Full Description
Designed specifically for the pediatric primary care setting, Autism in Pediatric Practice: A Clinician's Guide is a practical, educational resource that supports clinicians in caring for children on the autism spectrum, with a particular focus on early childhood. This guide strengthens the clinician's knowledge base while providing a clear framework for delivering thoughtful, effective care within the medical home.
Key concepts are introduced through hypothetical case vignettes and explored in depth throughout each chapter, helping clinicians translate theory into everyday practice. The guide includes practical tools for clinical documentation and resources for parent education to enable pediatric primary care clinicians to effectively engage in patient care and support families of autistic children.
Topics include
Etiology, presentation, screening, and diagnosis
Strategies for optimizing office visits, including scheduling considerations, office accommodations, and billing and coding
Understanding and management of behavioral challenges
Therapy options, including guidance for choosing appropriate therapies and information on pharmacological and complementary approaches
Management of co-occurring conditions, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, insomnia, and gastrointestinal symptoms and conditions
Care transition planning
Special education services, including evaluations, early intervention, and the individualized education program process
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Caring for the Child with Autism in the Medical Home
Chapter 2 Demographics, Etiology, and Clinical Presentation
Chapter 3 Joint Attention: What Is It and Why Is It Important?
Chapter 4 The Pragmatics of the Pediatric Visit
Chapter 5 Autism Screening in Primary Care
Chapter 6 Establishing the Autism Diagnosis
Chapter 7 The Medical Evaluation of the Child With Presumptive or Confirmed Autism
Chapter 8 Evidence-Based Interventions
Chapter 9 Autism and Challenging Behaviors: Why They Occur and How to Approach Them
Chapter 10 Diagnosing and Managing Co-occurring Conditions
Chapter 11 Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Feeding Challenges
Chapter 12 Insomnia: Identification and Interventions
Chapter 13 Review of Pharmacotherapy and Complementary Interventions
Chapter 14 Working With Special Education Services: A Primer
Chapter 15 Long-Term Transition Planning: It Takes a Village
Appendix A Autism Spectrum Disorder Monitoring Tool for the Pediatric Primary Care Clinician
Appendix B Parent Handout: What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder and How Do I Know if My Preschool-Aged Child Has It?
Appendix C Sample Intake Questionnaire
Appendix D Diagnostic Criteria for Electronic Medical Record Documentation
Appendix E Diagnostic Criteria Checklist With Developmental Anchors
Appendix F Parent Resources on Autism Spectrum Disorder
Appendix G Sample Letter to Request Evaluation for Special Education Services
