Articles and Special Features
This section provides links to articles and other special features on IAN written by noted experts in the field of Autism Spectrum research and treatment.
Please note that the opinions expressed in these articles are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the IAN Project, its sponsor, or Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Autism and Health Care: Sticker Shock
First comes the diagnosis: Your child has an autism spectrum disorder. What follows for many parents is an overwhelming search for treatments, many of which are not backed by research findings and are not covered by health insurance plans. Who is going to pay for all this?
Publication Date: June 18, 2008
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Can Antipsychotic Medication Help My Child?
Parents of children with autism confront many difficult treatment decisions, often making their choices only after painstaking research. If you're considering antipsychotic medication for your child, get a running start on your research with this article by Richard P. Malone, M.D., psychiatry professor at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Publication Date: May 28, 2008
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Adults with ASDs: Where Are They Now?
Leaving home is a rite of passage for many young adults, a time of both anticipation and trepidation. IAN Assistant Editor Teresa J. Foden focuses on what researchers are discovering about the obstacles faced by adults with ASDs when they reach this life stage.
Publication Date: April 25, 2008
Adult Employment: Strangers in a Strange Land
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Today's 20-somethings with autism often feel like strangers among their own species when they leave the legal protections afforded schoolchildren to enter the adult world of limited support services, long waiting lists, and scant funding. Those who become accomplished sometimes look back on their experiences to reflect on their sense of alienation in a society that doesn't look favorably on those who don't blend in easily. Find out what the researchers have learned about the transition.
Publication Date: January 28, 2008
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Behavior Therapy Beyond Childhood
Can teens and adults benefit from behavior therapy? In this article, Tom Frazier and Leslie Sinclair of the Cleveland Clinic bust the myth that intensive behavior therapy works only for young children.
Publication Date: January 24, 2008
Sibling Studies: The Good, the Bad, and the Contradictory
How does the sibling bond affect the development of the child with ASD and his or her sibling? Teresa J. Foden, Assistant Editor for the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), explores how researchers are delving into the elusive bond between siblings to learn more about where this relationship fits in the puzzle of ASDs.
Publication Date: December 18, 2007
Relieving Parental Stress and Depression: How Helping Parents Helps Children
Connie Anderson, Online Community Facilitator for the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), discusses how stress and depression are related, the impact they can have on a family with a child on the autism spectrum, and how helping parents in distress often helps the whole family.
Publication Date: December 14, 2007
Red Flags: When to Take your Child with Autism to a Psychiatrist
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Children with ASDs often face a variety of issues including those that are best addressed by a psychiatrist who treats children or adolescents. Dr. Jacqueline M. Amato helps us understand the role of the child psychiatrist and when you should take your child to see one.
Publication Date: August 15, 2007
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Transported to a World of Emotion
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Read about The Transporters, an innovative intervention that teaches emotion recognition to those with significant learning difficulties and preschoolers through an animated series. The Transporters was funded by the UK government, produced in Manchester, and conducted by the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge.
Publication Date: May 29, 2007
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Frequently Asked Questions About Autism Spectrum Diagnoses
Catherine Lord, Director of the University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center, answers some of parents' most urgent questions about Autism Spectrum diagnoses.
Publication Date: April 9, 2007
The Importance of Record Keeping
Ron Oberleitner and Gregory Abowd disuss the importance of record keeping and the problems that parents face when trying to maintain accurate and useful documentation of their child's development. In addition, Ron and Greg discuss the future of record keeping and the importance of video records for the treatment of ASDs.
Publication Date: April 6, 2007
Very Late Diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues, all at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, discuss the "lost generation" --those with Asperger's who grew up before the diagnosis existed. They describe a unique program designed to help diagnose and assist these adults, helping them to understand themselves as well as to access services and support.
Publication Date: April 2, 2007
Speech and Language Problems
Barry Gordon, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University as well as the parent of a child "on the spectrum," explores the varied issues surrounding speech and language experienced by individuals with ASDs.
Publication Date: April 2, 2007
The Autism Tissue Program -- An Essential Resource to Find The Causes of Autism
Connie Frenzel, MS, RN, and Jane Picket, PhD describe advances in autism research made possible by donations to the Autism Tissue Program. Find out what we have learned, and how your family can help us continue to learn more!
Publication Date: April 2, 2007
A Good Night's Sleep. Why Is It So Hard To Get?
Beth A. Malow MD, MS, Director of the Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center, discusses her research on ASDs and sleep disorders.
Publication Date: April 2, 2007
National Standards Project
Susan M. Wilczynski, PhD, BCBA describes a collaborative effort to systematically review educational and behavioral treatment research in order to determine the strength of evidence supporting these approaches.
Publication Date: April 2, 2007
