Leading the way for nurses to work with autistic patients

Abstract

<p>Session presented on Saturday, September 27, 2014:</p> <p>Purpose: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a broad term encompassing a group of neurodevelopmental disabilities and the diagnosis of social communication disorder (SCD, DSM-V; APA, 2013). ASD prevalence continues to rise with one in sixty-four individuals diagnosed (CDC, 2014). Nearly twenty-five percent of Americans have a disability with nurses treating them in hospitals, clinics, and schools on a daily basis (US Census, 2012). While there has been much research about ASD, very few articles have been written about nursing interventions with a patient with ASD. How nurses care for patients diagnosed with ASD compared to those without ASD can be different. For example, the persons with ASD is startled by voice inflections, can experience sensory disturbances including sensitivity to sounds, odors, and touches. Many nurses may not be familiar with administering medications commonly prescribed for co-morbid conditions often accompanying a diagnosis of ASD. Furthermore, the registered nurse (RN) must be completely educated on the side effects and drug interactions between these medications because individuals with ASD are often prescribed more than one medication. </p>