ADHD and Autistic Spectrum

Signature Assignment – Describe Strategies for Helping with Comorbid ADHD/ASD Instructions You have been helping Mrs. Rivera. She informs you that her sister has become ill and they must move to another state to care for her. She thanks you for all that you have done for her son Cody, and she asks if you will write a letter for her. The letter needs to summarize what you have learned about ADHD and ASD and how to help individuals like Cody who have a comorbid case of ASD and ADHD. This information is important to help inform anyone who might work with him at their new home and school. In addition, the counselor has now concluded that Cody has a comorbid case of ASD and ADHD. Therefore, the letter needs to convey what is known about helping individuals who have the comorbid disorders. For your final assignment, produce a research-based document summarizing what is known about how providers might most effectively go about helping Cody to function at home and in school. Using what you have learned about each condition as well as your understanding of addressing their comorbidity, you must describe how providers might prioritize his needs and develop plans to address each of those needs. Remember to address any cultural diversity issues that might be relevant. Also, be sure to include in your letter any ideas you have for how his helpers might monitor and adjust their efforts as needed. This Signature Assignment entails the integration of information gathered throughout the entire course, including last week’s review of comorbid conditions. It requires you to generate a rational, research-based summary of the literature for a child with comorbid ADHD and ASD. The case is the same one you have addressed throughout the course in terms of individual problem presentations, but now it has been determined that the boy’s struggle is with comorbid conditions. As such, you are welcome to include any parts of assignments you previously submitted in this course, as needed. [Note: Because you are invited to draw from your own prior work in this course, your instructor is aware that this may cause a falsely elevated Turnitin score and will closely evaluate the source of that elevation. If you do use portions of previous work, be sure to include citations. Refer to Section your APA 7 Manual for additional information.] Of utmost importance on this assignment is that you are not to simply combine your previous assignment submissions into one document. While some parts of previous submissions may be appropriately included, you should clearly demonstrate a thoughtful and rational consideration of issues unique to comorbid conditions, and integrate the related literature. Support your assignment with at least 10 scholarly resources as collected throughout the course. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included. Length: 10-12 pages, not including title and reference pages Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA 7 standards. Article and Resources (References) Interventions for Comorbid ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder Although scientists have observed and written about childhood presentations of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and social withdrawal for the past 200 years, in this course, you have learned that people’s understanding of these struggles has continually changed over time. As recently as 2013, the conception of autism underwent a paradigm shift when the DSM-5 presented it as a spectrum, including what had been four separate developmental disorders in the past. At the same time, professionals gained the ability to give a patient both diagnoses, ADHD and ASD, in recognition of the prevalence of the comorbidity of these disorders. But even today, there is little agreement on the origins of either disorder. While biological/hereditary explanations predominate, other factors involved in these disorders are the source of much debate. Your theoretical understanding or belief about the process or factors that underlie these disorders guides your assessment and the clinical practices you employ, so it is critical that you critically evaluate their possible origins for yourself. Assessing ADHD and ASD involves the use of multiple methods (i.e., checklists, interviews, rating scales) and inputs from multiple respondents such as parents, teachers, daycare workers, and other family members in order to understand the patient’s behaviors across contexts. Assessment also must include a consideration of sociocultural factors that may impact a child’s experience. Comprehensive treatment interventions that include medications, behavior therapy, and educational efforts can decrease or alleviate symptoms that interfere with success in school and in life. For both ADHD and ASD, what is most important is that the various people in a child’s world are consistently involved in his or her treatment. Comorbidity in ASD and ADHD disorders is a common occurrence, though it has only recently been recognized by the psychiatric diagnostic system. The early identification and treatment of these co-occurring mental health disorders and their symptoms may substantially improve the overall quality of lives of children suffering with them. Psychiatric treatment should always be offered within an integrated, multidisciplinary treatment plan, maximizing the involvement of the significant people in a child’s life. There are no new resources this week. Be sure to review the resources throughout this course carefully. You are expected to apply the information from these resources when you prepare your Signature Assignment. References Antshel, K. M., Zhang-James, Y., & Faraone, S. V. (2013). The comorbidity of ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. Expert review of neurotherapeutics, 13(10), 1117-1128. Davis, N. O., & Kollins, S. H. (2012). Treatment for co-occurring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Neurotherapeutics, 9(3), 518-530. Goldin, R. L., Matson, J. L., Tureck, K., Cervantes, P. E., & Jang, J. (2013). A comparison of tantrum behavior profiles in children with ASD, ADHD and comorbid ASD and ADHD. Green, J. L., Sciberras, E., Anderson, V., Efron, D., & Rinehart, N. (2016). Association between autism symptoms and functioning in children with ADHD. Archives of disease in childhood, 101(10), 922-928. Scandurra, V., Emberti Gialloreti, L., Barbanera, F., Scordo, M., Pierini, A., & Canitano, R. (2019). Neurodevelopmental disorders and adaptive functions: a study of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and/or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 673. Solberg, B. S., Zayats, T., Posserud, M. B., Halmøy, A., Engeland, A., Haavik, J., & Klungsøyr, K. (2018). Psychiatric comorbidity and genetic correlations provide new insights into differences between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Norsk Epidemiologi, 28. Thomas, S., Sciberras, E., Lycett, K., Papadopoulos, N., & Rinehart, N. (2018). Physical functioning, emotional, and behavioral problems in children with ADHD and comorbid ASD: a cross-sectional study. Journal of attention disorders, 22(10), 1002-1007.Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(9), 2669-2675 Van Steensel, F. J., Bögels, S. M., & de Bruin, E. I. (2013). Psychiatric comorbidity in children with autism spectrum disorders: A comparison with children with ADHD. Journal of child and family studies, 22(3), 368-376. See attached assignments for 



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