Help Across the Spectrum: A Developmental Pediatrician's Perspective on Diagnosing and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders

Practice With Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Predictors of Self-Efficacy Among Social Work Students

“…Further, families with children with ASDs are especially disadvantaged with regard to access to needed health care and support services (Kogan et al, 2008). Social workers have an ethical responsibility to be knowledgeable about and to advocate for evidence-based practices for vulnerable populations (National Association of Social Workers, 2008) and the social work profession belongs at the frontlines in the DDs field, promoting best practices with persons with ASDs and their families (Copeland, 2012;Laws et al, 2010). This study suggests that current social work graduates are ill equipped to fulfill this charge.…”

“…Further, children with ASDs are more likely to have unmet needs for specific health care and family support services than children with special health care needs without ASDs (Kogan et al, 2008). Although there is a need for knowledgeable and ethical human service professionals in the fields of ASDs and DDs (Copeland, 2012;Russo-Gleicher, 2008), only 2% of social workers surveyed by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) in 2007 reported working in the field of DDs (Whitaker & Arrington, 2008). Studies have shown that social work students traditionally report low interest in the field of DDs (Aviram & Katan, 1991;Butler, 1990;Rubin & Johnson, 1984).…”