Maryland’s leading mental health provider serves all populations for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Sheppard Pratt Health System (SPHS), which serves thousands of individuals in Maryland diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families/caregivers, is proud to acknowledge national Autism Awareness Month in April. During the month, the health system will open its Adult Neuropsychiatric Unit – the only one of its kind in Maryland – specific to serving individuals 18 and over with co-occurring intellectual and developmental disabilities and psychiatric disorders, including ASD.
The Autism Spectrum Disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that frequently cause significant deficits in social communication and behaviors.
“Some children and adolescents with autism also suffer from acute psychiatric problems. Sheppard Pratt has one of six inpatient units in the nation specialized to help these children and families manage crisis, and enable a speedy return back to their communities,” says Desmond Kaplan, M.D., senior psychiatrist and service chief of the Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit at Sheppard Pratt. “And, as a major provider of special education in Maryland, children on the spectrum who are not in crisis can benefit from of our other special education programming and schools.”
Sheppard Pratt specializes in the treatment and education of all populations on the autism spectrum. “Our goal is to increase awareness and generate support so that these individuals can live the fullest possible life,” Kaplan said.
It is estimated that nearly 20,000 children in the state of Maryland have been diagnosed with ASD, or 1 in 68, according to the CDC. The good news is there are a variety of schools and school programs that cater to the tailored needs of these students through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). This could mean programming in mainstream schools, or specialized schools such as Sheppard Pratt’s 14 non-public special education residential and day schools.
The hope is for Autism Awareness Month to elevate support for all populations of those diagnosed with ASD.
A challenge comes as children grow into adulthood, and have less access to the costly resources that were available while they were school-aged. While some are well-equipped from their therapies early in life and go on to live a positive life, many others struggle to meet even basic needs. Outpatient programs provide support to adults with ASD, however there is a marked lack of inpatient care for adults with ASD, primarily due to cost.
This month, Sheppard Pratt will open its Adult Neuropsychiatric Unit that will provide much-needed inpatient services to those with ASD, the only of its kind in the state. The Unit will be led by Robert Wisner-Carlson, M.D., who also leads the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Clinic within the Neuropsychiatry Program at Sheppard Pratt.
“Meeting a need is at the core of what we do at Sheppard Pratt,” said Wisner-Carlson. “And although the intricacy of care for this new unit requires significant resources, it’s critical that we move forward to serve our community in this way, and hopefully others in Maryland and across the nation will follow suit.”
The seven-bed unit is expected to immediately fill, and will have an average length of stay of 14 days. During the hospitalization, the focus will be to stabilize acute psychiatric and behavioral problems, as well as working with patients to improve ability to attend to tasks, express emotion and interact in a safe and positive way. It is estimated that as a result of the opening of this unit, 165 adults with ASD can be served in Maryland each year.
For more resources on Autism Spectrum Disorder and the services Sheppard Pratt offers to meet the need in Maryland, or to donate, please visit www.sheppardpratt.org.
About Sheppard Pratt Health System
About Sheppard Pratt
Sheppard Pratt is the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, developmental disability, special education, and social services in the country. A nationwide resource, Sheppard Pratt provides services across a comprehensive continuum of care, spanning both hospital- and community-based resources. Since its founding in 1853, Sheppard Pratt has been innovating the field through research, best practice implementation, and a focus on improving the quality of mental health care on a global level. Sheppard Pratt has been consistently recognized as a top national psychiatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years.