ABSTRACT
Patients with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability can be clinically complex and often have limited access to psychiatric care. Because little is known about post-graduate clinical education in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, we surveyed training directors of child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship programs. On average, child and adolescent psychiatry directors reported lectures of 3 and 4 h per year in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, respectively. Training directors commonly reported that trainees see 1-5 patients with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability per year for outpatient pharmacological management and inpatient treatment. Overall, 43% of directors endorsed the need for additional resources for training in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, which, coupled with low didactic and clinical exposure, suggests that current training is inadequate.
Subject(s)
Adolescent Psychiatry/education , Autistic Disorder/rehabilitation , Child Psychiatry/education , Education, Medical, Graduate/methods , Fellowships and Scholarships/methods , Intellectual Disability/rehabilitation , Adolescent , Adolescent Psychiatry/methods , Adolescent Psychiatry/trends , Child , Child Psychiatry/methods , Child Psychiatry/trends , Education, Medical, Graduate/trends , Fellowships and Scholarships/trends , Female , Humans , Male , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The emotional strain of bone marrow transplantation procedures on child patients, family members and hospital personnel is described, and an illustrative case history is offered. Reasons for the unusually close relationship between family and staff are considered, and the necessity of appropriate psychological support for patients, siblings, parents, and members of the medical team is delineated.
