Individuals who are dually diagnosed with Down Syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently engage in vocal stereotypy that can interfere with learning, impede socially appropriate behavior, and disrupt others. Response interruption and redirection (RIRD) is an intervention that blocks and redirects stereotypy to reduce behavior.…

Anxiety rates are skyrocketing among young learners--and their teachers need explicit training on how to understand and support these students. A concise, reader-friendly guide written especially for teachers, this urgently needed book will prepare early educators to recognize anxiety issues in children ages 3-8, identify the associated behaviors,…

Introduction: Families have a significant role in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. However, it is not clear how actively families are involved when people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors are living in out-of-home care. This scoping review explored the frequency and type of…

An often overlooked but simple antecedent modification is student choice. Student choice can be incorporated with a variety of individuals and across a multitude of activities (Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism, 2013). Choice can be as simple as letting a student choose the assignment they want to complete first (Cosden et al., 1995; Kern…

Introduction: Despite the high prevalence of mental health issues for young people with intellectual disability (ID), young people with ID can struggle to receive the mental health support they need. The aim of this study was to examine a new community-based, clinical mental health service for young people (12-25 years) with co-occurring ID and…

Preschoolers with elevated anxiety symptoms are at high risk not only of developing more severe mental health disorders in later life but are also apt to respond more poorly to intervention if they present with comorbid disruptive behavior. Because early signs of anxiety disorders may not be recognized as such in preschool settings, many children…

A retrospective chart study of patients on open-label aripiprazole treatment was conducted in the Netherlands to add to the knowledge of aripiprazole in children and young adults with mild and borderline intellectual disabilities (IDs). Fifty-three youths, mean age 14.7 ± 3.4 years and mean IQ 64.5 ±13.8, were included. Treatment responders were…

Preschoolers with elevated anxiety symptoms are at high risk not only of developing more severe mental health disorders in later life but are also apt to respond more poorly to intervention if they present with comorbid disruptive behavior. Because early signs of anxiety disorders may not be recognized as such in preschool settings, many children…

Adolescents with intellectual disability are at significant risk for developing concomitant mental health and behavior problems. Youth who experience "dual diagnosis" face great challenges, and require interventions that will promote their autonomy, self-determination, and adaptive functioning. In this article, we devote attention to…

This study examined the nature and correlates of hoarding among youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Forty children with ASD and a comorbid anxiety disorder were administered a battery of clinician-administered measures assessing presence of psychiatric disorders and anxiety severity. Parents completed questionnaires related to child…

Objective: To examine the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for the treatment of pediatric trichotillomania (TTM) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, add-on study. Method: A total of 39 children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years with pediatric trichotillomania were randomly assigned to receive NAC or matching placebo for 12 weeks. Our primary…

A defining feature of autism spectrum disorders is atypical behaviors, e.g., stereotypy, noncompliance, rituals, and aggression. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals with autism present a greater challenge because of additional issues related to their hearing status. One conceptualization of problem behavior is that it serves a communication…

The number of students identified under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with an emotional disturbance (ED) has remained remarkably stable over the last 30 years. During this time, approximately 1% of the school-aged population has been identified as disabled under the criteria set forth in IDEA (Kim, Forness, & Walker,…

I conducted two studies. First, I examined the applicability of discrete-trial functional analysis (DTFA) for identifying the function of problem behavior in three adults with a dual diagnosis of a significant intellectual disability and a mental illness. Results indicated clear patterns of problem behavior for each participant. Second, I used a…

Approximately one third of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have emotion dysregulation and challenging behaviors (CBs). Although research has not yet confirmed that existing treatments adequately reduce CBs in this population, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) holds promise, as it has been shown to effectively reduce CBs in…