Children with neuro-developmental disorders at Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Cambodia

The Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CCAMH) is one of the centers that have psychiatric specialists for children in Cambodia. This study aims to understand the characteristics of children with neuro-developmental disorders, especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD), at CCAMH. This study included 440 cases that were randomly chosen from 2,147 new patients at CCAMH in 2018-2019 and were aged 0-12 years. Socio-demographic factors, parent's information, obstetrical factors, and clinical data were collected from patients' records. A logistic regression analysis and Pearson's chi-square test were used to compare the characteristics between children who were finally diagnosed with ASD and the others (non-ASD). Of the 440 patients, most were male (75.2%), 0-4 years old (57.7%), and diagnosed with ASD (50.0%). Common symptoms were delay of speech, playing alone, and hyperactivity. ASD was significantly more prevalent in male patients compared to females and in the 0-4 years age group compared to the 5-12 years age group. Parents who lived in Phnom Penh and had high education were more likely to visit the CCAMH with their children who were diagnosed with ASD. Regarding treatment, approximately half of all 440 patients had family counselling and psychosocial education. ASD patients had more speech therapy, special education and structured teaching, and networking and coordination therapy compared to non-ASD patients. To provide education and therapy to children with ASD and their parents from the early stage, information about the center and ASD should be widely distributed to all parents in Cambodia.

Autism: an 'epidemic' of contemporary times?

The text discusses the growing incidence of autism in the world, presents an understanding of autism from the point of view of analytical psychology, and reflects on the treatment of autistic patients. Today, it is understood that autism is part of a continuum of characteristics on a spectrum with biological and congenital causes. It is a non-specific picture resulting from multiple causations of non-linear factors. Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by a triad of symptoms: persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, interests, or activities. Autism spectrum disorder must be considered as a clinical entity, with current clearly defined characteristics. It is an extremely complex condition, which requires multidisciplinary approaches aiming at the possibility of prognosis and effective therapeutic approaches. This paper explores how a disturbance may occur from the intra-uterine phase, in which matriarchal experiences do not constellate. The structuring function of the patriarchal organization can then become dominant, and people with autism need understanding and help to organize their world and learn to live in it. As they don't have the capacity to structure consciousness through the matriarchal archetype, they rely entirely on the structuring and organizing capacity of the Father archetype.