Autism-Assistance Dogs (AADs) are highly-skilled service animals trained primarily to ensure the safety of an autistic child by preventing elopement and mitigating 'meltdowns'. Although anecdotal accounts and case-studies have indicated that AADs confer benefits above and beyond safety, empirical support anchored in validated clinical, behavioral,…

Autistic young people in mainstream schools often experience low levels of peer social support, have negative perceptions of their differences and feel disconnected from their school community. Previous research findings have suggested that encouraging autistic young people to explore autistic culture and spending time with autistic peers may be…

In Part 1 of this UK-based study, across four timepoints between March and October 2020, autistic children and young people showed higher levels of parent-reported depression and anxiety symptoms than those with other special educational needs and disabilities. In this study, we draw on qualitative data from 478 parents/carers of autistic pupils…

This study assessed the effects of portable video modeling on social interactions of four children with autism, three boys and one girl, 4- to 5-year-olds, in preschools in Iceland. Participants were shown 1-min videos on a small handheld device where a peer model initiated social interactions and played with two peers. A…

We utilized classroom video observations to examine the frequency and function of spontaneous communication in 112 preschool-3rd grade children with autism within 57 classrooms. Children initiated 7.53 instances (SD = 9.42) of spontaneous communication on average within a 12-minute sample, a rate of 0.69 initiations per minute. Autism features,…

Purpose: Framed within the bioecological model, this autoethnographic case study explores the author's experiences as a working mother of two children with disability prior to, during and after emerging from compulsory remote learning arrangements in Victoria, Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this paper is to address this…

The role of teachers is considered one of the most decisive factors in the success or failure of a child with Special Educational Needs being taught and learning alongside their peers in mainstream settings. The objective of this study is to analyse the perceived efficacy of inclusive practices in achieving quality educational inclusion, and the…

Effective parent-teacher partnerships can improve outcomes for autistic students. Yet, we know little about what effective partnerships look like for parents of autistic children from diverse backgrounds. Using participatory methods, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 Somali mothers of autistic children attending Australian…

Automaticity, defined as accurate and effortless word recognition, impacts a student's ability to read fluently. Although there is evidence that teaching students to read sight words in isolation can increase automaticity, few studies have examined the effects of interventions designed to teach students to read sight phrases. In this study, a…

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have a significantly lower employment rate than those without disabilities. One promising intervention for improving employment outcomes is video-based instruction. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the application of video-based instruction (VBI) to teach…

This pilot study examined (a) the perceived barriers to creating high-quality social and emotional learning (SEL) IEP goals for autistic students without intellectual disabilities, and (b) the impact of using a data-driven SEL IEP goal builder--a key component of the Ivymount Social Cognition Instructional Package (IvySCIP)--on the quality of SEL…

Discrete Trial Training (DTT) is a method of intervention for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Applications of DTT require prescribed repetitions of instruction. DTT is typically implemented via trained instructors or teachers. However, prior analysis has demonstrated the potential of parent-implemented DTT. Prior research…

Autistic students experience strengths and challenges that can impact their full inclusion in higher education, including stigma. A participatory team of autistic and non-autistic scholars developed an autism and universal design (UD) training. This participatory approach centered the voices of autistic collaborators in training design and…

This article identified social support and family quality of life in caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and examined the correlations between the two variables. Survey research was conducted with 165 caregivers of children with ASD in Sichuan province of China using the Social Support Rating Scale and Beach Center Family…

Differences in audiovisual integration are commonly observed in autism. Temporal binding windows (TBWs) of audiovisual speech can be trained (i.e., narrowed) in non-autistic adults; this study evaluated a computer-based perceptual training in autistic youth and assessed whether treatment outcomes varied according to individual characteristics.…