Research into children with autism indicates that therapeutic sessions with dogs might provide a way of encouraging social interaction and reducing solitary or repetitive behaviours. With recent educational ASD interventions aimed at providing ways of encouraging intrinsic motivation to socially engage, it is possible that sessions with dogs could…

When the author was asked to write an article for this issue about teaching kids with autism, he thought, who better to tell that tale than him? He grew up with undiagnosed autism in the 1960s, so he has a first-person understanding of what it's like. He has also raised a child with Asperger syndrome, so he has seen autism from the parent's point…

In this study, a multiple baseline design across three young children with autism was used to assess the impact of individualized behavior support, implemented through family-school collaboration, on the children's appropriate and problem behaviors and adult-child interactions. A positive behavior support process was used to promote family-school…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of functional communication training on elopement when consultation support is delivered via desktop videoconferencing. An ABAB design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of functional communication training to reduce the elopement of a preschool student with autism. Intervention development,…

The procedures described by Sloman et al. (2005) were extended to an analysis of teachers' responses to problem behavior after they had been taught to withhold potential sources of positive and negative reinforcement following instances of problem behavior. Results were consistent with those reported previously, suggesting that escape from child…

In the current investigation, the processes of functional assessment and function-based intervention were used to resolve the severe challenging behaviors of a boy with autism and mental retardation in an inclusive kindergarten in South Korea. A multicomponent intervention was developed in collaboration with classroom personnel and was implemented…

Thirty-eight children with autism were given movement therapy in small groups led by a trained movement therapist. After two months of biweekly sessions, the children spent less time wandering, more time showing on-task behavior, less time showing negative responses to being touched, and less time resisting the teacher than those in the control…

This digest provides an overview of considerations for teaching students with autism. General considerations for providing effective instruction for students with autism include: (1) ensure that the student is in good health, free from pain and irritation, and in a safe, stimulating, and pleasurable setting; (2) provide structure in the…

This self-study training manual for teachers of young children with autism contains nine modules on behavior modification techniques. The modules address: (1) the ABC's of behavior, which discusses discriminating among words that describe feelings and words that describe behaviors, identification of examples of learned behavior, and defining and…

The Center for Technology in Education (CTE), a partnership between Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland state department of education, developed a model for teaching autistic students that integrates technology-based instructional and behavioral supports into existing curriculum. The goal is to promote student gains in communication, social…