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Early Detection Makes a Lifetime of Difference
At 15 months old, James had not yet begun to speak. His mother, Michelle Lederman, was not particularly worried, but she decided to do the prudent thing and have him evaluated for a speech delay. When the speech therapist recommended a second, more comprehensive evaluation, “I said, ‘Sure,...
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Evidence-Based Practices for Educating Children with ASD
The use of interventions derived from principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has a decades-long history in providing effective methods of ameliorating some of the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. As a notable example, functional communication training (FCT)(Durand, 1990) has been shown...
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Filling the Gaps: Developing Programs for the Lifespan
The number of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has, without a doubt, been increasing rapidly over the past 20 years. The increase can be attributed to several factors, a few of which make it clear that many children with autism spectrum disorders went undiagnosed in the...
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Good Health For Life – Meeting the Medical Needs of People with Autism Spectrum Disorders
When Devon Kennedy was small, a visit to the dentist could induce an episode of panic. Having a cavity filled, while unpleasant for anyone, was for him, a nightmare. But his dentist, Chrystalla Orthodoxou, had confidence that Devon, who has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), could come to terms...
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Identifying Émigré Children with Special Needs in Mainstream Preschools
Irina was puzzling to her teachers in the day care center. For a 3 ½ year old, she spoke very little, sometimes mixing English and Russian words or phrases. She seemed to like being nearby the other children but did not initiate interaction or seem to follow the sequence of activities going on...
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Social Skills Groups: What Does the Research Tell Us?
Social skills deficits are considered to be one of the critical diagnostic impairments that define autism and Asperger Syndrome, so it is perhaps not surprising that both school personnel and clinicians in the community frequently recommend that a child or adolescent on the autism spectrum should...
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Teaching Social Skills Through Video Modeling
Some children with Autism Spectrum Disorders have to cope with considerable deficits in social and communication skills. They may have difficulty understanding the expectations of them in certain social situations resulting in inappropriate behaviors. One intervention method that targets social...
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The Path Forward: Brain Stimulation in Autism
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), while once considered extremely rare, are now recognized as relatively common. At Columbia University Medical Center, we are using the cutting edge technology to develop an innovative approach to studying and treating the symptoms of autism. What Do We...
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The Promise of Research – The National Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Combating Autism Act of 2006 mandated the reestablishment of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) to coordinate all efforts concerning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) across the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). IACC membership includes an individual with an ASD,...
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View From the Spectrum – Matching Best Practice to Children’s Needs
Boom! The “Autism Bomb” explodes. Like many children with regressive autism I lost functional communication, had tantrums, engaged in self-stimulatory and abusive behaviors beginning at 18 months. Others are affected earlier and mothers may report that their child was “different” even...
