Autism Spectrum News Interviews Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, President and CEO of The New England Center for Children

• By: David Minot Autism Spectrum News
• January 10th, 2024
• ACE ABA Software System, applied behavior analysis, autism research, curriculum, education, funding for special education, in-house dental clinic, international schools, professional development, Winter 2024 Issue, workforce shortage
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Autism Spectrum News recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, who was appointed President and CEO of The New England Center for Children (NECC) in 2021. In this exclusive interview, David Minot, Publisher of Autism Spectrum News, speaks with Dr. Sassi about her...

Supporting Families to Prepare Students to Be Participating Members of Their Community

• By: Dianne Zager, PhD Carly Werner, MEd, MS Boca School for Autism
• October 2nd, 2023
• committee engagement, community integration, cultural appreciation, customized instruction, education, Fall 2023 Issue, family, home-school communication, improved outcomes, information gathering, parent involvement, school, self-determination, student potential, teacher-parent collaboration, teachers, transition to adulthood
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For over five decades, I’ve had the privilege of serving students with autism and developmental disabilities and their families. I’ve been employed as a teacher, administrator, professor, consultant, and advocate in public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit settings, working in preschools,...

A Mother’s Journey Advocating for Her Child’s Autism Diagnosis and What Fellow Educators Can Learn

• By: Shelley Hughes, OTR Pearson Clinical Assessments
• October 2nd, 2023
• access to resources, advocacy, assessments, diagnosis, diagnosis equity, early detection, early intervention, education, Fall 2023 Issue, improved outcomes, mental health, parents, racial disparities, research, screening, socioeconomic disparities, teachers, underdiagnosis of females
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As a registered occupational therapist (OTR) and Director of Portfolio Management and Delivery at Pearson Clinical Assessment, I have extensive experience working with students who have been diagnosed with a variety of conditions. And as a mom of an autistic daughter, I understand on a personal...

The Role of Compassion in Professional ABA Services Relationships

• By: Howard Savin, PhD Michael Reid, PhD, PsyD, QABA Global Autism Initiative
• October 2nd, 2023
• ABA, active listening skills, applied behavior analysis, culturally sensitive support, developing therapeutic relationships, education, empathic relationships, Fall 2023 Issue, family empowerment, hope, nonverbal communication, online parent education, unequal access to services
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“Phenomenology or phenomenological psychology, a sub-discipline of psychology, is the scientific study of subjective experiences. It is an approach to psychological subject matter that attempts to explain experiences from the point of view of the subject via the analysis of their written or...

Reaching Ukraine: Occupational Therapy-Centered Training to Support Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Kyiv

• By: Ashley Slemp Held, OTD, OTR/L Milligan University Alysha Skuthan, PhD, OTR/L, ASDCS Shenandoah University
• May 17th, 2023
• children, education, fine motor skills, interprofessionals, occupational therapy, oral motor skills, sensory motor skills, telehealth, training, Ukraine, underserved community
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In the Eastern European country of Ukraine where there are more than 44 million residents (Archer, Harper, & Cameron, 2020), there are just 3 ergotherapists (Ukrainian translation for occupational therapists) in practice (Imas & Lazarieva, 2017). Though Ukrainian health officials recognize...

Autism’s Growing Problem

• By: Rabbi Simcha Weinstein Jewish Autism Network
• May 5th, 2023
• advocacy, COVID-19, education, finding support, hospitalization, housing crisis, Jewish Autism Network, meltdowns, parenting, residential school, summer camp
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As kids with autism become teenagers and adults, fewer and fewer services are available to help them and their families In March 2020, my wife and I dropped our teenage son off at a residential school for kids with autism in Boston. It was the day after Purim - just before the world seemed to...

Considerations for Choosing a College for Students on the Autism Spectrum

• By: Ruby L. Owiny, PhD Trinity International University
• April 4th, 2022
• accommodations, autism support program, college, education, executive functioning skills, faith, peer mentors, school, self-disclosure, Spring 2022 Issue, transition planning
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Choosing a college requires careful planning. This planning often starts in a student’s freshman year of high school, but usually not later than their sophomore year. When a student is on the autism spectrum, transition planning is a high priority, indeed it is required by law. The Individuals...

The School Consultation Project: An Avenue to Support Autistic Students and Empower Educators

• By: Krista Drapalik, BA Erica Davis, LMSW Jane Ann Worlock, MSEd Kristin V. Christodulu, PhD University at Albany Center for Autism and Related Disabilities
• April 1st, 2022
• challenging behaviors, communication, education, evidence-based intervention, functional behavior assessment, school, Spring 2022 Issue, teachers
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Autistic individuals who exhibit challenging behaviors are increasingly likely to hold communication deficits, require supports in daily routines, and are less likely to be placed in inclusive school settings (Lory et al., 2020; Iadarola et al., 2017). As such, challenging behaviors pose a...

The Do’s and Don’ts of Supporting Autistic Students in Schools

• By: Cynthia Wen Stanford Neurodiversity Project
• April 1st, 2022
• accomodations, actually autistic, education, inclusion, neurodiversity, school, self-regulation, Spring 2022 Issue, staff training, teachers
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As an autistic high school senior, I’ve spent my time in high school juggling 12 AP and IB classes while being a campus leader, whether it be as Vice President of the 60-member club I co-founded or as a cabinet member in an award-winning Science Olympiad team. I’ve also deeply invested myself...

Special Education Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• By: Emily Furar, BS, BA Idil Memis, MD Daniel W. Hennelly Rahul Mittal, PhD Michael Alessandri, PhD Adrien A. Eshraghi, MD, MSc, FACS University of Miami
• April 1st, 2022
• ABA, COVID-19, education, insurance, regression, remote learning, school, Spring 2022 Issue, students
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The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges and obstacles for many individuals and families, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related developmental disabilities (Eshraghi et al., 2020; Eshraghi et al., 2022). Children with ASD often depend on a combination of...