In a July 2010 study published in the "Disability and Health Journal," researchers note that some states, such as Arizona, experienced a 26 percent increase in autism diagnoses from 2000 to 2004, while other states, such as Georgia and Maryland, saw increases of 38 percent and 72 percent respectively. Autism inpatient programs are a critical component for diagnosis and treatment for autistic patients, and these programs are vital in areas experiencing significant increases in autism rates.
Kennedy Krieger Institute Neurobehavioral Unit
The Kennedy Krieger Institute Neurobehavioral Unit is a 16-bed inpatient program that accepts patients with autism and other behavioral issues. Operating since the early 1980s, the autism program was one of the earlier inpatient programs in a hospital, rather than in a live-in institutional or an outpatient setting. This inpatient autism program works with autism patients from ages two through 19 and requires that the patient be a danger to himself or others. Most treatment plans involve a stay of three to six months. The Kennedy Krieger Institute Neurobehavioral Unit focuses on applied behavioral analysis, or ABA, as a cornerstone for treatment, and the inpatient autism program addresses the patient's needs from a behavioral, developmental, psychiatric and physical standpoint. All patients receive a care team, thorough evaluation for diagnosis, a treatment plan and therapy designed to help the patient reintegrate into daily home life.
Kennedy Krieger Institute Neurobehavioral Unit
707 North Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21205
800-873-3377
kennedykrieger.org
Medical College of Georgia Child and Adolescent Program
Family involvement and therapy to support the patient with autism is a critical component of the inpatient Medical College of Georgia Child and Adolescent Program. The only inpatient program of its kind in east Georgia, the Child and Adolescent Program works with patients who are difficult to diagnose, difficult to treat or unstable and need inpatient services to reach equilibrium. The program handles patients with Asperger's syndrome, classical autism and other autism spectrum disorders, including Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, or PDD-NOS.
Medical College of Georgia Child and Adolescent Program
997 St. Sebastian Way
Augusta, GA 30912
706-721-6719
mcg.edu
Children's Specialized Hospital's Autism Program
Some of the specialists available to patients in the Children's Specialized Hospital's Autism Program include neurologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, feeding therapists and special education teachers. Each patient has a team created specifically for the patient's unique medical, behavioral, educational and psychological needs, with thorough evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning and discharge planning central to patient care. The Children's Specialized Hospital's Autism Program accepts patients from birth through age 21 and is hosted by the largest pediatric rehabilitation facility in the country.
Children's Specialized Hospital's Autism Program
Mountainside
150 New Providence Rd.
Mountainside, NJ 07092
888-244-5373 ext. 5166
childrens-specialized.org
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs)
- Medical College of Georgia: Clinical Programs Overview
- Children's Specialized Hospital: Autism Program
- "Disability and Health Journal"; Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevalence in 4 Areas of the United States; Rice, C. et al.; July 2010
- Kennedy Krieger Institute: Neurobehavioral Unit
