The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions to healthcare, including direct impacts on service delivery related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Caregiver-mediated tele-assessment offers an opportunity to continue services while adhering to social distancing guidelines. The present study describes a model of tele-assessment for…

Much research exists supporting the efficacy of naturalistic behavioral interventions on increasing social communication skills for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, these evidence-based interventions are not consistently utilized in preschool classrooms. Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching was used to teach early intentional…

While youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are psychiatrically hospitalized at high rates, general psychiatric settings are not designed to meet their unique needs. Previous evaluations of an ASD-Care Pathway (ASD-CP) on a general psychiatric unit revealed sustained reductions in crisis interventions (intramuscular medication use,…

Across the disciplines of psychology, the research to practice gap is gaining recognition. This study used an integrated knowledge translation (iKT) framework to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and sustainability of delivering an anxiety intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (i.e., "FYF"), in schools. Five…

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a widely studied and commonly used psychosocial intervention for treating emotional problems in individuals with autism. To date, most studies of cognitive behavioral therapy and autism have focused on "efficacy." "Effectiveness" trials, by contrast, measure whether an intervention produces…

Parent-focused intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has garnered considerable evidence of effectiveness for treating core symptoms of the disorder. However, these programs often teach parents discrete skills that may or may not align with school-based interventions. Family-school partnerships (FSPs) are essential for…

This study evaluated the use of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Secondary (PTR-SEC) model as an individualized Tier 3 intervention within the School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) in three high school classrooms. Three teaching staff (two teachers and one instructional aide) and three students with autism spectrum…

Community based programmes for adolescents receiving mental health services have been previously linked with the effective acquisition of knowledge, change in perceptions and attitudes, as well as change in behaviours. This article will detail how the new Teen Life Skills Programme was able to address some of the barriers and equip the…

In this study, we investigated the relationship between fidelity of pivotal response treatment implementation and therapist characteristics, such as therapist personality, therapist-child relationship, therapist attitude toward evidence-based practices, and therapist experience. We also explored whether child age and autism symptom severity were…

Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are one of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Evidence suggests that higher-order RRB (H-RRB) are particularly challenging and can negatively impact family functioning (e.g., insistence on sameness, following idiosyncratic routines). The study examined the effects of a parent-implemented…

Identifying effective, community-based specialized interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder is an international clinical and research priority. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Early Start Denver Model intervention in a group of young children with autism spectrum disorder living in an Italian community compared to a…

This study was conducted to examine the feasibility and potential efficacy of implementing an adapted, family-centered version of the school-based prevent-teach-reinforce (PTR) model. The research included two families who implemented the PTR process for their children in collaboration with the researchers. The adapted PTR was tested using a…

We conducted a retrospective, descriptive evaluation of the fidelity with which parents of three children with autism spectrum disorders conducted functional communication training (FCT) in their homes. All training was provided to the parents via telehealth by a behavior consultant in a tertiary-level hospital setting. FCT trials coached by the…

The involvement of paraprofessionals in the education of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been both complex and controversial. Many scholars and advocates have raised concerns about the roles these staff members play in schools and the degree to which there is empirical support for their direct work with…

The use of therapy-dog teams in programs for children with disabilities is becoming increasingly popular in school and therapeutic settings and has been shown to provide physical, social, and emotional benefits for the children. This article describes the basic steps for implementing therapy dog-assisted activities in physical activity programs…