Mental Health Solutions at your Fingertips
Julie Keen, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
What the Science Says:
There is no single unifying picture of how a person with autism looks, behaves, or otherwise interacts with their surroundings. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), also known as autism, is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by varying degrees of ability in social communication and interaction, sensory differences, repetitive behaviors, and, in some cases, intellectual disability. The range of functional disability varies considerably. Quality of life of individuals with autism is influenced by several factors, including the severity of symptoms and time of language acquisition (Lord et al., 2020).
The criteria for diagnosis of ASD have shifted over the years, broadening the definition of autism and changing the epidemiology of ASD. However, this change does not mean that there is an epidemic (e.g., Hansen et al., 2015). In reality, the change does not necessarily mean that more individuals have ASD now than in the past, it does mean that practitioners now have the ability to detect ASD in more individuals, including those that would not have been diagnosed in the past and therefore would not have been treated due in part to increased parental and clinician awareness.
Dr. Keen has been working in the field since graduating from an APA-Accredited program (University of Hartford) in 2011. She is licensed in CT and SC, and participates under PSYPACT, providing services in person and online. She has worked with Disability Determination Services for the past 10 years, and has conducted more than 3,500 diagnostic evaluations. Dr. Keen has also taught psychology courses at the graduate level for the University of Hartford, Southern Connecticut State University, and Francis Marion University.