Developing skills for functional independence is important to gain employment, engage in postsecondary education, and live independently. Unfortunately, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties with functional independence skills needed to complete common, everyday tasks. This study examined the effects of work…

School playgrounds offer ample opportunity to observe the unstructured free-play of school-aged children; however, obtaining valid observations can be difficult to accomplish. Recent technological advances in commercially available aerial drones have the potential to contribute to behavior observation work conducted on playground settings. This…

This review examined school-based social skills interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder who were educated in inclusive school settings. Secondary aims sought to explore observation protocols and the resulting social outcomes used to measure the social behaviors of students with autism spectrum disorder within authentic social…

Impairment in social skills is a primary feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Research indicates that social skills are intimately tied to social development and negative social consequences can persist if specific social behaviors are not acquired. The present study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on teaching…

In this second of two primary papers, we examined moderators of treatment effects for younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders whose parents were taught to use a parent-implemented intervention called "Improving Parents As Communication Teachers". Investigators randomized 97 high-risk siblings and their primary parent…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often delayed in acquiring social initiation skills utilized during common early childhood activities. A multiple probe design was utilized to assess the efficacy of a shared book reading intervention to increase the independent commenting of three young children with ASD. The intervention resulted…

This study evaluated behavioral skills training (BST), in a multiple baseline across behaviors design, for teaching four job skills to an 18-year-old student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The job skills were taught in the natural environment of a fully functioning restaurant. Following BST the four skills maintained at six months after…

Naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention is an emerging class of interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder. The present article is a meta-analysis of outcomes of group-design studies (n = 27) testing interventions using naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention strategies. Small, significant positive effects…

Government legislation and research literature highlight the importance of the participation of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) in planning for their transition to adulthood. However, effective processes which enable their participation are under-researched. In this study, nine teaching staff from two specialist schools in the…

Children routinely visit art museums as part of their educational experience and family time, many of them having special needs. The number of children diagnosed with autism and sensory processing disorders is increasing. These conditions may include heightened sensory "avoiding" or "seeking" behaviors that can interfere with a…

The present study examined the Daily Report Card (DRC) intervention in high-functioning students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The DRC is a commonly employed behavioral intervention for treating children with disruptive and off-task behaviors in schools. To implement a DRC, teachers and parents work collaboratively to create an…

This qualitative study focused on peer support arrangements for students with ASD at the secondary level. The purpose of the study was to determine what impact a peer support arrangement has on both students with ASD and peer partners' academic attainment and perceptions of the intervention, as well as to better understand what supports peer…

The Early Start Denver Model is an evidence-based, comprehensive naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention. Randomized controlled studies indicate that long-term, high-intensity Early Start Denver Model in home-based settings can positively impact the clinical outcomes of young children with autism spectrum disorder. However, it is…

Video self-modeling (VSM) uses a method called "feedforward" to provide children the opportunity to view themselves as they perform in a more advanced or appropriate manner than they do presently. Typically, this is accomplished through the careful editing of videos. Studies on VSM and social skills with children on the autism spectrum…

Play skills are central to development of children's language and cognitive skills. However, social, symbolic, and object play skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are frequently impaired. This study examined the effects of a strategy that utilized preferred play materials, antecedent creative dance activities, and priming of…