Anxiety has been associated with social communication and interaction differences among autistic children. We sought to clarify the direction of these associations longitudinally, and test executive function as a moderator. Participants were autistic children (N = 157; 15% female, 85% male) engaged in a longitudinal study. Analyses focused on two…

In this systematic review, we aimed to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children/adolescents with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The protocol was registered on PROSPERO CRD42021255848. Articles were selected from PubMed, Embase, and LILACS according to these characteristics: patients from zero to 18 years old,…

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous disorder, recently more homogeneous phenotypic subgroups, which still lack evidence, have been identified. Our goal is to describe and analyse different behavioural profiles of ASD, in social communication and interaction (SCI) and restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests…

Since being published in 1997, "Harry Potter" books have sold over 500 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 80 languages (Pottermore News Team, 2018). Although Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is vastly different from public school, adolescents from both worlds share common struggles. On a daily…

A major topic of debate is whether children with autism spectrum disorder should be educated in inclusive or specialized settings. We examined the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of delivering the Group-Early Start Denver Model to children with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive versus specialized classrooms. We randomly assigned 44…

Background: Pivotal response treatment (PRT) is suggested to be an effective treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Objectives: We aimed to compile evidence examining the effectiveness of PRT on social communication, social interaction, and repetitive behavior for children with ASD. Methods: We performed a systematic and…

Background: Mental health professionals play an important role in providing care and treatment for adults with intellectual disabilities. A number of studies use qualitative methods to explore the experiences of these professionals and their perspectives regarding the mental health services for this population. A systematic review using…

Senate Bill (SB) 163 would alter the current law that requires coverage of behavioral health treatment (BHT) for autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). SB 163 would expand the definition of BHT to include treatment modalities based on developmental theory, would make technical changes to definitions related to network adequacy, would prohibit denial of…

A high proportion of adults with intellectual disability (ID) who live in supported accommodation (i.e. group homes) engage in challenging behaviours (CB). A lack of engagement in meaningful activity, social isolation, communication difficulties, and boredom can be triggers for challenging behaviour. There is a small body of literature on…

Disparities exist in the availability of high-quality early childhood education and care settings (ECEC) across communities within the United States. Teachers have an imperative role in fostering children's socioemotional development; however, when the classroom climate deteriorates due to disruptive behavior, meeting these emotional and learning…

The Autism Impact Measure (AIM) was designed to track incremental change in frequency and impact of core ASD symptoms. The current study examined the structural and convergent validity of the AIM in a large sample of children with ASD. The results of a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a final model with five…

Positive, proactive classroom management strategies support academic and behavioral student outcomes while fostering positive teacher-student relationships. However, teachers often cite struggles with classroom management and challenging student behavior as key reasons they ultimately leave the field. Additionally, pre-service teachers often fail…

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) is a model of consultation wherein parents and teachers partner to address children's social-behavioral concerns. The teacher-parent relationship has proven critical to the success of CBC, yet little is known about the dynamics in CBC that may promote these relationships. This study explored interactions…

Find the answers to all your autism-related questions in "The General Education Teacher's Guide to Autism: Essential Answers to Key Questions." From this informative, dynamic resource, you will collect practical strategies to address the common challenges facing these neurodiverse students in an inclusive environment, while also learning…

Poor social-emotional reciprocity (SER) has been identified as one of the defining traits of autism. It is a key criterion in recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders editions, DSM-IV and DSM-V (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994, 2013). Yet this difficulty related to socially engaging and interacting with others is…