Despite reports that outcome in individuals with autism spectrum disorders may be improving following early intensive interventions, we still have much to learn about the natural history of the disorders and the effects of intervention. While there may not yet be a known cure for autism, a number of viable (although not always easily accessible…
Shana Nichols, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and researcher at the North Shore/Long Island Jewish Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism. She has worked in the field of autism spectrum disorders and child development for over 10 years and currently specializes in adolescence and growing up, dual diagnosis and mental health issues, and the…
The Challenges of Learning and Teaching Social Skills Social skills, which are centrally important to the success of individuals on the autism spectrum, are among the most elusive targets to teach. One impediment to teaching such skills is that there may not be much intrinsic interest on the part of learners with autism spectrum disorders…
Shayna Guenther is the co-founder and co-director of Learning 2 Play, Inc., a social skills center, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She has nine years of experience implementing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with children and youth with ASD. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with Masters in ABA and is a Board Certified…
Last Halloween, I helped to supervise a sleepover party for the children at the Unitarian-Universalist church my family attends. I had been wrapped in toilet paper by the kids during the “make a mummy” contest, guided numerous kids through the dark to the hallway where the bathroom was lit up, and finally watched the movie…
Our son, Alex, is a happy 12-year-old boy who is beginning his fifth year of transitioning into our school district. Helping their children with autism make the transition to a neurotypical world is exactly what most parents have been trying to do since they got the diagnosis of autism. For us, it began with trying…
Summary: More of a literature review than a study Koller, nonetheless, provides a comprehensive overview of the importance of, and challenges to, the provision of sexuality education for learners with ASD. Noting that sexuality is a central factor in defining who we are and includes our understanding and acceptance of values, relationships, self-image and so…
Summary: Taylor and colleagues choose to address the issue of personal safety and learners with autism by investigating the efficacy of an instructional protocol designed to teach adolescent learners to seek help when lost. The students who participated in the study were three adolescents (two females; one male) with a previously established diagnosis of autism…
The OAR Funded Research Report provides updates on the status of OAR funded research through the publication of the different studies’ interim and final reports. This month’s report was submitted by Dr. Brooke Ingersoll and examines the effectiveness of imitation intervention in helping children with autism improve their social skills. This project was conducted by…
For many of us, autism spectrum risk and safety management is a daily concern. We now know that with the increase in autism diagnoses, there is also a corresponding increase of autism-related contacts with law enforcement, community safety and juvenile and criminal justice organizations and professionals. Across the nation, autism advocacy organizations are increasingly addressing…
