Measurement of social-pragmatic communication skills is essential for clinicians and researchers working with school-aged children on the autism spectrum. Many measures of these skills require time-intensive training and coding that is impractical for clinical assessment settings. Using a sample of 299 elementary school children (M = 8.6 years, sd…

This pilot research investigated the effects of a community-based organized football program on behavioral, social and communicative outcomes in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In a non-randomized design, 19 children completed the football program and were compared pre- and post-intervention with 21 children who received no comparable…

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder show an increased risk of experiencing potentially traumatic events, particularly social victimization. However, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder co-occurrence was hardly studied. We examined exposure to potentially traumatic life events and PTSD symptoms in adults with Autism…

Purpose: No diagnostic tools exist for identifying social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD), a new "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition" category for individuals with social communication deficits but not the repetitive, restricted behaviors and interests (RRBIs) that would qualify them for a…

Drowning is the number one cause of accidental death in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Few studies have examined the effectiveness of swim instruction for improving water safety skills in children with moderate to severe ASD. This study examines the feasibility and effectiveness of an aquatic therapy program on water safety and…

Introduction: The primary aim of this retrospective study was to assess differential associations between sleep disturbances with externalizing/internalizing problems, ADHD profiles (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity), and social impairment among children with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and comorbid diagnoses (ASD+ADHD). Methods:…

Co-occurring problems with mood and anxiety among adolescents and adults on the autism spectrum are highly prevalent and contribute to poor outcomes and diminished quality of life. The current study's principal aim was to evaluate variation in the presentation of depression symptomatology among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder,…

This list of tools was compiled to assist states and programs with identifying assessments that can be administered when the assessor cannot be in the room with the child. This is a list of screening tools that can be completed remotely when the practitioner cannot be in the room with the child. Screening tools assess the possibility of a…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a theatrical play programme on social skills development for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Six children with ASD were selected by purposive sampling (M=10.6 years), and their typically developing peers (N=132) (M=10.3 years), attending general primary schools in Greece…

Objective: This article aims at exploring distinctive hallmarks of autistic disorders compared to other groups presenting mimicking and/or overlapping conditions. Method: The exploratory study involved 196 children with autism, intellectual disability, language impairment and psycho-affective disorders previously referred to an autism diagnostic…

Among typically developing children, many characteristics have been associated with parents' expectations for their children's adjustment to school and academic progress. Despite the history of increased parental involvement in the education of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to parents of children without ASD, there is…

An adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare mother-developed and delivered social stories and video modeling in teaching social skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers' opinions about the social validity of the study were also examined. Three mother-child dyads participated in the study. Results showed that…

Background: Children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) are reported to have socio-communicative impairments. Although many of these children are diagnosed with intellectual disability (ID) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), these populations are seldom used as control groups. Hence, information regarding syndrome-specific…

There has been little research connecting underlying emotion processes (e.g., emotion regulation) to frequent behavior problems in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the stability of emotion regulation and its relationship with other aspects of child functioning. Participants included 108 children with ASD,…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to receive several related services during their early school years. In this study, we followed 70 preschoolers with ASD and used parent reports to document the intensity of these services over a 4-year period, in relation to children's outcomes in three domains. While behavioral difficulties…