Early intervention programs for young people with psychosis might cost more initially, and require more intensive support for longer periods, but they’re worth the investment.
It was hoped intensive early intervention programs might ‘bend the curve’ and change the lifetime trajectory of illnesses such as schizophrenia. But that doesn’t appear to be the case.
The theory is that if therapies are started early enough, it might be possible to alter the trajectory of autism.
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Children with autism don’t usually begin therapy until they’re given a diagnosis, which rarely occurs before the age of two. But new research shows there’s benefit to starting early.
Early intervention can help children with autism to develop their communication skills.
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Hannah Waddington, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Jessica Tupou, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Larah van der Meer, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Unlike Australia, New Zealand doesn’t fund early intervention therapy for autistic children, but there are programmes pre-school teachers and parents can use to help kids develop.
Approximately 11 per cent of Canadian mothers report consuming alcohol during pregnancy, which can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in their children.
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With an estimated prevalence of four per cent, fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD) is more common than autism. And yet is it surrounded by myth and stigma.
Approximately 87,000 children in Canada are affected by autism. A new web platform promises to help their families access much-needed research knowledge.
Families supporting children with autism urgently need better access to the latest research about evidence-based treatments. A new health design project from Emily Carr University is helping.
Autism has become a default consideration for any child who struggles socially, behaviourally, or with sensory stimuli.
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There are several problems with the recently released guidelines for diagnosing autism. But the fundamental issue is that we’re striving for diagnosis first, and help later.
The NDIS poses many more challenges to parents with children newly diagnosed with developmental delay.
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Informal early support through intervention programs helps parents understand their child’s newly diagnosed disability. But what will happen when, under the NDIS, these services no longer exist?
The last ten years have seen the rise of therapies for young people that focus on family and wider social systems.
Choo Yut Shing
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a classification system for mental disorders produced by the American Psychiatric Association for the past 60 years…
By suggesting that everyone who has a mental illness could possibly be violent, the articles isolate, highlight and stigmatise them.
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Just when we thought we were heading for a more tolerant and accepting attitude toward people afflicted by mental illness, a feature and a news article in Saturday’s The Australian quoting leaders in the…