We compared the presence of autistic and comorbid psychopathology and functional impairments in young adults who received a clinical diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified or Asperger's Disorder during childhood to that of a referred comparison group. While the Autism Spectrum Disorder group on average scored higher…

In this interview, disabilities activist and commissioner of the Alternative Baseball Organization (ABO) Taylor Duncan relates his life as a student with autism and other special needs. He goes into stigmas that he had to overcome in school as he tried to participate in regular baseball activities. Encouraged by a coach to not give up and pursue…

This study examined the contribution of adult directed lessons to student social engagement as part of a multicomponent procedure of adult directed lessons and child specific prompting with peer support delivered to four elementary-aged students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Prior to intervention, each participant exhibited deficits in social…

The statistical data reports that current unemployment rates for young adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States is bleak. In 2004, Hurlbutt and Chalmers noted that difficulties obtaining and keeping employment are many times connected to issues involving social interactions and communication skills rather than performing…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be diagnosed as early as 18 months of age. State Early Intervention (EI) programs under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are serving increasing numbers of children with ASD; however, little is known about outcomes of these services. This study evaluated the impact of EI for…

Research demonstrates young children with autism and other developmental disabilities can benefit from participation in play activities with peers. Play provides opportunities to increase social skills across developmental domains in an integrated manner and provides opportunities to develop a sense of belonging and friendship; these goals…

Impairments in postural control affect the development of motor and social skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This review compared the effect of different sensory conditions on static standing postural control between ASD and neurotypical individuals. Results from 19 studies indicated a large difference in postural control…

The Transform Autism Education (TAE) project is a tri-national teacher training scheme involving Greece, Italy and the UK, whose purpose is to set up training projects to facilitate the educational inclusion of autistic children. Running over three years from 2014 to 2017, the involvement of autistic participants has been the source of some…

The use of peer support arrangements can be an effective strategy to improve educational services for students with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). When developing peer support arrangements, secondary teachers should consider aligning these services with evidence-based predictors of positive postschool outcomes…

Shared active surface (SAS) technology can be described as a supersized tablet computer for multiple simultaneous users. SAS technology has the potential to resolve issues historically associated with learning via single-user computer technology. This study reports findings of a SAS on the social communication and nonsocial speech of two preschool…

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. Those using this resource are encouraged to review the recent presentations about applying assessment principles to evaluation for eligibility remotely for Part C and Part B…

Social stories are an evidence-based practice used to address students' social skills. Current literature primarily addresses special education teachers' use of social stories when working with youth with autism spectrum disorder. Although school counselors meet students' social/emotional needs, little research exists documenting their experiences…

This study was designed to assess the impact of a decision-making curriculum (PEER-DM) on the social peer relationship knowledge and self-protective decision-making skills of adolescents with disabilities in hypothetical situations involving negative peer pressure. A randomized design was used to assign students with disabilities from…

Institutions of higher education, and more specifically residence halls within colleges and universities, pride themselves in offering and embracing a diverse community of students. A growing number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are attending college and choosing to live on campus. While many are able to do so successfully, some…

The recreation of children with High Functioning Autism (HFA) is not well understood. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare the recreational engagement of children with HFA and their typically developing peers. Children with HFA (n = 30) and peers (n = 31) were similar on key characteristics that may impact recreation except…