Parent engagement in early behavioral intervention is essential to achieving meaningful intervention outcomes. However, parents may experience multiple barriers to engagement. The Parent-coaching Assessment, Individualization, and Response to Stressors (PAIRS) was developed to help practitioners assess families' barriers and facilitators,…

Parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report higher levels of stress than parents of typically developing children. Few studies have examined factors associated with parental stress in early childhood. Even fewer have investigated the simultaneous influence of sociodemographic, clinical, and developmental variables on…

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience increased rates of anxiety and depression which can impact academic success. The Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students with ASD (STEPS) applies cognitive-behavioral principles to help young adults with ASD improve their adjustment to postsecondary education. We aimed to…

Despite the growing number of studies that demonstrate the importance of empowering parents with knowledge and skills to act as intervention agents for their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there are limited examples of parent-mediated interventions that focus on problem behaviors. Additionally, access to ASD-trained clinicians and…

Analysis of the psychotic speech of a nine-year-old autistic boy suggested that psychotic speech (intelligible but out of context phrases) was maintained through escape from task demands and that teaching an appropriate equivalent phrase ("Help me") reduced the frequency of psychotic speech. (Author/DB)

British parents (n=141) participating in an intensive home-based behavioral intervention for a child with autism completed a questionnaire addressing issues of stress, coping, and support. Results showed that parents' stress levels were predicted mainly by psychological rather than demographic variables. Adaptive coping strategies, informal social…