Adults on the autism spectrum prescribed mental health drugs without diagnoses

Adults on the autism spectrum are being prescribed mental health drugs in instances where there is limited supporting evidence to do so.

This was one of the findings of a UNSW-led study that looked at the use of psychotropic medication – or medication for mental health problems – by adults on the autism spectrum.

The research, which used data collected by The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC)’s Australian Longitudinal Study of Adults with Autism (ALSAA), found that 14 per cent of mental health medications were being taken by adults on the autism spectrum without a relevant diagnosis. more

Voices: Overheard in Psychosis But Underheard in Autism

One of the many opposite symptoms of autism as opposed to psychosisthat was apparent from the beginning was that a classic symptom of schizophrenia is hearing voices, whereas a common complaint about autistics is that they seem to be deaf, and many autistics report difficulty hearing what someone is saying in a noisy ambience.

Now two different studies, kindly brought to my attention by Bernard Crespi, not only confirm this feature of the diametric model of mental illness, but also go some considerable way towards explaining it.

Not only psychotics, but a minority of the general population also experience auditory hallucinations frequently and without distress. As a recent study by Ben Alderson-Day and colleagues points out, “non-clinical voice-hearing (NCVH) is featurally similar to auditory verbal hallucinations described in psychosis, but usually more controllable and positive in content.” more

How teen’s soap business helps him thrive with Asperger’s

DETROIT – For Spencer Kelly, being an entrepreneur isn’t just a calling, it’s part of the elixir that changed his life.

In just two years, Kelly, 17, has gone from starting Expedition Soap Co. in his parents’ home to selling almost $100,000 worth of product.

It started as a way to pay back his dad for a replacement bicycle after his was stolen in June 2016. Kelly left it outside a restaurant “for just a moment” when he dashed inside, only to come out and find it gone. His dad bought him a new bike with the understanding Kelly would repay him $300.

“I was thinking about a business that I could start to make the money to repay my dad, and it dawned on me: Soap! I use soap, you use soap, the guy down the street uses soap, even the president uses soap. Who doesn’t use soap?” he said. more

Autism Test

By Psych Central Staff
~ 5 min to take

Use this quiz to help you determine if you might need to see a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, a mental health concern that involves impairment in social interactions with others.

Instructions: This is a screening measure to help you determine whether you might have an autism spectrum disorder (including what used to be called Asperger’s disorder). Please take the time to fill out the below form as accurately, honestly and completely as possible. All of your responses are confidential and you will be provided with instant results. more

Temple professor urges more employers to hire people with autism

Tom Edwards remembers a former colleague in the aerospace industry who was a computer whiz – back in the days when computers took up entire rooms.

The man, a chief engineer, was incredibly talented, but he rarely made eye contact, kept strange hours and often arrived wearing clothes that did not match.

Years later, Edwards realized his colleague likely was on the autism spectrum. By then, he had a son with autism who struggled to launch a successful career.

“He always wanted to do a good job,” said Edwards, a Temple University engineering management professor who has led workshops on the benefits of hiring employees with neurodiverse conditions.

“It never quite worked out. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure this out. Eventually, it dawned on me – he’s not being supervised well.” more