DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS

Autism: Risk Factors & Diagnosis

Who Is At Risk? Studies measuring autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence—the number of children affected by ASD over a given time period—have reported varying results, depending on when and where the studies were conducted and how the studies defined ASD. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of health and school records of […]

Autism

Definition Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. Alternative Names Pervasive developmental disorder – autism; Autistic spectrum disorder Causes, incidence, and risk factors Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. […]

Behavior Management: Resources

Durand, V.M. (1990). Severe Behavior Problems: A Functional Communication Training Approach. New York: Guilford Press. Foxx, R.M. (1982). Decreasing Behaviors of Severely Retarded and Autistic Persons. Champaign, IL: Research Press. Foxx, R.M. (1982). Increasing Behaviors of Severely Retarded and Autistic Persons. Champaign, IL: Research Press. Koegel, K.L., Koegel, R.L., & Dunlap, G. (1996). Positive Behavioral […]

Resource List for Parents and Teachers of Children with Developmental Disabilities: Life Skills

General Interventions for Home and at School The Syracuse Community-Referenced Curriculum Guide For Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities. By Alison Ford, Ph.D., Roberta Schnorr, M.S., Luanna Meyer, Ph.D., Linda Davern, M.S., (Syracuse University), Jim Black, M.S., and Patrick Dempsey (Syracuse City School District. Paul H. Brooks. (1989). A collaborative effort between clinicians and educators. […]

Helping Less Verbal Youth with ASD Manage Strong Emotions

Learning Objectives: Participants will recognize how the biological features of ASD make coping (or self-regulation) very challenging, especially when a person doesn’t have easy access to language. Participants will increase awareness of the behavioral signs of escalating anxiety in youth with ASD. Participants will learn about a variety of strategies and resources that can be […]

Characteristics of Autism: Resources

Books* Baron-Cohen, S. & Bolton, P. (1993). Autism: The Facts. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Frith, U., ed. (1993). Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Powers, M.D. (1989). Children with Autism: A Parents’ Guide. Woodbine House. Schopler, E. (1995). Parent Survival Manual: A Guide to Crisis Resolution in Autism and Related Developmental Disorders. New […]

Assessment in Developmental Disabilities: Tools

Assessment in Developmental Disabilities A Lecture for NSP Special Topics Course NRSC 7670 OV1 (Course Director: K. Gardiner) February 5 & 7, 2013 Presented by Susan Hepburn, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist/Associate Professor Departments of Psychiatry & Pediatrics/JFK Partners/University of Colorado DEVELOPMENTAL/INTELLECTUAL ASSESSMENT TOOLS (sequenced developmentally) 1. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) (Bricker […]

Tools for Assessing Autism Symptoms and Relevant Features

AUTISM SYMPTOM CHECKLISTS – (EDUCATOR OR PARENT REPORT) Infant-Toddler Checklist (ITC) Description: The Infant-Toddler Checklist (ITC; Wetherby & Prizant, 2002) is a 25-item checklist that was developed out of the SCERTS model and is very well attuned to the communicative aspects of ASD in young children. Designed and validated in a large community sample […]

Autism and the Family

Autism is clearly a disorder that affects the functioning of the child with the diagnosis. It also profoundly affects the entire family — parents, siblings, and the extended family. Recognizing and coping with these effects is an important process for family members not only to care effectively for the child with autism, but also for […]

Thinking Developmentally About Signs of ASD

Autism is a developmental disorder, meaning that the child’s pattern of growth across areas of development is uneven, with different skills growing at different rates than each other. For example, you may observe a 2-year-old decoding words in books, but not speaking spontaneously. Some skills even seem to develop in a different sequence than in […]