This study examined factors associated with 9-month outcomes of 78 preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder ([ASD]; 66 males, mean age = 44.8 [7.0] months) receiving preschool special education services. Use of recommended intervention practices was observed in each student's primary educational setting: autism-only (n = 28), mixed-disability (n…

Introduction: Children with optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) frequently have co-occurring developmental disorders, and children with both visual impairments and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have complex educational needs. Research Question: Do the individualized education programs (IEPs) of children with visual impairment and ASD comport with…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often placed in inclusive mainstream education (ME) or exclusive special education (SE) settings. While ME settings usually offer less-intensive and structured intervention programs than SE settings, they offer more exposure to typically developing peers. A total of 121 children (2-5 years old) with…

Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often experience social and communication skill deficits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a social story delivered through an iPad application to enhance giving compliments in three elementary-aged students with ASD. The social story was modified with written…

The General Social Outcome Measure (GSOM) is a performance-based measurement tool designed to assess the change in social skills performance during and after intervention for students with social skills deficits. In the current study, the psychometric properties of the GSOM, including the total score and social communication domains, were examined…

Special education service delivery may vary, in part, by geographic location of the school districts. This variation may be especially important to understand for students who require comprehensive evaluations and specialized services, such as students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Much of the existing literature focuses on geographic…

Autistic children are less likely to be jointly engaged with a play partner than nonautistic children, negatively impacting social communication development. Promoting joint engagement during play can be an important target for educators of autistic students, but educator perceptions of autistic students may affect their interactions with…

Early identification of ASD allows for clinical intervention through mental and behavioral health supports, potentially providing individualized services in the educational setting. This article highlights the research-to-practice gap that exists within evaluations for ASD in schools. Lack of training, variability in assessment guidelines,…

Objective: States in the United States differ in how they determine special education eligibility for autism services. Few states include an autism-specific diagnostic tool in their evaluation. In research, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS for first edition, ADOS-2 for second edition) is considered the gold-standard autism…

Research continues to highlight discrepancies between clinical diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and determination of special education eligibility for services within school settings. However, limited research has been conducted on the impact of those discrepancies for the identification of appropriate services within schools. The aim…

Relatively little is known about patterns of school-based supportive services for youth with autism spectrum disorder. This study describes these supportive services and their correlates, both cross-sectionally and retrospectively, in a large sample (N = 283) of 6- to 18-year-old youth. To assess whether special education designation and classroom…

Many countries are experiencing a dramatic increase of Mexican immigrants in recent decades, especially the United States. It is essential that professionals understand the cultural expectations and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnostic and intervention practices in Mexico to be better prepared to meet the needs of this population. In fact,…

Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is a naturalistic, behavioral intervention with a strong evidence-base that is designed to increase generalization and maintenance of responding in children with ASD. Although special education teachers report using PRT, little research to date has examined PRT use in the context of community school programs. There…

The aim of this study was to identify child characteristics, family demographics, and parent cognitions that may affect access to early intervention, special education, and related services. The sample included 70 families of young children with autism spectrum disorders. All parents were enrolled in a short education program, providing them with…

We examined parents' satisfaction with multiple aspects of their children's individualized education programs (IEPs). Parents (n= 142) raising children ages 4 to 8 years old with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reported their satisfaction with four aspects of their children's IEPs: (a) content of the IEP document, (b) services provided, (c)…