Anxiety in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) contributes to their functional impairment. We evaluated a cognitive-behavioral program for anxiety and social deficits in children with ASD in two schools in Nairobi City, Kenya. Parents and teachers of 40 children and adolescents with ASD (5-21 years) participated, randomized by school. The…

The aim of this study was to describe clinical features of PBD comorbidity in children with ASD. Forty children with ASD and PBD aged 6-18 years, and 40 age- and sex-matched ASD subjects with no affective episodes were included in the study. Autism Behavior CheckList, Abberant Behavior CheckList, and Young Mania Rating Scale-Parent Version were…

Individuals with ASD often display externalizing behaviors, which have been associated with lower quality of life in adulthood. Social difficulties have been hypothesized to underlie externalizing problems among individuals with ASD (Klin and Volkmar in "Asperger Syndrome," 340-366, 2000), but this has never been tested empirically. We…

There is growing evidence that efficacious interventions for autism are rarely adopted or successfully implemented in public mental health and education systems. We propose applying diffusion of innovation theory to further our understanding of why this is the case. We pose a practical set of questions that administrators face as they decide about…

Results of a study involving 60 autistic children (three-16 years old) showed that equivalence training was more effective than functional object-use in improving posttest scores on visual overselectivity. (Author/CL)

Tourette Syndrome, a condition characterized by involuntary muscular and verbal tics, is defined, its course described, incidence noted (possibly 1.6 percent of the population), etiology considered (from viewpoints of psychogenic and organic theories), treatment (primarily pharmaceutical therapy) discussed, and educational approaches examined.…

Four autistic children, age 8-15, exhibited fewer correct responses to a stimulus as the number of stimulus components was increased from 1 to 4. Training was effective in producing some generalized increases in responses to complex stimuli. (Author/JDD)

This article reviews social interventions with demonstrated empirical support that facilitate socialization in children with autism. It reviews interventions by age group and by type of intervention used, beginning with interventions to improve preschoolers' social interaction, then moving to school-age children's interactions, and closing with…

This article reviews research on social interventions that facilitate socialization in children with autism. It urges researchers to measure not only the social interaction skills of young people with autism but also the social exchanges of their typical peers in order to better structure teaching activities for youngsters with autism. (Contains…

A survey of 128 British families of children with autism found progress over the last decade in the shorter time for referral to specialists, younger age at diagnosis, and younger age at receipt of special education services. Difficulties remain in obtaining initial professional advice and support, correct diagnosis, and appropriate help in the…

This paper reviews the efficacy of aversive interventions in the treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities. It also considers the ethical and legal issues involved and concludes that there is empirical, ethical, and legal support for the continued availability of aversive interventions as treatment options if sufficient safeguards…

The comment on a paper about the use of aversive interventions with developmentally disabled persons (EC 602 022) questions the effectiveness of aversive interventions and suggests effective nonaversive or less aversive interventions can usually be found. (DB)

This paper briefly reviews the research in social and behavioral interventions with autism in the past 30 years. Progress in the areas of decreased placement in highly restrictive environments, parent training, effective treatments, functional behavioral analysis, and emphasis on improved quality of life is noted. Research needs in the area of…

This review describes Rett syndrome as a disorder afflicting females and characterized by a progressive loss of cognitive and motor skills and development of stereotypic hand movements. The paper discusses its clinical manifestations, etiology, diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis, prevalence, pathogenesis, treatment, and educational…

This article evaluates the scientific basis (primarily gained through uncontrolled, descriptive studies) of various sensory and motor interventions for children with autism and concludes that most categories of interventions, including sensory integration, sensory stimulation approaches, auditory integration training, and prism lenses, have shown…