A large body of research indicates that early intervention leads to better outcomes in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); yet, research on parent factors that influence intervention engagement is sparse, though emphasized in recent literature that examines the impact of receiving a child's diagnosis on parents' mental health and…

Several different types of parent involvement with schools have been identified in the special education and general education literature, including (a) advocacy, (b) collaborative partnership, (c) home-school communication, and (d) school-based participation. However, it is unclear which types of involvement are addressed in the literature and…

Most current autism research focuses on Western countries, where service availability and cultural experiences differ from those of individuals living in Asian countries, where collectivistic cultural values prevail and understanding of autism is emerging. By gathering data from Vietnamese parents of autistic children (N = 339), the current…

There are currently no old-age specific interventions for autistic adults. Therefore, in this explorative study, we examined the possible effects of a co-designed psychoeducation program for older autistic adults (55+ years), with a multiple case study design (N = 9, age 56-73 years; Netherlands Trial Register (code Trial NL5670)). For each…

Autism is a heterogeneous diagnosis with symptoms that present in different ways. There is a large variety of interventions for autistic individuals. However, little is known about who chooses which specific interventions. We aimed to explore intervention prevalence and predict intervention use, based on demographic and autism-specific…

A meaningful curriculum is one that is individualized, inclusive of the individual's unique needs and interests, and focused on building independence in current and future environments. A meaningful curriculum addresses an individual's needs and prioritizes instructional programs based on what is, potentially, most important to their lives and not…

Background: The number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rapidly increasing globally and requires a supportive educational system to meet the needs of these children. Aim: The study assessed challenges faced by teachers of children with ASD in the public special schools of the Limpopo province, South Africa. Setting: The study was…

Students with autism may struggle to develop the academic skills necessary for success in school and beyond. Understanding and improving academic skills performance requires appropriate measurement approaches. One such option that has been minimally studied with students with autism is curriculum-based measurement (CBM). Coinciding with the need…

Autistic children comprise a large group of young people who are looked-after by their local authority and for whom educational outcomes are amongst the poorest of all children in care. Virtual School Heads (VSHs) in England have a statutory responsibility to improve the educational outcomes of children in care following the implementation of the…

This study examined the effects of rigid/ritualistic behaviors on special education teachers' perception of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their readiness for supported employment using vignettes featuring students with varying rigid/ritualistic behavioral profiles in vocational activity settings. Using a mixed-method design, the…

There is a national shortage of special education teachers, so it is imperative to retain special educators in the field (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). The most commonly cited reason special education teachers shared for leaving is lack of support from their administration. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how…

Viewed through a social justice lens, preschool expulsion is an educational equity issue. This study focused on prior expulsion from preschool and child-care in a longitudinal study of 203 autistic children, ages 4 to 7. By parent report, 16%--one out of six autistic children--had been expelled from a preschool or child-care setting prior to…

Objective: Theory suggests that impaired executive functioning (EF) might explain several symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. However, only a few studies have examined the efficacy of EF training for the children using randomized control trial designs, and only two of them found significant benefits of the training. Method: We…

The increasing number of children on the autism spectrum entering mainstream schools requires classroom teachers with the knowledge and skills to create supportive and inclusive environments in which these students can thrive. This paper reports the perspectives offered by 33 teachers who volunteered to trial an Early Years Model of Practice…

Background: Bridging the research-practice gap in autism communication services is an identified priority for improving services. Limited research has investigated the views of practitioners regarding this research-practice gap. Investigation of the barriers experienced and facilitators used in clinical practice may assist to identify scalable and…