Autism Spectrum Disorder in Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Settings: Presentation, Clinical Strategies, and Application of the Double Empathy Problem.

This review looks at how autistic children and teens are cared for in hospital mental health units. It found that regular hospital staff often aren't well-prepared to meet the specific needs of autistic young people. The authors suggest better approaches including working more closely with families, improving communication, and using the 'double empathy' idea to understand social challenges better. They also mention specialized hospital units designed specifically for autistic patients.

This narrative review examines the unique clinical presentations and care needs of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in inpatient psychiatric settings. The authors highlight that traditional inpatient care teams are often inadequately prepared to address the specific needs of autistic youth. The review recommends a multifaceted approach emphasizing family collaboration, improved communication strategies, and various psychosocial interventions. It also discusses specialized inpatient units for ASD patients and introduces the 'double empathy problem' framework for better understanding interpersonal interactions in these settings.

The authors suggest this framework could inform future research to optimize both pharmacological treatments and therapeutic environments for autistic youth in psychiatric inpatient care.

Inpatient psychiatric units should develop specialized training for staff caring for autistic youth, implement family-centered approaches, and consider the double empathy framework when designing therapeutic environments. Specialized ASD inpatient units may be beneficial for this population's unique needs.

As a narrative review, this study does not provide systematic evidence synthesis or specific outcome data. The abstract does not report sample sizes, specific studies reviewed, or quantitative findings, limiting assessment of evidence quality.

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have presentations and clinical needs in the inpatient psychiatric (IP) setting that are distinct from those of their neurotypical peers. This narrative review describes the clinical presentations and IP environmental management strategies for youth with ASD. Evidence suggests that traditional IP care teams often are poorly equipped to address the multifaceted specific needs of this population. The benefits for a multifaceted approach in youth IP units with an increased focus on family collaboration, youth communication, and various psychosocial modalities are described, as are specialized IP units for patients with ASD.

We suggest that an established framework called the double empathy problem can be used to better understand the complexities of interpersonal interactions and psychosocial environments within IP units. Future research may integrate the double empathy problem into understandings of caring for youth with ASD in IP contexts to optimize pharmacological interventions and enhance therapeutic milieus.