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The Effects of Mental Health on Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Kelsi Anderson & Tori Campbell
Faculty Mentor: Jessica Hall-Wirth, Ed.D
Autism Characteristics
According to the CDC, it is estimated that 1 in 68 school-aged children
have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is 5
times more common in boys than girls. ASD is a developmental disability
that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral
challenges. A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used
to be diagnosed separately: autism, PDD-NOS, and Asperger syndrome.
These conditions are now all called autism spectrum disorder.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition. This means that development
of the central nervous system is disrupted and can cause impaired motor
functioning, learning, language, and non-verbal communication. Children
with ASD can also be diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder. This is
when a child can exhibit anger, irritability and many other extreme
emotions. No two children will behave the same.
There is no known cause of autism and there is no ‘cure’. Children and
adults with ASD may experience deficits in social skills, are sensory
sensitive, and may exhibit behavior difficulties.
Prevention Strategies
To support students who have autism and mental health there are a number
of different strategies that can be implemented. The following are a few
ideas to try:
1. First, and foremost, care and support from teachers, families, and
support groups.
2. Providing a structured routine and an efficient classroom or
environment.
3. Creating a sensory room in the building to allow students to use
throughout the day. This will create a safe space for calming and
relaxing strategies to be implemented.
Causes of Mental Health
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, act and feel in every aspect of our life.
Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including biological
factors, life experiences and family history.
Although, mental health can be very serious, people can get better and
even recover completely. Some early warning signs include:
• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low energy
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Severe mood swings
• Thinking of harming oneself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks
Common mental health disorders include ADHD, Depressive disorder,
obsessive compulsive and related disorders, impulse control and conduct
disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia and psychosis, bipolar and related
disorder, and lastly, sleep-wake disorder. For the focus of our research, we
looked specifically at anxiety and depression with persons with autism
spectrum disorder.
Anxiety is more common in the autism population. Typically, when an
individual is experience anxiety, behaviors being to impede their life.
These challenges behaviors include temper tantrums, aggression and selfinjurious behaviors. Individuals will experience real symptoms like a
racing heart, muscle tightness and feeling frozen in time.
Depression impacts nearly 7% of children with autism. Rates of depression
increase with age in children with autism. Common symptoms include loss
of interest, sadness, hopelessness, feeling worthless, and feeling lonely.
Growing evidence has shown an increased risk for suicidal ideations and
behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD.
Comorbidities with Autism
ASD has a number of co-occurring physical and mental health conditions
that are crucial for people to be aware of. These include: Epilepsy, sleep
disorders, ADHD, gastrointestinal disorders, feeding/eating challenges,
obesity, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Applied Behavior Analysis Edu. “Why are boys more likely to have
Autism?”https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org/why-are-boysmore-likely-to-have-autism/
As many as 85% of children with autism also have some form of comorbid
psychiatric diagnosis, and 35% are taking at least 1 psychotropic
medication as treatment.
Cage, Eilidh, et al. "Experiences of Autism Acceptance and Mental Health
in Autistic Adults."
Journal of Autism and DevelopmentalDisorders, vol. 48, no. 2, 2018, p.
473+. Gale Academic OneFile, Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
“Up to 72-73% of individuals with ASD
have at least one co-occuring mental
health disorder in addition to ASD”
(Ratcliffe, Wong, Dossetor, & Hayes,
2015, Para. 3)
Many factors lead to increased risk for comorbid psychiatric disorders.
Unfortunately, children and adolescents with autism are at a higher risk of
being bullied and are more likely to experience adverse life events. These
life events can increase stress and risk for depression and anxiety.
Emotional regulation deficits may also be an underlying feature of ASD.
With a high prevalence of medical disorders, there is a significant increase
with mortality rates. Death rates are nearly three to ten times higher than
the general population. These deaths tend to be the result of medical
comorbidities, such as epilepsy, gastrointestinal conditions and respiratory
conditions.
Social Anxiety Disorder- This is the extreme fear of crowds, new people,
or social environments or situations. In turn, this can cause social isolation
and behavioral issues.
Routines/Daily Life- When something is off in a routine for a child with
autism, this can cause emotions to heighten or worsen. An example:
Having a break everyday at the same time, but then a schedule change does
not allow for the break.
Conclusions
There is a direct relationship between Autism Spectrum Disorder and
Mental Health Disorder. It is important to provide supports to both
children and adults with ASD in our schools and communities. By
including preventative strategies, together we can help to lower the
statistics and in turn, held individuals with autism spectrum disorder live a
full life.
www.PosterPresentations.com
Davis, Kim. “What Triggers Anxiety for an Individual with ASD.” Indiana
Resource Center for
Autism, www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/what-triggers-anxiety-for-anindividual-with-asd.html.
Dickson, Kelsey S., et al. "Adaption and pilot implementation of an autism
executive functioning
intervention in children's mental health services: a mixed-methods study
protocol." Pilot and Feasibility Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, 2020, p. NA. Gale
Academic OneFile,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A627373937/AONE?u=sshe_sru&sid=AONE&xid
=d9ef623a. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
Funk, Harry. “When Back in Operation, Mt. Lebanon High School's
MinDen Offers Space to
Unplug.” The Almanac, 5 March 2020, thealmanac.net/news/when-backin-operation-mt-lebanon-high-school-s-minden-offers-space-tounplug/article_ecbf460- 67d9-11ea-9361-2773cb95c769.html.
Masi, Gabriele, et al. "Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Attempts in Referred
Adolescents with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and
Comorbid Bipolar Disorder: A Pilot Study." Brain Sciences, vol. 10, no.
10, 2020, p. 1ck+. Gale Academic OneFile,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A642580684/AONE?u=sshe_sru&sid=AONE&xid
=ca3bedd6. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
Sensory Sensitivities- This is known as the five senses. An example is
when a fire alarm goes off for a fire drill.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2019
Child Neurology Rami Grossmann, MD. “What is ASD (Autism Spectrum
Disorder)http://www.childbrain.com/services/autism/what-is-asd-autismspectrum-disorder/
Lake, Johanna K., et al. "Mental health services for individuals with high
functioning autism spectrum disorder." Autism Research and Treatment,
2014. Gale Academic OneFile,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A416717619/AONE?u=sshe_sru&sid=AONE&xid
=4953d9f8. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
There are three common causes that lead children to higher rates of mental
health. These include sensory sensitives, social anxiety disorder and
routines/daily life. The following describes each in more detail:
4. Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum implemented into the
school day (CASEL, 2020).
5. Mindfulness Room to give students the option to go to when they are
stressed, overwhelmed, or need a place to relax. For example: Mt.
Lebanon High School MinDen:
References
Stadnick, Nicole, et al. "Caregiver-Teacher Concordance of Challenging
Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Served in
Community Mental Health Settings." Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders, vol. 47, no. 6, 2017, p. 1780+. Gale Academic
OneFile,link.gale.com/apps/doc/A550918707/AONE?u=sshe_sru&sid=A
ONE&xid=ab2372aa. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
Kelsi Anderson & Tori Campbell
Faculty Mentor: Jessica Hall-Wirth, Ed.D
Autism Characteristics
According to the CDC, it is estimated that 1 in 68 school-aged children
have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is 5
times more common in boys than girls. ASD is a developmental disability
that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral
challenges. A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used
to be diagnosed separately: autism, PDD-NOS, and Asperger syndrome.
These conditions are now all called autism spectrum disorder.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition. This means that development
of the central nervous system is disrupted and can cause impaired motor
functioning, learning, language, and non-verbal communication. Children
with ASD can also be diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder. This is
when a child can exhibit anger, irritability and many other extreme
emotions. No two children will behave the same.
There is no known cause of autism and there is no ‘cure’. Children and
adults with ASD may experience deficits in social skills, are sensory
sensitive, and may exhibit behavior difficulties.
Prevention Strategies
To support students who have autism and mental health there are a number
of different strategies that can be implemented. The following are a few
ideas to try:
1. First, and foremost, care and support from teachers, families, and
support groups.
2. Providing a structured routine and an efficient classroom or
environment.
3. Creating a sensory room in the building to allow students to use
throughout the day. This will create a safe space for calming and
relaxing strategies to be implemented.
Causes of Mental Health
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, act and feel in every aspect of our life.
Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including biological
factors, life experiences and family history.
Although, mental health can be very serious, people can get better and
even recover completely. Some early warning signs include:
• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low energy
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Severe mood swings
• Thinking of harming oneself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks
Common mental health disorders include ADHD, Depressive disorder,
obsessive compulsive and related disorders, impulse control and conduct
disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia and psychosis, bipolar and related
disorder, and lastly, sleep-wake disorder. For the focus of our research, we
looked specifically at anxiety and depression with persons with autism
spectrum disorder.
Anxiety is more common in the autism population. Typically, when an
individual is experience anxiety, behaviors being to impede their life.
These challenges behaviors include temper tantrums, aggression and selfinjurious behaviors. Individuals will experience real symptoms like a
racing heart, muscle tightness and feeling frozen in time.
Depression impacts nearly 7% of children with autism. Rates of depression
increase with age in children with autism. Common symptoms include loss
of interest, sadness, hopelessness, feeling worthless, and feeling lonely.
Growing evidence has shown an increased risk for suicidal ideations and
behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD.
Comorbidities with Autism
ASD has a number of co-occurring physical and mental health conditions
that are crucial for people to be aware of. These include: Epilepsy, sleep
disorders, ADHD, gastrointestinal disorders, feeding/eating challenges,
obesity, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Applied Behavior Analysis Edu. “Why are boys more likely to have
Autism?”https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org/why-are-boysmore-likely-to-have-autism/
As many as 85% of children with autism also have some form of comorbid
psychiatric diagnosis, and 35% are taking at least 1 psychotropic
medication as treatment.
Cage, Eilidh, et al. "Experiences of Autism Acceptance and Mental Health
in Autistic Adults."
Journal of Autism and DevelopmentalDisorders, vol. 48, no. 2, 2018, p.
473+. Gale Academic OneFile, Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
“Up to 72-73% of individuals with ASD
have at least one co-occuring mental
health disorder in addition to ASD”
(Ratcliffe, Wong, Dossetor, & Hayes,
2015, Para. 3)
Many factors lead to increased risk for comorbid psychiatric disorders.
Unfortunately, children and adolescents with autism are at a higher risk of
being bullied and are more likely to experience adverse life events. These
life events can increase stress and risk for depression and anxiety.
Emotional regulation deficits may also be an underlying feature of ASD.
With a high prevalence of medical disorders, there is a significant increase
with mortality rates. Death rates are nearly three to ten times higher than
the general population. These deaths tend to be the result of medical
comorbidities, such as epilepsy, gastrointestinal conditions and respiratory
conditions.
Social Anxiety Disorder- This is the extreme fear of crowds, new people,
or social environments or situations. In turn, this can cause social isolation
and behavioral issues.
Routines/Daily Life- When something is off in a routine for a child with
autism, this can cause emotions to heighten or worsen. An example:
Having a break everyday at the same time, but then a schedule change does
not allow for the break.
Conclusions
There is a direct relationship between Autism Spectrum Disorder and
Mental Health Disorder. It is important to provide supports to both
children and adults with ASD in our schools and communities. By
including preventative strategies, together we can help to lower the
statistics and in turn, held individuals with autism spectrum disorder live a
full life.
www.PosterPresentations.com
Davis, Kim. “What Triggers Anxiety for an Individual with ASD.” Indiana
Resource Center for
Autism, www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/what-triggers-anxiety-for-anindividual-with-asd.html.
Dickson, Kelsey S., et al. "Adaption and pilot implementation of an autism
executive functioning
intervention in children's mental health services: a mixed-methods study
protocol." Pilot and Feasibility Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, 2020, p. NA. Gale
Academic OneFile,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A627373937/AONE?u=sshe_sru&sid=AONE&xid
=d9ef623a. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
Funk, Harry. “When Back in Operation, Mt. Lebanon High School's
MinDen Offers Space to
Unplug.” The Almanac, 5 March 2020, thealmanac.net/news/when-backin-operation-mt-lebanon-high-school-s-minden-offers-space-tounplug/article_ecbf460- 67d9-11ea-9361-2773cb95c769.html.
Masi, Gabriele, et al. "Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Attempts in Referred
Adolescents with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and
Comorbid Bipolar Disorder: A Pilot Study." Brain Sciences, vol. 10, no.
10, 2020, p. 1ck+. Gale Academic OneFile,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A642580684/AONE?u=sshe_sru&sid=AONE&xid
=ca3bedd6. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
Sensory Sensitivities- This is known as the five senses. An example is
when a fire alarm goes off for a fire drill.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2019
Child Neurology Rami Grossmann, MD. “What is ASD (Autism Spectrum
Disorder)http://www.childbrain.com/services/autism/what-is-asd-autismspectrum-disorder/
Lake, Johanna K., et al. "Mental health services for individuals with high
functioning autism spectrum disorder." Autism Research and Treatment,
2014. Gale Academic OneFile,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A416717619/AONE?u=sshe_sru&sid=AONE&xid
=4953d9f8. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
There are three common causes that lead children to higher rates of mental
health. These include sensory sensitives, social anxiety disorder and
routines/daily life. The following describes each in more detail:
4. Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum implemented into the
school day (CASEL, 2020).
5. Mindfulness Room to give students the option to go to when they are
stressed, overwhelmed, or need a place to relax. For example: Mt.
Lebanon High School MinDen:
References
Stadnick, Nicole, et al. "Caregiver-Teacher Concordance of Challenging
Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Served in
Community Mental Health Settings." Journal of Autism and
Developmental Disorders, vol. 47, no. 6, 2017, p. 1780+. Gale Academic
OneFile,link.gale.com/apps/doc/A550918707/AONE?u=sshe_sru&sid=A
ONE&xid=ab2372aa. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.