Disruptive behaviors (DBs) are common in children with autism, affecting child and family quality of life. Parent-mediated interventions (PMIs) are a cost-effective and accessible way to decrease DBs. COVID-19 increased need for telehealth interventions. This study explored a group delivery of an evidence-based PMI (RUBI), delivered face-to-face…

Purpose: Parents of children on the autism spectrum enrolled in early intervention often receive coaching to address both social communication and disruptive behavior, which are the two most frequently reported concerns by parents. Intervention techniques for both are often recommended to be implemented across daily routines and require the…

Guidance on effective interventions for disruptive behavior in young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is limited. We present feasibility and initial efficacy data on a structured parent training program for 16 children (ages 3-6) with ASD and disruptive behavior. The 6-month intervention included 11 Core and up to 2 Optional…

A growing disparity between the mental health needs of children and their lack of treatment served as the basis of this study. To address this existent gap, I proposed that child-centered play therapy (CCPT), a holistic treatment that fosters children's emotional, developmental, and social growth would serve as a viable treatment. The purpose of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the stability of mothers' perceptions of the negative impact of having a child with ASD in a sample of African American and Caucasian families as their children transitioned to early adolescence. Participants were mothers and children participating in an ongoing longitudinal study of children referred for…

Background: Observational measures of parent and child behaviours have a long history in child psychiatric and psychological intervention research, including the field of autism and developmental disability. We describe the development of the Standardised Observational Analogue Procedure (SOAP) for the assessment of parent-child behaviour before…

Temperament is important for considering differences among diagnostic groups and for understanding individual differences that predict problematic behavior. Temperament characteristics, such as negative affectivity, effortful control, and surgency (highly active and impulsive), are predictive of externalizing behavior in typically developing…