Occupational therapy practitioners provide sensory-based interventions to support children as they learn academically, develop self-regulation skills, and participate in play and activities of daily living skills alongside their peers. These interventions are used both for children who have a specific sensory-related diagnosis as well as children…

Noncompliance with adult instruction is a common problem exhibited by individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The high-probability (high-p) request sequence was designed to increase compliance with low-probability (low-p) instructions by rapidly presenting high-p instructions immediately prior to the targeted low-p…

The establishment of reciprocal friendships is a challenge for many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social interaction difficulties emerge early, persist throughout development, and have widespread functional impact. As such, interventions focused on social functioning are needed in early intervention programs. This two-part study…

Students with extensive support needs (ESN) are a heterogenous group of students with the most pervasive and ongoing support needs who typically receive special education services under the categories of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, or multiple disabilities and often qualify to take their state's alternate assessment…

Previous research by Williams, Siegel and Mazefsky (2018) investigated the relationship between verbal abilities and problem behaviors using data from the Autism Inpatient Collection (AIC). This research found a weak and inconsistent association between verbal abilities and problem behavior severity; however, adapting/coping scores were…

Autism spectrum disorder is common among disability. Difficulties experienced by the child with autism in developmental areas may cause negative situations during transition to preschool. This study aims to determine the opinions of parents and teachers about expectations and whether these expectations have been fulfilled during transition to…

A meaningful curriculum is one that is individualized, inclusive of the individual's unique needs and interests, and focused on building independence in current and future environments. A meaningful curriculum addresses an individual's needs and prioritizes instructional programs based on what is, potentially, most important to their lives and not…

This study examined the effects of rigid/ritualistic behaviors on special education teachers' perception of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their readiness for supported employment using vignettes featuring students with varying rigid/ritualistic behavioral profiles in vocational activity settings. Using a mixed-method design, the…

Viewed through a social justice lens, preschool expulsion is an educational equity issue. This study focused on prior expulsion from preschool and child-care in a longitudinal study of 203 autistic children, ages 4 to 7. By parent report, 16%--one out of six autistic children--had been expelled from a preschool or child-care setting prior to…

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) provide a way for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to self-manage challenging behaviors, which may ameliorate the need for more intensive individual interventions in schools. Using a concurrent multiple baseline design, our study examined whether Meditation on the Soles of the Feet (SoF), a brief MBP,…

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience challenges with social skill interactions that may affect their quality of life. Given that parents are often the most frequent and constant presence in their child's life, parents serve a vital role in their child's social and behavioral development. For this reason, children may…

Currently, the rate of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is growing and further research is needed to understand what evidence-based practices are effective for this population. To contribute further to the already existing literature, the three studies expand on previous reviews and studies by adding information on whom these…

The challenging behaviours of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been widely described as one of the most significant sources of stress for teachers. However, less attention has been paid to the potential of teachers' perspectives as a source of knowledge to improve their practice. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers'…

The present study examined the relationships between the standardized applied behavior analysis (ABA) direct assessment, the PEAK Comprehensive Assessment (PCA), and established assessments commonly used in educational and clinical settings, including the Childhood Autism Rating Scale - Third Edition (CARS-3), the PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI),…

This systematic review is aimed at examining the effectiveness of the rapid prompting method (RPM) for enhancing motor, speech, language, and communication and for decreasing problem behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A multi-faceted search strategy was carried out. A range of participant and study variables and risk and…