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Autism and the Gut: Co-Occurring Gastrointestinal Challenges and Psychosocial Factors
Autism is a complex spectrum of behaviors and other distinguishing characteristics across individuals, for which our understanding of continues to unfold. Alongside it’s well documented social and sensory related symptoms, autism also regularly co-occurs with a host of medical complications that...
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Why So Many Autistic Individuals Have Eating Disorders
Eating disorders have a devastating effect on the lives of those affected and are associated with the highest mortality rates of all mental illnesses. While they can affect anyone, there is a higher incidence of people with autism who have eating disorders compared to the general population....
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Autism Spectrum Disorder and Comorbidity: A Systematic Approach to Treatment
Comorbidity refers to the presence of one or more mental or physical conditions that coincide with a primary mental or physical condition (Al-Beltagi, 2021). Research has shown that 70% of autistic children meet the criteria for one comorbid disorder and 40% meet the criteria for two or more...
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Effective Collaboration Models for Individuals with Complex Needs
Many students with autism require a multitude of services to aid in their success and independence within the school, home, and community environments. These services may include, but are not limited to, general and/or special education instruction, speech and language services, occupational...
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Assessment and Treatment of Challenging Behavior Maintained by Social Reinforcers
About 1 in 54 school-age children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Maenner et al., 2020). The core symptoms of ASD include impairments in social interaction, difficulties communicating, and restricted and repetitive interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Although not a...
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Early Screening Tool Leads to Earlier Diagnosis and Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Since it debuted in 2011, the Get SET Early program, which provides pediatricians and parents with a relatively simple process to screen for indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children as young as age 1, has steadily grown in use and validation. Early screening and identification of...
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An Interdisciplinary Model for Supporting Children with Autism and Their Families
An autistic child’s family is structured no different than that of neurotypical children. Families generally include parents and siblings with their own perspectives and issues. In the wake of substantial empirical support for the effectiveness of applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions for...
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A Selective Eating Program: MEALLS Making Eating A Lifelong Learning Skill
Feeding and eating problems, such as selective eating, is common among individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The prevalence of feeding problems in children with ASD is reported to be as high as 90%, with around 70% of individuals being described as picky eaters (Twachtman-Reilly et al.,...
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Supporting Children with Intellectual Disabilities/Autism in a Residential Treatment Facility
It is important for children with autism and intellectual disabilities to remain living at home, or in the least restrictive environment with appropriate supports, whenever possible. However, at times, a child’s challenging behaviors can pose such a significant threat to themselves or others, it...
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Achieving Meaningful Behavioral Outcomes in the School Setting
SEARCH Day Program is a private, non-profit school in Ocean Township, New Jersey. Approximately 80 students, ages 3-21, are currently enrolled in the program. The school embraces research-based teaching strategies that are derived from applied behavior analysis while taking a multi-discipline...
