Description

Sonia Arora Ballal, MD

Associate Director, Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) and Therapeutics Program Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Division of Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Divisional Wellness Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School  

 

Timothy Buie, MD

 

In this presentation, Dr. Sonia Ballal discusses the treatment of children with autism, who frequently experience GI symptoms and diagnoses, including constipation, diarrhea, reflux, and food allergies. Dr. Ballal reviews her own research findings that children with autism have higher rates of esophagitis compared to children with developmental delay and typical development. Dr. Ballal also discusses the use of communication tools, such as visual task lists, to improve the outpatient experience for these children and their families. This course is one of a five-part video lecture series: “Managing Medical Issues in Autism.” The other topics in the series cover Behavior and GI issues in Autism, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Looking for Answers: the Microbiome in Autism, and Communication of Pain and Illness with Autism. The series was made possible thanks to the generous support of the American Institute for Neuro-Integrative Development (AIND). All five presentations from the series are available as stand-alone courses. Click here for an introduction to the entire series.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this educational program, learners will be able to:

1. Identify common GI conditions, findings and treatments in patients with autism.
2. Apply tools to enhance communication of pain in individuals with autism.
3. Modify communication in a clinical setting to better project and organize the patient experience.

  Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, Boston Children’s Hospital is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.    

 

Physician

Boston Children’s Hospital designates this live activity for a maximum of .75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.

Physician Assistant

Boston Children’s Hospital has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credits for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for .75 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is Valid unit 4/22/27. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Nurse

Boston Children’s Hospital designates this activity for .75 contact hours for nurses. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Dietician

** Refer to your Professional Development Portfolio Guide for LNCs or Pls. Completion of this RD/DTR profession-specific or IPCE activity awards CPEUs(One IPCE credit = One CPEU).

If the activity is dietetics-related but not targeted to RDs or DTRs, CPEUs may be claimed which are commensurate with participation in contact hours (One 60 minute hour = 1 CPEU).

RDs and DTRs are to select activity type 102 in their Activity Log. Sphere and Competency selection is at the learner’s discretion.

Social Worker

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Boston Children’s Hospital is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Boston Children’s Hospital maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive .75 ACE CE continuing education credits.

Psychologist

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibly for the content of the programs. This course has been approved for .75 continuing education credits.

Physical Therapist

Boston Children’s Hospital is an approved provider designated by the APTA of MA. Boston Children’s approves Managing Medical Issues in Autism: Treating Children with Autism and GI Problems for 0.75 Continuing Education Hours.

Disclosures

Boston Children’s Hospital adheres to all ACCME Essential Areas, Standards, and Policies. It is Boston Children’s policy that those who have influenced the content of a CME activity (e.g. planners, faculty, authors, reviewers and others) disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial entities so that Boston Children’s may identify and resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. These disclosures will be provided in the activity materials along with disclosure of any commercial support received for the activity. Additionally, faculty members have been instructed to disclose any limitations of data and unlabeled or investigational uses of products during their presentations.

The following planners, speakers, and content reviewers, on behalf of themselves, have reported the following relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on patients: