Category Archives: Autism Videos at ACT

Improving the Recognition of Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum

Filmed at ACT’s 14th Annual Focus on Research Conference – April 4, 2018

This presentation is followed by Understanding the Needs of Girls and Women on the Autism Spectrum.

In this thought provoking presentation, Dr. William Mandy shares his research into the characteristics of autism in females, the implications for diagnosis, and ways of improving recognition, with a focus on practical ways of improving clinical and educational practice. This presentation is deeply informed by Dr. Mandy’s clinical experience, as well as his research, he offers a compassionate perspective on the barriers faced by women and girls when they are not offered the self-awareness and family understanding that can accompanies a diagnosis. Also covered are myths about autism; new research into gender ratios and the impact of “camouflaging” on diagnosis of women and girls.

William Mandy, PhD, DClinPsy

Dr. William Mandy is a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer at University College London, UK. Dr. Mandy’s research aims to improve the recognition of autism, and to develop new interventions to help autistic people. A particular research interest is improving the identification and care of females on the autism spectrum, who are currently at high risk of going unnoticed and under served by clinical and educational services.

Part 1: A (very brief) introduction to autism

Part 2: Myths About Autism

Common myths:
  • Autism is rare
  • Most people with autism have a learning disability (IQ under 70)
  • Autism is just about having difficulties
  • Autism is a categorical disorder

Part 3: What is the Gender Ratio in Autism?

Is there a diagnostic bias against females?

Part 4: The Female Autism Phenotype

Part 5: Camouflaging

Part 6: Autism: The New Consensus & The Impact on Diagnosis

Girls and Women with Eating Disorders – Why are ASD and ADHD Missed?

Filmed April 2017 – edited into 3 parts; total 32 minutes
Christopher Gillberg, MD, PhD

Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Director, Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg

Presentation Description

The onset of eating disorders, which tend to affect girls and women rather than boys and men, usually begins in puberty or early adult life, but in many cases it has been preceded by early onset neurodevelopmental problems, including ASD and ADHD (ASD in anorexia nervosa, ADHD in bulimia nervosa). The neurodevelopmental difficulties have usually not been properly diagnosed before the appearance of the eating disorder; the slightly different clinical presentation in females and the general public/professional perceptions of ASD and ADHD contribute to this state of affairs.

Professor Gillberg is a world renowned autism researcher who has developed the concept of ESSENCE (Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations), recognizing the overlapping symptoms of ASD, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder (ODD/CD), anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, intellectual developmental disorder, communication disorders, dyslexia, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and others.

This presentation was preceded by Dr. Gillberg’s lecture, also available at Autism Videos @ ACT: ESSENCE* – Early Recognition of ASD and Associated Disorders Can Lead to Better Outcomes

Also available is  Practical Strategies for Supporting Mental Wellness of Teenage Girls and Women with ASD,  a presentation by Dori Zener, MSW, RSW.

These presentations were recorded in 2017 at ACT’s 13th Annual Focus on Research Conference, held at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. ACT appreciates Dr. Gillberg’s generosity in allowing us to include it in Autism Videos @ ACT.

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Learning Objectives
  • Recognize symptoms of ASD and ADHD in eating disorders.
  • Understand how ASD and ADHD contribute to the eating disorder.
  • Analyze how, in the individual case, ASD and/or ADHD should best be diagnosed and intervened for and how this will affect outcome in the longer term.
Christopher Gillberg, MD, PhD

Christopher Gillberg is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden where he heads the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre. He is also Visiting or Honorary Professor at the Universities of London, University College London (Institute of Child Health), University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, and Kochi University, Japan (where he is involved with the Japan Environment Cohort Study/JECS). Christopher Gillberg is considered the most productive autism researcher in the world, and is on Thomson Reuters 2014 list of the world´s most influential researchers (all fields) because of the number  of citations of the many peer-reviewed scientific papers he has published (600) relevant to children´s and adolescents’ mental and neurological health. His research interests included ASD, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, intellectual disability, epilepsy, behavioural phenotype syndromes, depression, reactive attachment disorder and anorexia nervosa. His research ranges from genetics and basic neuroscience through epidemiology and clinical phenomenology to treatments/interventions and outcome. He has written 31 books, which have been published in more than a dozen languages, several of which are standard textbooks in the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Autism. He is an honorary member of the Swedish National Autism Society and ADHD Society (“Attention”), and a member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences.

Visit Dr. Gillberg’s blog. Christopher Gillberg and his team of experts offer their opinions each week on the latest happenings in the world of neuropsychiatry and mental health (ESSENCE). 

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Autism in Anorexia Nervosa and Eating Disorders

Part 3: Why are Females with Autism missed?

How should we plan for best recognition and intervention in autism and other ESSENCE in females?

Topics covered:

ESSENCE* – Early Recognition of ASD and Associated Disorders – Can It Lead to Better Outcomes?

Filmed April 2017 – edited into 6 parts; total 111 minutes
Christopher Gillberg, MD, PhD,  

Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Director, Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg

Presentation Description

Professor Gillberg is a world renowned autism researcher who has developed the concept of ESSENCE (Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations), recognizing the overlapping symptoms of ASD, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder (ODD/CD), anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, intellectual developmental disorder, communication disorders, dyslexia, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and others.

In this thought provoking presentation, Dr. Gillberg makes the case that while these are common childhood onset disorders affecting about 10% of the general population, with early recognition, psychoeducation and other targeted interventions, adaptive outcomes in adult life can be improved.

This presentation was recorded in 2017 at ACT’s 13th Annual Focus on Research Conference, held at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. ACT appreciates Dr. Gillberg’s generosity in allowing us to include it in Autism Videos @ ACT.

This presentation was followed by Dr. Gillberg’s lecture Girls and Women with Eating Disorders – Why are ASD and ADHD Missed?  also available via Autism Videos @ ACT.

Show more

Learning Objectives
  • Recognize symptoms of ESSENCE/neurodevelopmental disorders at all ages and refer for appropriate assessment.
  • Understand the basic mechanisms underlying ASD and ADHD.
  • Analyze how “primary” ESSENCE lead on to “secondary” outcomes including psychiatric disorder, substance use disorder, criminality and physical ill-health.
Christopher Gillberg, MD, PhD

Dr. Christopher Gillberg is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden where he heads the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre. He is also Visiting or Honorary Professor at the Universities of London, University College London (Institute of Child Health), University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, and Kochi University, Japan (where he is involved with the Japan Environment Cohort Study/JECS). Christopher Gillberg is considered the most productive autism researcher in the world, and is on Thomson Reuters 2014 list of the world´s most influential researchers (all fields) because of the number  of citations of the many peer-reviewed scientific papers he has published (600) relevant to children´s and adolescents’ mental and neurological health. His research interests included ASD, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, intellectual disability, epilepsy, behavioural phenotype syndromes, depression, reactive attachment disorder and anorexia nervosa. His research ranges from genetics and basic neuroscience through epidemiology and clinical phenomenology to treatments/interventions and outcome. He has written 31 books, which have been published in more than a dozen languages, several of which are standard textbooks in the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Autism. He is an honorary member of the Swedish National Autism Society and ADHD Society (“Attention”), and a member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences.

Visit Dr. Gillberg’s blog. Christopher Gillberg and his team of experts offer their opinions each week on the latest happenings in the world of neuropsychiatry and mental health (ESSENCE). 

Part 1: Introducing ESSENCE

Topics covered:
  • ADHD
  • Developmental Coordination Disorder

Part 2: ESSENCE – continued

Topics covered:
  • Language Impairment
  • Intellectual Developmental Disorder
  • Tourette Syndrome
  • Autism
  • Asperger Syndrome
  • Reactive Attachment Disorder

Part 3: ESSENCE – continued

Topics covered:
  • Fragile X Syndrome
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
  • Tuberous Sclerosis
  • Epilepsy
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Febrile Seizures
  • Physical Health and ADHD

Part 4: What are the Symptoms of ESSENCE?

Part 5: Predictors of Outcome in Autism

Topics covered:
  • Role of Intensity of Intervention
  • Asperger Syndrome and Schizophrenia
  • Borderline Personality Disorder

Part 6: Q&A

Questions asked (with time question is asked noted):
  • How would you bring ESSENCE to smaller communities where there aren’t the services and resources? (Start of video)
  • Is it possible to delay a diagnosis of autism and put the children under the ESSENCE umbrella?(04:02)
  • What assessment or treatment would you recommend for a child, 7 to 8, with Autism who is receiving early intervention and has not yet been diagnosed with another disorder yet is starting to present some anxiety and has an aggressive family history of mental illness? (13:50)
  • What kind of training do professionals need to identify ESSENCE disorders? (16:35)
  • With regards to early assessment, what is the TTF? (25:18)
    View screening questionnaires from Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre
  • Could you comment on early diagnosis of ASD? (28:54)

Autism Prevalence among Youth in Canada – A report of the 2018 National ASD Surveillance System

from ACT’s 14th Annual Focus on Research

Filmed April 6th, 2018

Presented by Professor Anthony Bailey, Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UBC

In this video, Professor Bailey, Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UBC, provides an insightful overview of the epidemiology of ASD in Canada. After discussing the methodology used to develop the National ASD Surveillance System report, Dr. Bailey presents a summary of the findings and compares Canada’s rate of ASD among children and youth, to the situation internationally.

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Surveillance System (NASS) is a federally funded initiative to estimate and monitor the number of individuals with ASD. The initial phase of the program estimates this number among children and youth. The findings of the 2015 NASS report focuses on those aged 5–17 years, from six provinces and one territory: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, British Columbia and the Yukon.

Part 1: Background information on ASD Surveillance

Part 2: ASD Among Children and Youth in Canada 2018 – a Report of the National ASD Surveillance System

Click image to view the NASS report

Summary of findings

  • Among children and youth 5–17 years old across seven provinces and territory, the combined prevalence of ASD for the year 2015 is 1 in 66 (15.2 per 1,000).
  • Males were diagnosed with ASD four times more frequently than females. NASS found that 1 in 42 males (23.9 per 1,000) and 1 in 165 females (6.0 per 1,000) aged 5–17 years old were diagnosed with ASD.
  • Retrospective data from 2003–2015 from Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec showed that, among 5–14 year olds, ASD prevalence has increased from 6.0 per 1,000 to 19.6 per 1,000 in Newfoundland and Labrador; from 5.0 per 1,000 to 17.7 per 1,000 in Prince Edward Island; and, from 3.5 per 1,000 to 15.7 per 1,000 in Quebec.
  • In comparison to the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network from the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which looks only at 8 year olds, NASS’ prevalence was 1 in 63 (8 year olds) in the year 2015 versus the ADDM Network’s prevalence of 1 in 68 in the year 2012.

Part 3: Question & Answer Period

 

Building a System of Culturally Sensitive Family Centred Positive Behavior Support

from ACT’s 12th Annual Focus on Research

Filmed April 15th, 2016

As professionals working in culturally diverse communities in Metro Vancouver, it is important to consider how we can best deliver culturally-sensitive services to the many families for whom English is not their first language. In an effort to address the need for culturally responsive services, a group of Metro Vancouver professionals have created a workgroup within the International Dissemination committee of the Association for Positive Behavior Support. Over the past year, the group has been working to develop a series of parent training workshops. The goal is to improve the quality of lives for families and their children by empowering families to use PBS strategies in their daily lives in ways that are effective as well as meaningful and acceptable culturally. This presentation will describe a summary of the workgroup’s progress to date and next steps.

Parbs Bains, M.Ed., BCBAphoto - Parbs Bains

Parbs Bains has 14 years of experience supporting the needs of children with autism and other developmental disabilities in the public school system and in private practice. Parbs is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of British Columbia.


Noreen Dunn, M.Ed., BCBAphoto - Noreen Dunn

Noreen Dunn has been supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental in home, school, and community settings for the past 11 years. Noreen is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of British Columbia.

 

Part 1: The Need for Multi-Lingual & Culturally Responsive Service Providers

Part 2: Common Barriers for Culturally Diverse Families

Part 3: Culturally Sensitive Considerations and Supports

ACT Resources

Reference: Chen, D., Downing, J. E., & Peckham-Hardin, K. D. (2002). Positive behavior support with families of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds: Considerations for culturally responsive practices. In J. M. Lucyshyn, G. Dunlap, & R. W. Albin (Eds.), Families positive behavior support: Addressing problem behavior in family context (pp. 131- 151). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes. Singh, N. N., Lancioni, G. E., Winton, A. S. W., Karazsia

Part 4: Positive Behavioural Support Workgroup

Part 5: Pilot Workshop Plan & Outline

Part 6: Workshop Structure: Mindfulness-Based PBS & Behaviour Skills Training

Reference: Singh, N. N., Lancioni, G. E., Winton, A. S. W., Karazsia, B. T., Myers, R. E., Lathan, L. L., & Singh, J. (2014). Mindfulness-Based Positive Behavior Support (MBPBS) for Mothers of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effects on Adolescents’ Behavior and Parental Stress. Mindfulness, 5, 646-657.