Mental Disorders And Disabilities Among Low-Income Children Case Study

People in today’s society hear more about autism and its prevalence in school systems than they did ten years ago. A study was done between 2002 and 2006 in the state of New Jersey to determine whether or not autism was becoming more and more prevalent. “For 2006, a total of 533 children with autism spectrum disorder were identified, consistent with prevalence of 17.4 per 1000, indicating a significant increase in the disorder from 2002 where the prevalence was

ASDs are chronic conditions that begin in childhood and have potential to affect outcomes into adulthood. Primarily, ASDs are neurodevelopmental disorders. They are characterized by heterogeneous severity of the core impairments (social interaction, communication, behavioral). Their other symptoms include language delay and intellectual disability. Although ASDs have not been reported to be completely cured, the evidence-based interventions have been reported to improve the core impairments and their other symptoms. However, because of the expense associated with behavioral interventions, financing these evidence-based interventions to improve outcomes for children with ASDs has often been the subject of debate. In fact, to improve access to behavioral interventions for children with ASDs, several states have passed mandates. Additionally, evidence suggests improvement in insurance coverage for children with ASDs after the passage of mandate. Therefore, economic evaluation of evidence-based interventions for children with ASDs can contribute to development and dissemination of best practice standards, and also support policies to ensure access to effective

Though there are many treatments that are effective in helping children live and thrive with these issues, they are not always available to them. Unfortunately, children and teens throughout the United States are having difficulties accessing mental health care services. According to a survey conducted by University of Michigan, 30% of survey participants reported having lots of availability for children’s health care (Masson, 2013). Having poor access to such services can leave a negative impact on a child’s health and they can potentially carry these issues with them into their futures when left untreated. The topic of mental health is especially impactful for children on welfare as they are at a high risk for developing a mental illness since many children have experienced traumatic situations such as abuse or neglect (Levitt, 2009). Even though CHIP covers mental health services, the barrier to accessing these services still exists.

Diagnoses of autism have increased rapidly over the last ten years, and continue to do so, making affordable and effective treatment for the developmental disorder crucial. Statistics report that “about 1% of the world is on the Autism Spectrum; prevalence in the US is about 1/68 births, prevalence

The American Psychiatric Association (2014) defines Autism Spectrum Disorder as “a range of complex developmental disorders that can cause problems with thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others”. The terms, “autism” and “Autism Spectrum Disorder” are known as “umbrella terms” because they encompass a group of disorders that affect the function of the brain. These disorders include: autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Prior to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), all of these disorders were viewed as separate entities and one could be diagnosed with one of these conditions. Since the publishing of the DSM-5, anyone

Overall, we expect to observe an average increase in the scores for each construct, noting a general improvement in the core symptoms and severity of ASD compared to the control groups, which had relied on parent and family training interventions. Potentially, I think we will see an average increase in scores of measures related to cognitive and behavioral

“Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) formerly known as just Autism, is a disorder that affects about 1 in 68 children here in the United States.” (Facts about ASD) This is a pretty high prevalence and the number is continuing to rise. “Autism is a developmental disability that can cause significant impairments in behavioral, communication, and social aspects of everyday life.”(Facts about ASD). The intellectual functioning of individuals with ASD is among one of the biggest of all disabilities. The range can occur from moderate intellectual disabilities all the way up to super genius levels. However, most students function at average intelligence in all academic areas except for reading and math. The reason the name switch form Autism to ASD occurred is that now according to the DSM-V Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) are now disabilities that fall into the spectrum that is ASD. Diagnosis of Autism can be determined at age 2 with high reliability, but is not often discovered until the individual reaches school age and begins to fall behind their peers. It is critical that a parent goes and gets their child screened for developmental disabilities at the doctor at least every 9 months during their few first years of life, so that if they do have a disability early intervention strategies can be employed. ASD occurs in every racial and ethnic group,

Recently, there has been an increased focus on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) as it becomes more prevalent in the United States. Since ASD is

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the fastest growing category in special education. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder generally diagnosed before the age of three. Its main factors include: repetitive stereotyped patterns of behavior, impairment in communication, and impairment in the area of social interaction (Heward, 1996). The DSM-IV “identifies ASD as part of a larger grouping, pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). According the DSM-IV-TR there are five subtypes of PDD: autistic disorder, Aspergcr 's syndrome (AS), childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD), Rett 's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)” (Meadan, Halle, & Ebata, 2010).

In recent years, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased greatly (Nevison 2014). For example, in 2000 the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network estimated about 1 in 150 children had ASD. Six years later in 2006, the prevalence increased to about 1 in every 110 children and then most recently in 2012 to 1 in 68 children. According to the CDC (2008) autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. With the growing prevalence of autism, the society has been impacted in several ways. For example, the its prevalence has allowed for increases in advocacy, data collection and overall greater acceptance and understanding for autism spectrum disorder.

The rate of autism spectrum disorders has risen exponentially in the past forty years from 1 in 10,000 in the 1970s, to 1 in 1,000 in 1995, to a staggering 1 in 68 today; (CDC.gov) which means many families are impacted and coping with this devastating disorder. (CITE)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a range of conditions grouped under the neurodevelopmental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published in 2013 (Kress & Paylo, 2015). Those who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder must present two types of symptoms: 1) Deficits in social communication and social interaction and 2) Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities (APA, 2013). The DSM-5 merged all autism disorders into one diagnosis of ASD. Before this publication, they were organized as distinct subtypes, which included autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome (Kress & Paylo, 2015).

“Currently, autism is considered a unique disorder that occurs in approximately fifteen out of every 10,000 births. Autism is four times more common in boys than girls. It has been found throughout the world in families of all racial, ethnic, and social backgrounds” (Cash, 22). Family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism’s occurrence.

Tens of millions of people have been diagnosed with Autism worldwide, effecting both genders, all races, ethnicities and people from all socioeconomic classes. In 2010 a Surveillance Summary was conducted in the United States, where it identified that one in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). It has been recognised

In 2011, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that on average, 1 in 10 children each year are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (Hunt & Marshall, 2012, p. 304). However, the number of children diagnosed with autism in recent years is