Children and Young People

  • Black girl and grandmother lying on grass, overhead close up

    Insights from Two Decades of Statewide Data on the Diagnostic Rates among Autistic Females

    A 2024 study by Harrop and colleagues reflects how the landscape of autism diagnosis for females has evolved. Drawing on more than 10,000 diagnostic records from the TEACCH Autism Program in North Carolina, spanning the years 2000 to 2021, the study reveals a steady increase in the proportion of females identified as autistic. While diagnostic pathways are becoming more inclusive, late recognition remains a concern, highlighting the ongoing need for approaches that acknowledge the diversity of autistic experience.

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  • Fussy eater. Pouting pre-teen boy sitting at the table and turning away while refusing to eat a fried egg

    ARFID: What We Know About Psychological Treatments So Far

    Which treatments are showing promise? How is progress measured? What can clinicians take from this? Find out in this blog.

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  • Supporting Families of Trans Youth: A New Toolkit Rooted in Lived Experience

    A new community-based participatory study highlights the importance of family support in improving mental health outcomes for transgender and nonbinary youth. Co-created digital stories reveal how open communication, shared reflection, and inclusive family involvement can reduce isolation, foster empathy, and build stronger connections. The result is a flexible toolkit designed for both professionals and caregivers.

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  • Young Child Engaged with a Mobile Device, Exploring Digital Content

    Validation of a Mobile App for Remote Autism Screening in Toddlers

    A 2025 multi-site study led by Dawson and colleagues evaluated a mobile app called “SenseToKnow,” designed for accessible, early autism screening in toddlers. The results suggest digital approaches as a promising way to make early identification more accessible, objective, and equitable for all families.

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  • teen with knife

    Blades and Wounded Minds: exploring the links between youth mental health and knife crime

    This webinar examines the complex relationship between youth mental health issues—particularly trauma and anxiety—and the rise in knife crime among young people.

    Event type
    Half day conference
    Location
    LIVE STREAM
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  • teen girl not wanting to eat

    CYP with Disordered Eating – the lost tribe: Understanding and Managing CYP not meeting the criteria for specialist ED services

    Too many children and young people struggling with eating difficulties fall through the cracks—unable to access specialist eating disorder services yet lacking the support they need within generic CAMHS teams. Without timely intervention, these young people face significant risks to their physical and mental health.

    Event type
    Half day conference
    Location
    LIVE STREAM
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  • Putting Sustainability at the Front of Digital Mental Health

    Research has indicated the urgent importance of embedding sustainable practice into research and healthcare. With the rapid deployment of AI and other novel technologies across healthcare, we must consider sustainability in the research and development of digital mental health technologies. Here, two mental health researchers reflect on their work in digital mental health and what is next for sustainable mental health research.

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  • Operationalizing the ICF Core Sets for Autism and ADHD: From Framework to Feasible Tool

    Alehagen, Bölte, and colleagues conducted a feasibility study to develop and user-test an online platform for the ICF Core Sets for autism and ADHD. The study found that the platform was easy to use, acceptable to participants, and capable of capturing the diversity of functioning profiles, with iterative revisions addressing user feedback. The tool is now ready for psychometric validation.

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  • early bird

    Autumn Webinar programme

    Don’t miss the early birds! All events are centred around evidence-based research, and our speakers are some of the leading lights in the field. ACAMH is a charity, and we receive no government funding, nor do we ask for donations.

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  • From Isolation to Intervention: Loneliness and Youth Mental Health

    This Loneliness Awareness Week, please explore the FREE learning opportunities available on our website and ACAMH Learn and do share with your networks.

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