We explored assent procedures to promote assent and treatment effectiveness for an autistic adult. The objective, at the request of the participant, was to evaluate an innovative approach to (a) identify aversive auditory stimuli and (b) teach Steven, a 19-year-old male, appropriate responses in the presence of these stimuli without directly…

Increasingly, interventions are being developed and tested with families of color, including Latino families of transition-aged youth with autism. However, without culturally responsive measures, it is difficult to determine whether an intervention is effective. The purpose of this study was to improve the cultural responsiveness of measures…

Examining the quality of life outcomes and supports of autistic people, particularly without proxies, is important to inform research and service delivery -- not only for it to be more evidenced-based, but also to ensure services and supports are successfully supporting autistic people in ways that are important to them. The aim of this…

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) describes different ways to communicate that supplement or compensate for the impairment of individuals with complex communication needs. AAC can utilize computerized devices, with visual scene display (VSD) or video visual scene display (VVSD) as a communication mode. Recent literature…

Nurses and other health care providers face daily challenges when delivering care in the acute care settings to adult patients on the autism spectrum (ASD). Secondary to a lack of disability-specific training, health care providers may struggle to establish and maintain a therapeutic rapport with patients diagnosed on the autism spectrum (Bury et…

Misophonia is characterized by an autonomic response (e.g., increased heart rate) that is elicited by certain innocuous or repetitive sounds, and individuals with misophonia may display an extreme, overt response commonly associated with rage, hatred, and a loss of self-control. In this investigation, we used a combined respondent and operant…

Quality of life (QoL) is a key outcome used to monitor service planning and delivery for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Unfortunately, many current instruments used to measure QoL have psychometric and content limitations and none are suitable for use with individuals with the lowest levels of functioning and…

Despite strong evidence in favor of physical activity (PA), adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not meeting established PA guidelines to engage in at least 150 min of moderate to vigorous PA per week. Barriers to daily PA engagement include limited access to health services, transportation, and reduced self-determined motivation.…

Between 30 and 50% of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) do not develop vocal language deemed functionally acceptable to meet their daily communication needs. As a result, individuals with ASD may require intervention alternatives to vocal speech, such as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). However, very little is known…

The prevalence of academic underachievement or learning disabilities in children with autism or ADHD (two groups at increased risk for such problems) has been extensively researched, but little is known about overachievement in these groups. The frequency of overachievement across academic domains compared to nondiscrepant achievement and…