Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate limited playfulness. Their difficulty engaging in meaningful interaction with others renders playful engagement in social interactions a challenge. Although little direct evidence exists regarding the promotion of these children's playful engagement, links can be established with many traits…

Joint attention involves the organization of attention between oneself, an object or event, and another person with the purpose of sharing interest. Simply put, joint attention requires a child to "socially coordinate the attention with other people." This initiating of joint attention (as opposed to responding to joint attention) is particularly…

Despite the advances in understanding cognitive improvements in executive function in adolescence, much less is known about the influence of affective and social modulators on executive function and the biological underpinnings of these functions and sensitivities. Here, recent behavioral and neuroscientific studies are summarized that have used…

The Americans With Disabilities Act (the "ADA"), enacted by Congress in 1990, was greeted with great celebration by persons with disabilities, their families, and advocates. The idea was broadminded and straightforward: Congress intended that the ADA protect those with disabilities (including those who were simply perceived as having a…

Ways in which video has been incorporated into a classroom for autistic high schoolers at the Center for Adaptive Programming are described. The design of a lesson on feelings is presented to illustrate the use of video. (CL)

Research has shown that individuals with autism and Asperger syndrome are impaired in humor appreciation, although anecdotal and parental reports provide some evidence to the contrary. This paper reviews the cognitive and affective processes involved in humor and recent neurological findings. It examines humor expression and understanding in…

This paper examines the communication of autistic individuals and describes a speech therapy approach based on a view of speech as an archetypal reality, and suggests that the archetypal nature of speech manifests itself in autistic persons and that drumming or chanting can release the inner flow. Intervention techniques were used to create…

Dave Sherratt and Gill Donald teach children with autism at Mowbray School, North Yorkshire. Dave Sherratt also teaches at the University of Birmingham and is honorary research fellow at the University College of York St John. Gill Donald is also a specialist speech and language therapist for Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust. In this…

A 14-year-old with mild mental retardation and behavioral features suggestive of Asperger's syndrome is described. At the onset of puberty lethargic episodes took on a more dramatic form and became more reminiscent of cycloid/manic-depressive psychosis. Neurobiological links with and differences from the syndrome of infantile autism were found.…

What brain mechanisms underlie autism, and how do they give rise to autistic behavioral symptoms? This article describes a neural model, called the Imbalanced Spectrally Timed Adaptive Resonance Theory (iSTART) model, that proposes how cognitive, emotional, timing, and motor processes that involve brain regions such as the prefrontal and temporal…

Many teachers celebrate the last day of school, but the author has always found it a bittersweet time. Teaching in a self-contained classroom with not more than five students, ranging in age from 15 to 20, at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and had them most of the day, is emotionally consuming, for good or ill. While he had…

Environmental restriction or deprivation early in development can induce social, cognitive, affective, and motor abnormalities similar to those associated with autism. Conversely, rearing animals in larger, more complex environments results in enhanced brain structure and function, including increased brain weight, dendritic branching,…

This guide presents methods for promoting integrated development in autistic children, through the use of attachment-based activities. The first section reviews the literature on autism, including its etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and attachment research. The second section describes the Minneapolis Children's Medical Center program, called…