Abstract
This paper highlights clinical challenges faced when diagnosing and then treating an individual presenting to a child and
adolescent psychiatry clinic because of unwelcome comments he made to female peers about their feet. Novel use of exposure
therapy helped him effectively decrease his comments from 1 to 2 times per month to once every 6 months. Conceptualizing this
case as the individual’s failed attempts toward relationships with females instead of sexual harassment led to diminution
of problematic behavior. Implications for diagnosis and treatment of individuals with Autistic Disorder displaying problematic
behaviors are presented.
adolescent psychiatry clinic because of unwelcome comments he made to female peers about their feet. Novel use of exposure
therapy helped him effectively decrease his comments from 1 to 2 times per month to once every 6 months. Conceptualizing this
case as the individual’s failed attempts toward relationships with females instead of sexual harassment led to diminution
of problematic behavior. Implications for diagnosis and treatment of individuals with Autistic Disorder displaying problematic
behaviors are presented.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-5
- DOI 10.1007/s10803-011-1340-8
- Authors
- Maureen C. Early, Indiana University School of Medicine, Fairbanks Hall, 340 W. 10th St., Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Craig A. Erickson, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 705 Riley Hospital Dr., Room 4300, 46202 Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Logan K. Wink, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 705 Riley Hospital Dr., Room 4300, 46202 Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Christopher J. McDougle, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 705 Riley Hospital Dr., Room 4300, 46202 Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Eric L. Scott, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 705 Riley Hospital Dr., Room 4300, 46202 Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Journal Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Online ISSN 1573-3432
- Print ISSN 0162-3257