Over the past 20+ years, researchers have worked toward identifying early behavioral predictors of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developing observation-based screeners to supplement existing parent-report methods. This study is a follow-up, 3 to 8 years later, with parents/caregivers of 57 children previously enrolled in a U.S.…

This study examined factors associated with 9-month outcomes of 78 preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder ([ASD]; 66 males, mean age = 44.8 [7.0] months) receiving preschool special education services. Use of recommended intervention practices was observed in each student's primary educational setting: autism-only (n = 28), mixed-disability (n…

Telehealth training may benefit parents' use of early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study is one of the few randomized trials to compare telehealth parent training in the Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM) with a community treatment-as-usual, early intervention program. Parents were randomized to 12 weekly…

Young children from parents with low income and low-literacy skills are often late in being diagnosed with developmental disabilities. To try to understand this phenomenon, we conducted six focus groups with 17 parents of low income with low-literacy skills living in an urban area who had children between 6 months and 4 years of age. Parents were…

Deficits in social communication and interaction have been identified as distinguishing impairments for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As a pivotal skill, the successful development of social communication and interaction in individuals with ASD is a lifelong objective. Point-of-view video modeling (VM) has the potential to…

Video self-modeling (VSM) uses a method called "feedforward" to provide children the opportunity to view themselves as they perform in a more advanced or appropriate manner than they do presently. Typically, this is accomplished through the careful editing of videos. Studies on VSM and social skills with children on the autism spectrum…

The primary aim of this study was to investigate common family experiences during the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnostic process, and the child and family variables that may relate to different diagnostic outcomes. A secondary aim of this study was to evaluate families' knowledge of the research support for various interventions. To…

Three multilingual immigrant South Asian Muslim families who have children with autism were interviewed to ascertain their beliefs about autism. Data were drawn from interviews and conversations recorded during 17 months of ethnographic fieldwork in homes and community. Results indicate that families understood the task of raising a child with…

Crying behavior and mother-infant interactions during episodes of crying were coded using the Cry Observation Codes and then compared for 48 mother-infant dyads of children with autism, children with developmental delays, and typically developing children. At 1 year of age, children who would later be diagnosed with autism showed a different…

This article explains the benefits of portfolio usage for students with autism spectrum disorder and details what to include and how to organize the portfolio. Suggested portfolio divisions include artifacts addressing socialization, communication, behavior, academic, functional skills, and fine and gross motor development. Sharing student…

The aim of this article is to provide an in-depth description of early development in a young child with Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS). SMS is a multisystem, neurodevelopmental genetic disorder associated with mental retardation that predisposes individuals to a distinct pattern of maladaptive behaviors and other neuropsychological impairments.…

A psychologist reflects on the lessons learned in working with children with autism, their families, and their schools: there is no way to predict child development, no child and no family go untouched by the diagnosis, and the feelings that parents have related to an initial diagnosis change over time. (CR)

The Autism Spectrum Disorders Outcome Study is tracking the educational progress of 67 students (ages 2-6) with autism. Initial results, based on the first 16 months of the study, indicate the majority of children have made significant progress in social interaction, expressive speech, and use of language concepts. (Contains references.)…

This article suggests that disruption of social gaze interaction in the first months of life may be responsible for the core social, communicative, and imaginative/cognitive deficits of autism. Eye contact and face processing in individuals with autism, implications of a missed critical period for face processing, and implications for intervention…