Philosophy of Care
The Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit at Sheppard Pratt’s Towson hospital is a safe, secure, and highly specialized 14-bed inpatient unit. It is designed for children ages five through 17 who have autism spectrum disorder and/or an intellectual disability. While children are in our care, our focus is on safety and crisis stabilization; children and adolescent generally come here after engaging in extreme aggression at home, experiencing severe difficulties in school, or when behavior is out of control to the point that it cannot be managed at home.
Who We Treat
We treat children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disabilities; some of those we treat may have experienced a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has caused lasting brain damage, while others have genetic syndromes. During each child’s stay, we focus on crisis stabilization and behavior management to ensure that they are safe towards themselves and others before they return to the community. The entire treatment team is involved in every aspect of care, and is focused on a positive outcome for your child. The average length of stay on the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Unit is usually between two weeks and one month.