Shrinking It Down: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? (Season 1, Episode 11)

By Ellen Braaten, PhD, Gene Beresin, Executive Director and Steven Schlozman, MD

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A lot has changed over the years in the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including that we’re getting better at understanding how to recognize it early in kids. And the earlier treatment starts, the more beneficial and effective it will be for children with ASD.

But what is ASD, and why do we now consider it a spectrum disorder instead of multiple, separate diagnoses, like Asperger’s and Pervasive Developmental Disorder? What services exist to help children living with autism at all ends of the spectrum?

In today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Gene Beresin, Dr. Steve Schlozman, and Dr. Ellen Braaten take a deep dive into all of these details and more, including how parents can get access to different services – like occupational therapy, speech therapy, or school accommodations – and specific examples of early developmental signs of ASD for parents and pediatricians to be aware.

Thank you for joining us in this journey and conversation. If you have a question about ASD that we didn’t cover, we’d love to hear from you!

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Thanks for visiting the Clay Center. We are entirely funded by visitors like you. We receive no financial support from Massachusetts General Hospital or Harvard Medical School. Your support of our work helps us to continue to produce content on mental health topics that support the emotional well-being of young people everywhere.

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Ellen Braaten, PhD

Ellen Braaten, PhD, is executive director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), an associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, and former co-director for the MGH Clay Cente...

To read full bio click here.

Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Gene Beresin, M.D. is executive director of The MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also a ...

To learn more about Gene, or to contact him directly, please see Our Team.

Steven Schlozman, MD

Steven Schlozman, MD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS), course director of the psychopathology class for the MIT-HMS Program in Health, Sciences and Technology, and former co-director of the Clay Center for Youn...

To read full bio click here.

Shrinking It Down: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? (Season 1, Episode 11)