%0 Journal Article
%T Improving Psychiatric Hospital Care for Pediatric Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities
%A Robin L. Gabriels
%A John A. Agnew
%A Carol Beresford
%A Mary Ann Morrow
%A Gary Mesibov
%A Marianne Wamboldt
%J Autism Research and Treatment
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/685053
%X Pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and/or intellectual disabilities (ID) are at greater risk for psychiatric hospitalization compared to children with other disorders. However, general psychiatric hospital environments are not adapted for the unique learning styles, needs, and abilities of this population, and there are few specialized hospital-based psychiatric care programs in the United States. This paper compares patient outcomes from a specialized psychiatric hospital program developed for pediatric patients with an ASD and/or ID to prior outcomes of this patient population in a general psychiatric program at a children¡¯s hospital. Record review data indicate improved outcomes for patients in the specialized program of reduced recidivism rates (12% versus 33%) and decreased average lengths of inpatient stay (as short as 26 days versus 45 days). Available data from a subset of patients ( ) in the specialized program showed a decrease in irritability and hyperactivity behaviors from admission to discharge and that 35 previously undetected ASD diagnoses were made. Results from this preliminary study support specialized psychiatric care practices with this population to positively impact their health care outcomes. 1. Introduction There is a growing need to establish and evaluate innovative specialized psychiatric healthcare programs for psychiatric patients diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or an intellectual disability (ID). This population is at risk for psychiatric hospitalization due to the fact that psychiatric disorders are highly prevalent in individuals with an ID [1¨C3]. In addition, psychiatric comorbidities have been reported to be as high as 72% in a pediatric population of individuals with an ASD [4] with increased rates of psychopathology in children and adolescents who are diagnosed with both an ASD and an ID [5¨C7]. Specifically, there are high rates of affective (depression) and anxiety disorders in the ASD population [4, 7¨C10]. Factors that may put children with an ASD at higher risk for psychiatric hospitalization include living in a single-parent home, being diagnosed at an older age, engaging in self-injurious and aggressive behaviors, and being diagnosed with depression or obsessive compulsive disorder [11]. This information, combined with the rising ASD prevalence rates [12¨C14], suggests a growing need for psychiatric preventative and crisis care management options for the ASD population at all ages. An added complication is the fact that the ASD/ID population often lacks the social
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aurt/2012/685053/