This study evaluates the feasibility of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIH-TCB) for use in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 116 autistic children and adolescents and 80 typically developing (TD) controls, ages 3-17 years, completed four NIH-TCB tasks related to inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, processing speed, and episodic memory.…

Therapeutic alliance may influence treatment outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study examined the trajectory of alliance, observationally-measured at four timepoints during a 16-week mindfulness-based treatment targeting emotion regulation problems in adolescents and young adults with ASD (n = 37, mean age =…

Youth with autism spectrum disorder are at elevated risk for impaired emotion regulation and clinically impairing anxiety. A prior developmental framework posited that impaired emotion regulation leads to co-occurring psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, with outcome determined in part by autism spectrum disorder-specific moderating factors.…

Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is an intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study explores parent perspectives of the impact of five AAT sessions involving trained dogs with their children with ASD. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to explore first-hand perspectives of parents. In-depth, semi-structured…

Emotion dysregulation is common in autism spectrum disorder; a better understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms could inform treatment development. The tendency toward repetitive cognition in autism spectrum disorder may also increase susceptibility to perseverate on distressing stimuli, which may then increase emotion dysregulation.…

Social decision making is often challenging for autistic individuals. Twenty autistic adolescents made decisions in the socially interactive context of a one-shot ultimatum game, and performance was compared to a large matched typical reference sample. Theory of mind, executive functioning and emotion regulation were measured via direct…

While a considerable number of youth with autism spectrum disorder exhibit impaired self-regulation (dysregulation), little is known about the neural correlates of dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder. In a sample of intellectually able boys with autism spectrum disorder (further categorized as those with and without dysregulation) and…

Background: Emotion regulation difficulties have been associated with depression and anxiety in typically developing individuals. However, until recently, the impact of emotion regulation difficulties for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received little attention. We investigated emotion regulation difficulties…

Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often show comorbid emotional and behavior problems. The aim of this longitudinal study is to examine the relation between emotion control (i.e., negative emotionality, emotion awareness, and worry/rumination) and the development of internalizing and externalizing problems. Boys with and…

Many children with autism spectrum disorder display challenging behaviors. These behaviors are not limited to those with cognitive and/or language impairments. The Collaborative and Proactive Solutions framework proposes that challenging behaviors result from an incompatibility between environmental demands and a child's "lagging…

Emotion regulation impairments are common among individuals with autism spectrum disorder and are believed to often underlie commonly seen problems with aggression, depression, and anxiety. The Emotional Awareness and Skills Enhancement program was developed to reduce emotion regulation impairment and thereby improve behavioral disturbance, via…

The influence of gender, age, Psychological resilience and family interaction factors upon generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) was investigated in 75 non-autism spectrum disorder (NASD) siblings who had a brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). GAD and MDD were much more prevalent than in…

This article reviews research on the effectiveness of four categories of intervention when implemented in public schools with adolescents and young adults diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The study's inclusionary criteria include a setting of public schools, participants aged between 12 and 22 years, and the investigation of an…

This paper describes the FAB (Functionally Alert Behavior) Strategies approach to improve behavior in children and adolescents with complex behavioral challenges. FAB Strategies include evidence-based environmental adaptations, sensory modulation, positive behavioral support, and physical self-regulation strategies. FAB Strategies can be used by…

We examined the interrelationships among symptoms related to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using a large representative sample and clinical groups of children aged 6 to 11 and youth aged 12 to 18 years rated by parents (N = 1,881) or teachers (N = 2,171). The samples included individuals from the United States and Canada from the standardization…