Individuals with disabilities are at increased risk for abuse by their parents, caretakers, and the staff who are entrusted with their care as well as from the general population. Many individuals with disabilities have cognitive or communication impairments that place them at even higher risk for abuse. These limitations also make it more…

An increasing number of school children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These children may be referred for assessments for a variety of reasons, including to assess for intellectual impairments, eligibility for support, or to monitor progress. Characteristics of ASD, such as social communication difficulties, as well as common…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by high rates of comorbid internalizing and externalizing disorders. One mechanistic account of these comorbidities is that ASD is characterized by impaired emotion regulation (ER) that results in deficits modulating emotional responses. We assessed neural activation during cognitive reappraisal of…

An administrator of an elementary school shares her experience with students exhibiting signs of twice-exceptionality.

Aggression remains a major cause of morbidity in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Current pharmacotherapy for aggression is not always effective and is often associated with morbidity. Nicotinic acetylcholinergic neurotransmission may play a prominent role in ASD pathophysiology based on human and animal studies, and preclinical…

This study investigated the course of and association among changes in autism symptoms, depression symptoms and executive functions (EF) in children with high-functioning autism (HFA). Thirty-four children with HFA and 45 typically developing children (age 9-16) were assessed at baseline and after 2 years. Children with HFA had impaired scores on…

In addition to the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder, a number of clinically important comorbid complaints, including sensory abnormalities, are also discussed. One difference often noted in these accounts is hyposensitivity to pain; however, evidence for this is limited. The purpose of the current review therefore was to examine…

Background: Although many with intellectual disability come to the attention of services for fire setting, research in this area is scarce, which poses challenges for management. Method: In this paper we examined those with a fire-setting history (n = 30), identified from a sample of 138 patients treated in a UK forensic intellectual disability…

The inclusion challenge of students with special educational needs does not end in the classroom. Mandatory community services in Israel may present unique challenges and supportive demands from their teachers. The goals of this study were to examine the risks experienced by youth with ADHD who joined rescue workers such as ambulance teams. The…

Several states offer additional teacher preparation programs by providing either an endorsement or certification in the field, but these are often pursued by teachers specifically enrolled in gifted coursework rather than in general education programs. Practitioners and researchers agree that time and energy should be spent on training teachers in…

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a classroom sensory activity schedule (SAS) on cognitive strategy use during task performance. This work studies a single-system AB research design with seven students with autism and intellectual disability. Repeated measures using the Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform (PRPP) Cognitive Task…

Introduction: This study explores the social experiences in high school of students with visual impairments. Methods: Experience sampling methodology was used to examine (a) how socially included students with visual impairments feel, (b) the internal qualities of their activities, and (c) the factors that influence a sense of inclusion. Twelve…

Accurate assessment and effective treatment of mood disorders, particularly depression, is critically important for the millions of youth who are experiencing such symptomatology and who are at risk for a multitude of deleterious outcomes. Although the extant empirical literature provides substantial guidance for the assessment and treatment of…

Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to encounter planning difficulties, but experimental research regarding the mastery of planning in ASD is inconsistent. By means of a meta-analysis of 50 planning studies with a combined sample size of 1755 individuals with and 1642 without ASD, we aim to determine whether planning…

This study examined the relations between child internalizing behavior problems and social competence in a sample of young children (N = 166) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as they transitioned to early schooling. Previous literature suggested higher rates of comorbid psychopathology in this population of children; however, a limited number…