This proposed volume will provide in-depth coverage about a construct known as the broad autism phenotype (BAP). The BAP encompasses biological, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal characteristics resembling those found on the autism spectrum, although more subtle than what is evident among individuals who meet formal criteria for…

The self-portrayals of 17 young persons with autism spectrum disorder reveal the challenges encountered by them, including study problems, inter-personal relationships, being bullied by classmates at school, discrimination by the public in general and teachers, social workers, and peers in particular, obstacles to post-secondary education,…

Social skills training programs are often used as a behavioural intervention with elementary school-aged children; however, many students with high-functioning autism do not receive diagnoses until they reach adulthood. There is therefore a strong need for social skills training programs that can be provided as part of students' accommodations in…

Medications are widely prescribed in children with autism spectrum disorders. Most commonly these medications are used to decrease symptoms that fall under three main clusters: irritability, ADHD-like symptoms, and repetitive behaviors. In this guide we introduce basic approaches to medications in children with autism and review the scientific…

Shane, who is in Ms. Jones's third-grade class, has autism. Ms. Jones has provided him with a schedule, a picture communication system, and a positive reinforcement system for his learning tasks. He is demonstrating progress toward his individualized education program (IEP) goals, but he still struggles with attending for any length of time,…

Co-existence of disorders--including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, tic disorder, developmental coordination disorder, and autism spectrum disorder--and sharing of symptoms across disorders (sometimes referred to as comorbidity) is the rule rather than the exception in child psychiatry and developmental…

Parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) are more likely to experience serious psychological distress than parents of children with other developmental disabilities. To examine the impact of a range of factors on psychological wellbeing, interviews were undertaken with 68 mothers of children with ASDs to explore aspects of…

This briefing paper is intended to provide basic information about the diagnosis, educational programming, and special needs of children and youth with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a group of neurological disorders usually evident by age 3 and characterized by impairments in social interaction, imaginative activity, and verbal and…