Anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and can negatively impact student functioning, particularly relationships with peers and teachers. Though cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is increasingly used to address anxiety in school-aged youth with ASD, few studies have included school personnel in CBT treatment…

Ole Ivar Lovaas (1927-2010) is known worldwide for his research within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, and is probably the most influential researcher within the field of treatment of children with autism. In the first part of this biographically oriented paper, we inform the readers about his family background, childhood, elementary and…

This study investigates demographic and clinical factors associated with initiation, continuation, and adherence to behavioral health treatment (BHT) among children with autism spectrum disorder. Among 293 insured children referred for applied behavior analysis (ABA) based BHT, 23% never initiated treatment. Among those initiating treatment, 31%…

Access to behavior-analytic professionals who can implement interventions like discrete-trial instruction (DTI) may be limited for families living in rural communities. We trained four rural parents of children with autism to implement DTI accurately with a confederate using in vivo behavioral skills training. The DTI skills that parents…

An increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are serviced in special and general education settings. Many students with ASD need behavioral supports in order to participate meaningfully in school settings. Function-based intervention has been shown to be effective in decreasing problem behavior and increasing appropriate…

Naturalistic intervention (NI) originates from applied behavior analysis, which is the use of behavioral techniques to teach learners specific skills. Naturalistic intervention (NI) integrates the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) into the natural environment, or into a learner's everyday routines and activities so that the acquired…

Research has shown that rates of clinical anxiety levels are higher among young people with an ASD than their typically developing peers. This study conducted an exploratory investigation into the impact of a specifically tailored CBT group programme on anxiety levels in young people with ASD. The 12 week CBT programme was delivered to 12 children…

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be challenging, particularly for parents who do not have easy access to psychological treatment. This book presents parent training as a unique approach that is accessible and one of the most promising methods for promoting long-term behavioral improvements in children with ASD. Backed by…

The present study aimed to develop a proposed training program based on DTT to improve the nonverbal communication skills in children with ASD. To achieve the objective of the study, the author developed a scale of non-verbal communication skills consisted of (20 items) measures attention and eye contact, imitation and using the signal,…

Families that have children with ASD may experience increased stress due to a variety of factors, one of these factors being managing difficult behaviors. One area of behavioral difficulty that children with ASD experience is transitioning between activities. The Social Story is one intervention that has been studied as a transition support both…

A retrospective chart study of patients on open-label aripiprazole treatment was conducted in the Netherlands to add to the knowledge of aripiprazole in children and young adults with mild and borderline intellectual disabilities (IDs). Fifty-three youths, mean age 14.7 ± 3.4 years and mean IQ 64.5 ±13.8, were included. Treatment responders were…

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on the skateboarding skills of an 11-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). BST was used in a multiple-probe across skills design to teach five target skateboarding skills. Imitation of an additional skill was also assessed outside of BST sessions.…

In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of students with high functioning autism (HFA) enrolled in general education classes. Many of these students struggle with academic and social-behavioral expectations in school, and minimal research is available to educators related to meeting the needs of such students in secondary educational…

Children with autism incur trauma and have increased vulnerabilities for experiencing trauma. This paper summarizes the current literature in the study of trauma in typically developing children and those with autism. A treatment model for children with autism, drawing on components from cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), trauma-focused CBT, and…

This study investigated the effects of a functional communication training intervention consisting of systematic prompting and natural reinforcement on the challenging behaviors of two children with autism spectrum disorder aged 5 and 6 years old. Children who had a history of challenging behavior, consisting of self-injury and disruption, were…