A global pandemic has significantly impacted the ability to conduct diagnostic evaluations for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the wake of the coronavirus, autism centers and providers quickly needed to implement innovative diagnostic processes to adapt in order to continue serve patient needs while minimizing the spread of the virus. The…

Community-academic partnerships are believed to increase the effectiveness and feasibility of action research. While factors facilitating and hindering community-academic partnerships have been identified, their influence on the collaborative process is unknown, especially during community-academic partnership initiation and development. This…

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…

Action research is participative research, involving all stakeholders in the research process on a voluntary basis. Its main objective is to create practical knowledge, which supports stakeholders in everyday professional processes. The creation and utilization of this kind of knowledge, the facilitation of individual and group level action…

Given the wide heterogeneity in the autism population, one challenge for intervention studies is to identify outcome measures that have similar meaning across individuals. This is particularly pronounced in intervention studies of adults with autism spectrum disorder, where outcomes such as employment, independence, or community living are common…

School participation and connectedness have significant implications for student outcomes while at school and in later life. The need to develop evidence-based interventions to proactively support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is imperative. A two-round Delphi technique was used to gain expert consensus to inform the development of…

Emotion dysregulation (ED) underlies psychiatric symptoms and impedes adaptive responses in autistic individuals. The Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement (EASE) program was the first mindfulness-based intervention designed to target emotion dysregulation in autistic adolescents (12-17 years old). This project partnered with stakeholders to…

Peer relationships are just as important for students with autism, intellectual disability, and other developmental disabilities. Through their interactions with peers across the school day, students develop new skills, encounter new perspectives, access needed supports, find camaraderie, develop social capital, learn prevailing norms, and elevate…

The study aims to develop and pilot a telehealth social emotional program, MindChip™ delivered with a computer based interventions (CBI) (Mind Reading©) for autistic adults. MindChip™ combined four theoretical perspectives and community feedback underpinning the essential mechanisms for targeting the social emotional understanding of autistic…

Special education and related professionals often understand the importance of adhering to intervention procedures (i.e., fidelity), but may be less familiar with concepts of intervention intensity. In some cases, professionals may correctly apply an intervention, but with insufficient intensity. This can result in an intervention failing to…

Extensive work has been undertaken in North America on effective practices in early childhood education, early childhood special education, and autism-specific interventions. Much of this work, however, has not been disseminated in teacher-friendly ways nor has it been translated into useable formats that support teacher uptake and incorporation…

The students with nonverbal autism are challenged in communicating their needs which is fundamental in the everyday life of a person. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) aids children with a speech impediment in expressing necessities. However, the Philippines might be one of the most numerous smartphone users in the world but it…

Developing technologies to support individuals with ASD is a growing field of research facing numerous challenges. First, while the individual with ASD is central, the motivations of others, such as parents, are often taken as the motivations of the individual. Second, the desirable cross-disciplinary pollination for improved intervention can…

This evidence-based practice overview on Video Modeling (VM) includes the following components: (1) Overview: A quick summary of salient features of the practice, including what it is, who it can be used with, what skills it has been used with, and settings for instruction; (2) Evidence-base: The "VM Evidence-base" details the NPDC…

The heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) makes it difficult for school-based professionals to develop effective Individual Education Plans (IEP) for this group. Limited research exists on the quality of IEP programs for individuals with ASD. This article summarizes the results of a retrospective chart review from an outpatient…