In Recognition of World Autism Awareness Day April 2, 2015
Especially with teenagers, the diagnosis of Autism often comes as a surprise. Dr. Stephen Mandler, Chief Medical Officer of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch in Billings, Montana joined Lon March 30, 2015 to explain that often when teens are considered Oppositional Defiant or Conduct Disordered, the real diagnosis can be Autism, which needs to be treated vastly different. Instead of focusing on imposing consequences for negative behavior, the focus needs to be on building relationships with the child to gain his/her confidence, to listen to their problems and learn how to handle frustration, of course without ignoring the negative behavior. This advice applies to parents in raising their struggling teens as well as health care professionals providing treatment.