithium due to medication noncompliance, a course of acute and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy was attempted.

Results: A marked and sustained improvement across all symptom categories, as measured by directly observed frequency counts of target behaviors in an inpatient setting, was obtained.

Specialized inpatient psychiatry units for children with autism and developmental disorders: a United States survey.

A cross sectional survey was performed to obtain the characteristics of specialized inpatient psychiatry units exclusively serving children with autism and other developmental disorders in the United States. Identified units were surveyed on basic demographic characteristics, clinical challenges and therapeutic modalities. Average length of stay was 42.