One of the more delicate and important conversations a parent may face is how—and when—to tell their child that they have autism. Understandably, parents want to handle this moment with care, ensuring the explanation is both empowering and appropriate to the child’s developmental level.
At Community Psychiatric Centers, we diagnose and help treat many different childhood issues. One of the disorders that we specialize in is Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD. When a parent suspects their child may be on the autism spectrum, one of the most reassuring things to do is to gather information. I am often asked […]
Today we will target and dispel the facts and fallacies regarding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADD/ADHD. Some of the common fallacies addressed include: What Are the Primary Symptoms of ADHD? First, let's review the primary symptoms of this condition and how it appears. There are three types of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The most commonly diagnosed types would […]
When Your Child is Involved in Therapy If your child is involved in therapy, you may wonder about the approach of your child’s therapist, to what extent you’ll be involved in the therapy, and how those decisions are made. This post will shed some light on that process. Different Approaches to Therapy Therapists use different therapeutic […]
What is this new diagnosis, Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder? In my new book, Managing the 5 Most Challenging Childhood Behavioral Health Conditions of our Day, there is a chapter on autism explaining the nature of this condition and treatment strategies. However, since DSM-V, a new diagnosis has come into play, Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder (SPCD) […]
The Importance of the Executive Functions ADHD is described as a disorder of the prefrontal lobe of our cerebral cortex, which is the area of the brain that controls higher-order thinking. This ‘higher-order thinking’ is also known as a set of executive functions that help us to more effectively get through our day. The specific […]
Written by Dr. John Carosso Where we left off We spent the past few posts discussing the diagnosis and treatment of mild autism. By the way, your subsequent comments and questions have been remarkable and very thought-provoking; thank you. At this point, you already know the general signs and symptoms of autism (if not, just […]
Written by Dr. John Carosso Focus in Treatment? Children with mild autism are treated with a very specific approach that involves clearly delineating the problem behaviors and tendencies. In that respect, we need as much detailed information about what goes wrong, and what goes well, in what situations, to what extent, for how long, and […]
Written by Dr. John Carosso Let’s set the stage The process of diagnosing autism is rather straightforward, such that it’s a wonder that so many kids are misdiagnosed. It may come as a surprise to you that, from my clinical experience, the issue is under, not over-diagnosis. In that respect, time and time again I […]
Written by Dr. John Carosso Recent article in the paper Mr. John Rosemond, a psychologist who writes a syndicated article in the local paper, is increasingly driving me nuts, and he’s at it again. You may have seen his recent article in the Trib; he writes that children diagnosed mildly on the autism spectrum are […]
