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An Overview of Communication Problems in Children with ASD
What is autism spectrum disorder? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment that people with ASD can...
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What NOT to Say…
It’s easy to say the wrong thing to someone, even when you have the best of intentions. Everyone has done it, and whether you realize it yourself or someone points it out to you, mistakes like these don’t feel good. All of us learn social and communication skills from many sources, including...
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Introducing the Use of Behavior Skills Training to Achieve Staff Proficiency in the Use of PECS
Learning to communicate using speech and language is one of the primary tasks for young children. When delays are observed in language acquisition, they are considered one of the earliest indicators of developmental deficits that could potentially lead to social, behavioral, and academic...
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Communication Modality Decisions for Individuals with ASD
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have complex needs, and their challenges include social deficits, communication difficulties, and behavioral challenges (APA, 2017). The needs of individuals with ASD necessitate the expertise of several professions, including behavior analysis and...
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Evaluation and Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a generally life-long neurodevelomental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and social interaction and the presence of restricted and repetitive behavior. There is significant heterogeneity among individuals with ASD, and symptoms of ASD...
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Fragile X Drug Trial Gets $11.5 Million in NIH Funding – UC Davis Mind Institute to Research Promising Therapy for Language Learning
The UC Davis MIND Institute and Rush University Medical Center have been awarded $11.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to test a new therapy designed to improve language learning for children fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is a single-gene disorder and the most common...
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To Speak or Not to Speak Only English
As families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) become more culturally and linguistically diverse, they often seek clarity about bilingualism and its effects on their children’s communication patterns. They are apprehensive about speaking to their children in their language other...
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Giving Logan a Voice – One Father’s Trailblazing Creation to Help His Son
Logan was born in 1997 and is now aged 18 - what a journey we have all had! He was born 2 years after Maia, his sister, and in the early years developed as we expected him to. He was a very easy baby, sleeping soundly with very little disruption. His motor development was normal and early language...
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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 Impact of Expressive, Receptive, and Pragmatic Language Deficits in the Workplace
Most individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have vocational strengths and are increasingly being hired by small businesses and corporate chains. ASD, by definition, is characterized by communication deficits. Once hired, these deficits present as challenges for individuals with ASD....
