At this point there is sufficient research to demonstrate the efficacy of Early Intensive Behavior Interventions (EIBI) for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, also of great importance is the value of these early efforts over time. The purpose of this review was to assess existing EIBI papers with respect to follow-up…

Specific phobias are among the most common anxiety disorders, especially in children. Unfortunately, a paucity of literature exists regarding the treatment of specific phobia in young children, despite the knowledge that traditional techniques (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT]) may not be practical. Therefore, the purpose of this article…

The use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to treat persons with autism goes back several decades. Many specific target behaviors and intervention strategies have been developed. In the last two decades the most heavily studied of these methods has been Early Intensive Behavioral Interventions (EIBI). This package of ABA methods is unique in two…

Clozapine has been approved in the United States since 1990 for refractory or treatment resistant schizophrenia in the general population. However, as with many other antipsychotic medications, it is being prescribed for reasons other than those indicated. Among individuals with intellectual disabilities, clozapine is increasingly being prescribed…

The diagnosis of autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), particularly in young children has become a top priority in the fields of mental health and education. Core symptoms include rituals and stereotypies, social skills deficits, and problems in communication. Considerable overlap exists in symptoms for…

Challenging behaviors in persons with intellectual disabilities are primary target for treatment in mental health clinics and institutions. Furthermore, an increasing number of people are receiving psychotropic medications for the management of their challenging behaviors. Many people are often treated with high doses of multiple psychotropic…

Selective mutism is a rare, debilitating condition usually seen in children. Unfortunately, there is little research examining effective treatments for this disorder, and designing an evidence-based treatment plan can be difficult. This case study presents the evidence-based treatment of an 8-year-old Caucasian boy with selective mutism using an…

One of the areas receiving the greatest attention from researchers studying autism spectrum disorders in recent years involves psychologically based early intervention programs. Various claims of cure, marked improvement in social and communication skills, and improved I.Q. are among the conclusions that have been drawn by various researchers.…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are considered to be among the most serious of the mental health conditions. Concomitant with many cases of ASD is intellectual disability. Further compounding the disability is the fact that both conditions are known risk factors for self-injurious behavior (SIB). To date, the most effective intervention methods,…

A substantial literature on the effective treatment of bipolar disorder has begun to appear, particularly in the last 20 years.The majority of treatments studied have employed medications, particularly mood stabilizers, a typical antipsychotics and antidepressants. Most treatments produce side effects and medications are no exception. A review of…

Since their introduction, antipsychotic medications have been used widely to treat conditions other than psychiatric disorders, especially among individuals with mental retardation. Researchers have shown that the prevalence rates of psychotropic medication prescriptions among this population are extremely high. Given the limited empirical data to…

Prevalence rates of epilepsy are much higher among persons with developmental disabilities compared to the general population. Anticonvulsant medication is the most common method of treating seizure disorders. Many of these antiepileptic medications (AEDs) are associated with various side effects, which may have detrimental effects on the social…

A study involving 200 adults with mental retardation investigated the interrater reliability and internal consistency of the Matson Evaluation of Drug Side Effects (MEDS), a scale designed to evaluate commonly identified side effects with a psychometrically sound checklist. The MEDS had excellent consistency across raters and good internal…

Studies assessing treatments for severe behavior problems of developmentally delayed persons were reviewed. Procedures used in the 382 studies, published from 1967-1987, were analyzed in terms of problem behaviors, side effects, and treatment methods. Also examined were number of studies reported yearly, maintenance and generalization of effects,…

Three children (ages 4-5) with autism and mental retardation were treated for deficits in self-initiated speech. A treatment package employing visual cue fading was compared with a graduated time-delay procedure. Both treatments included training multiple self-initiated verbalizations using multiple therapists and settings. Both treatments were…