scholarly journals Autism spectrum disorder: psychological and functional assessment, and behavioral treatment approaches

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (S1) ◽  
pp. S66-S75
Author(s):  
Summer S. Chahin ◽  
Roger W. Apple ◽  
Kailin H. Kuo ◽  
Cheryl A. Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Functional Assessment ◽  
Behavioral Treatment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Treatment Approaches

A pilot investigation of an iOS-based app for toilet training children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W Mruzek ◽  
Stephen McAleavey ◽  
Whitney A Loring ◽  
Eric Butter ◽  
Tristram Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Behavioral Treatment ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Toilet Training ◽  
Significant Group

We developed an iOS-based app with a transmitter/disposable sensor and corresponding manualized intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. The app signaled the onset of urination, time-stamped accidents for analysis, reminded parents to reinforce intervals of continence, provided a visual outlet for parents to communicate reinforcement, and afforded opportunity for timely feedback from clinicians. We compared this intervention with an intervention that uses standard behavioral treatment in a pilot randomized controlled trial of 33 children with autism spectrum disorder aged 3–6 years with urinary incontinence. Parents in both groups received initial training and four booster consultations over 3 months. Results support the feasibility of parent-mediated toilet training studies (e.g., 84% retention rate, 92% fidelity of parent-implemented intervention). Parents used the app and related technology with few difficulties or malfunctions. There were no statistically significant group differences for rate of urine accidents, toilet usage, or satisfaction at close of intervention or 3-month follow-up; however, the alarm group trended toward greater rate of skill acquisition with significantly less day-to-day intervention. Further development of alarm and related technology and future comparative studies with a greater number of participants are warranted.

scholarly journals Therapeutic alliance in youth with autism spectrum disorder receiving cognitive-behavioral treatment for anxiety

Autism ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 636-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connor M Kerns ◽  
Amanda Collier ◽  
Adam B Lewin ◽  
Eric A Storch
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Treatment Outcome ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Behavioral Treatment ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Treatment

Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder may influence alliance in psychotherapy. This study examined therapeutic alliance and its relationship with child characteristics and anxiety treatment outcomes in youth with autism spectrum disorder. Youth ( N = 64) with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring anxiety (7–16 years, IQ > 70) received 16 sessions of modular cognitive-behavioral therapy. Post-treatment therapist, youth and parent ratings of alliance as well as pre- and post-treatment ratings of child behavior were gathered. Ratings of alliance were commensurate to ratings seen in children without autism spectrum disorder. Measures of treatment outcome, but not pretreatment characteristics, were significantly associated with therapist ratings of alliance strength. Data suggest that therapeutic alliance may not be impaired in anxious youth with autism spectrum disorder and may be associated with treatment outcome.

scholarly journals Brief Report: Preliminary Evidence of the N170 as a Biomarker of Response to Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shashwat Kala ◽  
Max J. Rolison ◽  
Dominic A. Trevisan ◽  
Adam J. Naples ◽  
Kevin Pelphrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Treatment Response ◽  
Behavioral Treatment ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Waitlist Control ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Before And After

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by primary difficulties in social function. Individuals with ASD display slowed neural processing of faces, as indexed by the latency of the N170, a face-sensitive event-related potential. Currently, there are no objective biomarkers of ASD useful in clinical care or research. Efficacy of behavioral treatment is currently evaluated through subjective clinical impressions. To explore whether the N170 might have utility as an objective index of treatment response, we examined N170 before and after receipt of an empirically validated behavioral treatment in children with ASD.Method: Electroencephalography (EEG) data were obtained on a preliminary cohort of preschool-aged children with ASD before and after a 16-week course of PRT and in a subset of participants in waitlist control (16-weeks before the start of PRT) and follow-up (16-weeks after the end of PRT). EEG was recorded while participants viewed computer-generated faces with neutral and fearful affect.Results: Significant reductions in N170 latency to faces were observed following 16 weeks of PRT intervention. Change in N170 latency was not observed in the waitlist-control condition.Conclusions: This exploratory study offers suggestive evidence that N170 latency may index response to behavioral treatment. Future, more rigorous, studies in larger samples are indicated to evaluate whether the N170 may be useful as a biomarker of treatment response.

Managing Challenging Behavior in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2017 ◽  
pp. 242-272
Author(s):  
Maya Matheis ◽  
Jasper A. Estabillo ◽  
Johnny L. Matson
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Challenging Behavior ◽  
Behavioral Treatment ◽  
Behavioral Assessment ◽  
Challenging Behaviors ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavior Interventions ◽  
Treatment Methods ◽  
Assessment And Treatment

The term “challenging behavior” describes a wide range of behaviors that may be harmful to an individual and that pose significant risks related to health, emotional distress, or exclusion from community settings. Challenging behaviors occur at high rates among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some forms of challenging behavior include: aggression, self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotypical behavior, pica, and vomiting/rumination. Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is the process of gathering and interpreting data related to the underlying function of a behavior. Interventions that target the function of a behavior are more effective and efficient. Behavioral treatment methods for challenging behavior are based on operant principles of reinforcement and punishment. Several common treatment methods are described. Suggestions for the assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors are outlined.

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