Cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with autism spectrum disorder and anxiety is effective, but disparities exist in accessing these programs. Training school providers to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy may help to address these disparities. However, little is known about how cognitive behavioral therapy programs are implemented by…

The educational services available for fully included middle schoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the general education setting are not well known. Even less is known about how the executive functioning (EF) deficits of such youth are addressed in the classroom. The current study sought to identify the challenges, including EF, that…

To date there are no evidence-based comprehensive interventions for use in school settings. There are numerous barriers to delivery of high-quality interventions in schools that have limited the transfer of research-based interventions to school settings. "Modular Approach to Autism Programing for Schools (MAAPS)" is a framework for…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a peer network individualized intervention toward improving the social skills of three middle school high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID). The intervention was based on the Circle Time program (Mosley & Tew, 2013), and it…

In recent years, many psycho-educational technologies were studied to address the school-related difficulties encountered by students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most of them remain individual-centered and do not consider the social environment. To fill this gap, this study reports on the user-centered design of a web-based…

Research suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of exhibiting aggressive behaviors due to deficits in social communication and restricted and repetitive interests. Individuals with greater symptom severity and/or low cognitive abilities are at the greatest risk of developing aggressive behaviors that tend to be…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a three-phased self-directed model in enhancing the social problem-solving skills and the levels of self-determination of students with ASD. A total of 44 junior high school students with ASD were assigned to either an experimental group (n = 24) receiving the three-phased…

Elementary school students frequently report no knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and often endorse negative attitudes toward peers with ASD. Investigators evaluated a peer education autism program, the Kit for Kids (KfK), with 234 students from 19 classrooms and 3 elementary schools. Students receiving the KfK curriculum reported…

The current study evaluated use of the Superheroes Social Skills program as a means of increasing social skill accuracy in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Participants included four Caucasian male students that were eligible for special education services within the autism category. Social skills training was presented twice weekly for…

This study explored youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) learning social competence in the context of innovative 3D virtual learning environment and the effects of gaming as a central element of the learning experience. The empirical study retrospectively compared the social interactions of 11 adolescents with ASD in game-and nongame-based 3D…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a training package on three middle school special education teachers' accurate implementation of trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) with their students with autism spectrum disorders or emotional and behavioral disorders in the…

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics highlight the importance of not only content standards for mathematics but also mathematical practices such as communication, representation, and reasoning, skills that are often difficult for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through a single-case multiple-probe-across-participants…

A growing number of autistic students enter the school system, many with the capabilities of doing grade-level work. For these students, there seems to be a lack of focus on executive functioning, self-regulation, daily living skills (DLS), and self-determination. The Independence Curriculum (IC) is a set of units addressing identified areas of…

Students with disabilities experience higher unemployment, attend postsecondary environments less often, and engage less in their communities after graduating from high school compared to their peers without disabilities (Newman, Wagner, Knokey, Marder, Nagle, Shaver, & Schwarting, 2011). In middle school, young adolescents with disabilities…

The Common Core State Standards articulate expectations for student participation in mathematical reasoning, sense making, and discussion. Yet little to no research explores the participation of students with autism in these practices. Drawing on neurodiversity and situated sociocultural theory, this article offers a case study of the mathematics…