Neurodivergent youth (i.e., autistic, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) are at increased risk for school refusal and subsequent disengagement. Factors associated with school refusal in this population remain unclear. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify profiles of school and demographic variables associated with…

The purpose of this realist synthesis study is threefold: (a) to examine the relationship between young autistic adults between 18 and 30 years of age and their clinical providers (e.g., doctors, therapists, educators, caregivers, etc.), (b) to understand what conditions contribute to trusting and inclusive relationships between young autistic…

Behavior analysts are expected to provide high quality services to autistic individuals/individuals with ASD. Quality behavior intervention requires the interventionist to demonstrate critical thinking skills, in-the-moment analysis, flexibility, and clinical judgment (J.B. Leaf et al., 2016a; J.B. Leaf et al., 2016d, Soluaga et al., 2008). Yet,…

Background: Specific treatment and interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions who display harmful sexual behaviour have yet to be widely evaluated. This review aims to consolidate and assess the quality of research exploring non-pharmacological interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions who display harmful…

Linguistic repetitions in children are conceptualized as negative in children with autism -- echolalia, without communicative purpose -- and positive in typically developing (TD) children -- linguistic alignment involved in shared engagement, common ground and language acquisition. To investigate this apparent contradiction we analyzed spontaneous…

This study evaluated the use of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model as an intensive individualized behavior intervention. Three educators and three high school students with autism spectrum disorder participated in the study. A concurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to demonstrate the outcomes. The results indicated…

Public programs have been charged with implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to improve outcomes for children with autism. However, research indicates that scale-up of EBPs poses challenges. This study identifies perceived variables linked to effective statewide scale-up of EBPs in special education by exploring implementation climate…

Despite the contemporary emphasis on evidence-based practices (EBPs) in autism education, the research-to-practice gap persists. Understanding how newly trained teachers' experiences, knowledge, and beliefs about EBPs influence their instructional decisions is vital to increasing EBP implementation among the next generation of special educators.…

The effect associated with the presence of seizures in 2 to 5-year-old autistic children was investigated in the largest and the longest observational study to-date. Parents assessed the development of 8461 children quarterly for three years on five orthogonal subscales: combinatorial receptive language, expressive language, sociability, sensory…

The purpose of this guidance document is to: 1) provide education-related information about autism spectrum disorders (ASD); and 2) assist Individualized Education Program (IEP) Teams, including parents, develop researched-based educational programs for children and youth who qualify for special education services under the autism disability…

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is characterized by variable neurobehavioral abnormalities, which leads to difficulties in developing and evaluating treatments and in determining accurate prognosis. We employed a pediatric cross-sectional sample (1,072 males, 338 females) from FORWARD, a clinic-based natural history study, to identify behavioral subtypes…

Individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and their parents have a range of experiences navigating the crucial transition period between adolescence and adulthood. Semi structured interviews of 47 mothers of adolescents with FXS (mean child age = 15.89 years) were analyzed to identify mothers' changing expectations during the adolescent period and…

Although poor health has been reported in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), most studies excluded fathers and focused on mental health. We combined 2016-2019 data from the National Surveys of Children's Health to determine child and parent characteristics that predict poor mental and physical health in fathers (n = 818) and…

The commonly used Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS-3) divides adaptive behavior into three domains comprising three subdomains. The validity of this three-factor structure has not been explored in autistic samples, which are often heterogeneous with respect to language and IQ. Furthermore, although there are two comparable forms,…

Multi-sensory environments are widely used with autistic children. However, there are no data on how autistic children choose to spend time in the room and how this relates to their sensory, behavioural and intellectual profiles. We observed the frequency and duration of visits to multi-sensory environment equipment of 41 autistic children during…