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Using Siblings as Peer Models During Telehealth Sessions
In the past few years, the use of telehealth services in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has grown substantially. Due to health concerns related to COVID-19 and social distancing recommendations, ABA providers now use telehealth more than ever to deliver services remotely. Telehealth...
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Remote Learning: Autism Science Foundation Goes Virtual with Day of Learning Conference
We all know 2020 is a challenging year, but it’s not without its silver linings. One unexpected upside? The Autism Science Foundation’s annual Day of Learning, a TED-style science conference, went virtual this year on Sept. 22, allowing attendees to take part from all over the world. Although I...
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Stress and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Paying Attention to Your Cortisol Level in Challenging Times
The COVID-19 pandemic not only worries us about our health but our very survival as a society. We all can identify with the emotional, physical and cognitive impact of stress on our bodies and minds. In stressful situations we struggle to concentrate, remember and learn. We are more prone to...
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A Shift Towards Better Understanding and Improving the Lives of Girls and Women With ASD
It has been widely established that females are less frequently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than males. On average, prevalence of ASD is four times higher in males than in females (Baio et al., 2018). This ratio appears to be an inaccurate representation of prevalence by...
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Presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Females: Diagnostic Complexities and Implications for Clinicians
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by pervasive deficits in social communication and patterns of restricted, repetitive, stereotyped behaviors and interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Beyond the main diagnostic criteria, however, there is...
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Giving Girls a Chance: Educating Females with Autism
While autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more prominent in males, females are also diagnosed at much lower rates (Autism Speaks, 2019). Females diagnosed with ASD require similar services in addition to diverse gender specific supports from their special education teachers and related service...
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Largest-Ever Genetic Study of Autism Yields New Insights
Anyone who’s spent time with people affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can tell you that it’s a very complex puzzle. The wide variability seen among individuals with this group of developmental brain disorders, which can disrupt communication, behavior control, and social skills, has...
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Genome Testing for Siblings of Individuals May Aid in a Diagnosis Before Symptoms Appear
One of the key priorities of interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is starting early, with some evidence showing infants as young as seven months old could benefit. Yet, most children in North America aren’t diagnosed with ASD until they’re over four years of age. New research led by...
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NIH Awards $4 Million in Funding for Early Autism Screening
November 6, 2019 - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded more than four million dollars in FY 2019 to support seven research projects aimed at developing and validating screening tools to detect signs of autism spectrum disorder in the first year of life. Approximately 19 million...
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Community Engagement Conference Promotes Partnership Between Autism Researchers and Community
Despite the advancement in autism research, one of the challenges that researchers still face today is engaging low-income, racial/ethnic minority, and non-English speaking families. Underresourced families who work multiple jobs have less time to participate in research; some families do not have...
