Autism: Untangling Complex Cases

On May 5th 2010, Dr. Craig Newschaffer will be conducting a workshop on Autism, from 8:30am to 12:00pm at the Doylestown Health and Wellness center in Warminster PA.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to hear the world-renowned Dr. Craig Newschaffer from Drexel University talk about findings, trends, and what's ahead in the research on the causes of autism. Dr. Newschaffer is the Principal Investigator of the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI), the most comprehensive study of autism etiology in the world. During his presentation, Dr. Newschaffer will discuss the highly complex disease of autism and talk about what we are learning about the condition's causes. He will also touch on some of the challenges faced communicating findings on autism risk factors to different audiences.

Problem Solving Therapy

I don't know about you, but I am always open to learning about techniques to help my patients solve problems. In his presentation this week, Dr. Arthur Nezu will suggest treatment strategies to help our patients cope more effectively with difficult life situations by fostering the adoption and effective implementation of adaptive problem-solving attitudes and behaviors in order to reduce depression.

Dr. Nezu is Professor of Psychology, Medicine, and Public Health at Drexel University and co-author of "Problem-Solving Therapy: A Positive Approach to Clinical Intervention". He has contributed to over 175 scientific and professional publications, including 20 books. He co-developed Problem Solving Therapy (PST), a cognitive-behavioral intervention that has been empirically found to be efficacious for treating a wide variety of populations.

I am looking forward to his workshop!

Trichotillomania and Other Body-Focused Behaviors

Trichotillomania (TTM). If you have heard this word before then you probably work with emotionally disturbed, autistic, or mentally retarded children, adolescents or adults. Trichotillomania is one of many obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) with this population. Specifically, this disorder includes compulsive pulling of the hair, sometimes leaving bald spots on the head. Dr. Martin Franklin, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, and Director of the Child and Adolescent OCD and Anxiety Group at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. His workshop on March 3rd will discuss research and treatment techniques for TTM and other body-focused OCD behaviors. Dr. Franklin is a recognized expert in OCD. He is a principal researcher for the National Institute of Mental Health and has published widely in treatment techniques for OCD. I am looking forward to this workshop. (Aside from the scholarly knowledge and practical treatment suggestions, I hope Dr. Franklin can teach us to say "Trichotillomania" 3 times, fast!)