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Healthy Weight Management for Youth on the Autism Spectrum: What We Know and How to Help
With obesity a growing epidemic in the United States, much attention has been placed on weight loss and healthy weight management. Unfortunately, research has shown that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at an increased risk of struggling to maintain a healthy weight (Tyler,...
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Facilitating Plugged In: Helping Teens with ASD Navigate Life with Technology
Technology use is ubiquitous among today’s youth (Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010). This probably does not come as a surprise because it seems that kids and their gadgets are everywhere. The current generation of youth has even been referred to as the iGeneration or the app generation. From...
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Not as Scary as it May Sound: Getting an Early Start to Sexuality Education for Young Children with ASD
After reading the title of this article, you may have taken pause – if so, you are not alone. The idea of providing sexuality education for very young children with ASD is likely to raise questions and may generate uncomfortable feelings; this can be a challenging topic. Despite the difficult...
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A Developmental Map to Social Success
Unusual, strained, or scarce social interactions often constitute many of the visible and distinct indicators of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Formal diagnostic descriptions, professional resources, and firsthand accounts delineate innumerable examples of ASD-associated interpersonal behavior....
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The Ins and Outs of Technologically-Savvy Psychotherapy
When the parents of a bright, 7-year-old girl were informed that their daughter’s delays in social and emotional development were likely indicative of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), they responded in a manner similar to many other parents who have received such news. They began seeking medical...
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Evidence-Based Practices for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Making the Best Treatment Decisions for Your Child
The rise of wide-ranging treatment approaches for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has provided parents with the ability to construct an individualized approach to best suit each child’s unique needs. However, sorting through all of these options can become overwhelming for many of the families...
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Taking Learning Out of the Clinic and Into the Community
When working with youth and young adults on the autism spectrum, professionals and parents are often faced with the daunting task of teaching life skills. These skills can include grocery shopping, stranger awareness, everyday cleaning, and self-care. Youth and young adults often need to be taught...
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It Starts with Feelings: Supporting Emotion Regulation and Mental Health in Young Children with ASDs
As part of comprehensive ASD treatment, the overarching goal that must be kept in sight for all learners is a healthy quality of life. This approach to intervention begins at the moment of diagnosis or before, and continues far into late adulthood, the frontiers of which we currently know little...
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Sexuality, the “Double Vulnerability,” and Youth with ASDs
The social deficits of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) place them at an increased risk of experiencing physical or sexual abuse, neglect or exploitation (Gabriels, 2007). However, these same social impairments can also increase their vulnerability to engaging in inappropriate behavior...
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Co-Occurring Mental Health Issues in ASDs
We are frequently reminded that often we do not in fact treat “autism,” but rather the co-occurring mental health and behavioral issues associated with ASDs. Youth and adults with ASDs have social and emotional difficulties which, if not addressed as part of a comprehensive intervention...
