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Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility Renewals

Medicaid and CHIP eligibility renewals are required this year. Learn more

Mental Health Services in Delaware

Multidisciplinary Autism Program

Finding the right support can be challenging.

Autism Program Autism Services at ChristianaCare Treating ASD Appointment

Multidisciplinary Autism Program

For people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), navigating the world and finding support can be challenging. ChristianaCare’s Multidisciplinary Autism Program is here to help children, adolescents and adults with ASD make sense of the world around them and be more at ease in it. Unlike some other programs that only diagnose ASD, ChristianaCare’s program, led by psychiatrist Narpinder K. Malhi, M.D., offers complete services, from diagnosis through treatment. We work with patients to set and meet goals, no matter their skill level or area of need.

Getting an accurate diagnosis is key to finding treatment options that will lead to the best possible outcome. A psychiatrist, a psychologist and a licensed clinical social worker will evaluate your child or other family member over one or two visits.

The evaluation includes:

A complete medical history.
Physical examination.
Developmental assessment tools.
Psychiatric evaluation.
Advanced testing tools, as needed, such as the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale 2 (GARS-2), which estimates the severity of the disorder, and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), a tool to measure social skills.

Treating ASD

ChristianaCare offers a family-centered environment where our team of specialists works together to create a treatment plan for your child or other family member that may include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy.
Developmental and relationship-based therapy.
Family therapy and group therapy to improve social skills.
Medication
Treatment for associated psychiatric conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, depression and behavior disorders.
Additional services from a broad range of experts throughout ChristianaCare, such as neurologists, speech and occupational therapists, nutritionists and others.