06. Diagnosing Autism w/ Dr. John Constantino: Tools to help pediatric primary care clinicians

Send us Fan Mail*What if you could identify and diagnose autism in primary care, without having to wait years for children to be seen by a specialty autism center?  We discuss this with our guest, Dr. John N. Constantino, a world-renowned child and adolescent psychiatrist who specializes in Autism Spectrum Disorder who has done pioneering work in helping pediatric primary care clinicians distinguish between autism and other conditions.How/can pediatric clinicians distinguish between autism and other conditions?? Clinical tips to help pediatric clinicians confirm/make a diagnosis of Autism! 3 anchors for Diagnostic Assessment of Autismo   1 – Is the Developmental history c/w autism?o   2 – Do the child’s symptoms exceed threshold (based on rating scales)?·         Modified Checklist for Autism (M-CHAT; 16-30 months) or more comprehensive scales like..·         Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS; 30 months – through adulthood)      ·        Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ; for kids 4 years and older)o   3 – Clinical observation by pediatric clinicians·         Use the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS and CARS-2)·        quick (15 min), easy to learn, can differentiate autism from other illnesses ADHD, anxiety, psychosis, etc.Differential diagnosis for 24 month old who is not talking (autism, Specific language impairment, Hearing impairment, Intellectual disability)  About Dr. John Constantino: His research focuses on understanding genetic and environmental influences on autism spectrum disorder and their implications for treatment and prevention. He developed a well-validated, normed instrument to assess impairments in social-communication skills called the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2). He currently serves as Chief of Behavioral and Mental Health at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta. He has been recognized for his work by numerous awards including the prestigious George Tarjan Award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for significant contributions  to the understanding and care of those with developmental disabilities.Check out our website PsychEd4Peds.com for more resources!Follow us on Instagram @psyched4pedsCheck out our NEW CME Audio-based, on-demand CME Course online at:Pediatric Mental Health CME Toolkit - Cracking the ADHD Code: Essentials for Pediatric Clinicians. https://ce.nemours.org/content/podcast-series-cracking-adhd-code-essential-skills-pediatric-clinicians#group-tabs-node-course-default1