Community Resources
When a parent, caregiver or provider determines that a person with autism or intellectual disability requires psychiatric hospitalization, finding professionals who are knowledgeable about the strengths and needs of the population and provide appropriate services can be challenging. Below are some resources available to learn about obtaining psychiatric hospital care.
Basics of Autism and Intellectual Disability (ID)
- Autism and Intellectual Disability are neurodevelopmental disorders that affect multiple areas of functioning. People in this group have many strengths and also have a higher rate of emotional and behavioral challenges than typically developing people. When people with autism or ID develop significant emotional or behavioral challenges, they may require expert intervention and a safe, specialized environment.
What is Psychiatric Hospitalization for People with Autism or ID?
- People with autism or ID can require psychiatric hospitalization just like people without these diagnoses. In fact, people with autism are psychiatrically hospitalized at a much higher rate than people without. The reason for psychiatric hospitalization is not typically the autism or intellectual disability itself, but rather the emotional or behavioral symptoms the person is experiencing, such as aggression, self-injury, depression, severe anxiety and others. Accurately assessing and treating psychiatric and behavioral disorders in this population is best done by practitioners with expertise in helping people with autism or ID, and often requires an approach informed by applied behavior analysis and drawn on the strengths of multiple clinical disciplines. People with autism or ID can be psychiatrically hospitalized in general psychiatric units, or in a specialized unit that is specifically designed for the needs and learning styles of this population. The below information provides resources for specialized psychiatric hospital care for people with autism or ID in the United States.
Inpatient Autism and ID Units in the United States
A small group of hospitals in the United States offer specialized inpatient care for individuals with significant autism or intellectual disability who are experiencing serious emotional or behavioral challenges. Some of the hospitals are members of the National Autism and Intellectual Disability Psychiatric Care Collaborative (NAID-PCC), a learning health network focused on performance improvement and benchmarking standards for excellence in care. Facilities include:
| Hospital Name | Location | Child Unit | Adult Unit | Ownership Status | Collaborative Member |
| Aurora Hospital | Phoenix, AZ | Y | For profit | No | |
| Bradley Hospital | East Providence, RI | Y | Non-profit | Yes | |
| Caro Center Hospital | Caro, MI | N | Y | State | No |
| Children’s Hospital Colorado | Aurora, CO | Y | Non-profit | Yes | |
| Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center | Cincinnati, OH | Y | Non-profit | Yes | |
| Foundations Behavioral Health | Doylestown, PA | Y | For profit | No | |
| Fuller Hospital | South Attleboro, MA | N | Y | For profit | No |
| Hampstead Hospital | Hampstead, NH | Y | For profit | No | |
| Hawthorn Center Hospital | Northville, MI | Y | State | No | |
| Hospital for Special Care | New Britain, CT | Y | Non-profit | Yes | |
| Kennedy Krieger Institute | Baltimore, MD | Y | Non-profit | No | |
| Nationwide Children’s Hospital | Columbus, OH | Y | Non-profit | Yes | |
| Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center | Stonybrook, NY | Y | State | No | |
| Sheppard Pratt Hospital | Baltimore, MD | Y | Y | Non-profit | Yes |
| Spring Harbor Hospital | Westbrook, ME | Y | Non-profit | Yes | |
| Streamwood Hospital | Streamwood, IL | Y | For profit | No | |
| UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital | Pittsburgh, PA | Y | Y | Non-profit | No |
*If you represent a psychiatric hospital unit in the United States that is not included in the above list, please email (taraa at crescendocg.com) to provide information.
Literature on Specialized Psychiatric Hospitalization in the United States
Information coming soon!
Learn More About ADDIRC
Fortunately, many organizations not only treat patients, but also look for solutions. The Autism & Developmental Disorders Inpatient Research Collaborative (ADDIRC) is a research platform of specialized child psychiatry hospital units that serve children and adolescents with autism and developmental disorders. For more information about ADDIRC, please click here.