Compiled by Kate McKenna, MEd, MSEd, MS, BCBA and Kristina Gasiewski, MEd, MOTR/L, BCBA
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
Occupational and physical therapists are important members of the treatment team providing services to individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. In keeping with our mission of promoting effective evidenced-based treatments for individuals with autism we have complied this non-exhaustive list of resources that may be of interest to occupational and physical therapists. In creating this list, we have drawn material from our website: Interviews and Perspectives, Clinical Corner articles, Book and Resource Reviews, Treatment Summaries, and Research Synopses. This list will be periodically updated to include recently published material from our monthly publication, Science in Autism Treatment. We also have plans to generate more content of specific interest to physical therapists as well. Stay tuned for an article about the history of physical therapy as a profession, the education and licensing requirements, and the benefits physical therapists bring to the treatment team.
The Role of the Occupational and Physical Therapists
Responding to the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum and their families is a team effort. The articles in this section highlight the role that occupational and physical therapists play on the team. The second set of articles focuses on multidisciplinary collaboration as the team, working with the individual and the family to create goals and a treatment plan.
- Occupational therapists discussing their journeys with ABA: Part I
- Occupational therapists discussing their journeys with ABA: Part II
- Focus on the treatment team: Occupational therapy .
- My child is enrolled in an ABA-based program where he also receives some OT services. How can occupational therapy benefit my child’s ABA program?
- Research synopsis: The effect of sensory integration therapy on occupational performance in children with autism
- Review of Applied behavior analysis, autism, and occupational therapy: A search for understanding
- Review of Collaboration between behavior analysts and occupational therapists in autism service provision: Bridging the gap
- Related services in an ABA setting: An interview with 3 members of the BACA team
Multidisciplinary Collaboration
- Applied behavior analysis in speech-language therapy
- A non-exhaustive list of previously published but relevant ASAT articles of interest to medical professionals
- Review of ABAI’s Interprofessional collaborative practice between behavior analysts and speech-language pathologists
- The myths I believed about behavior analysis
- How ASAT supports special education and general education teachers
- Topical resources for educators
- What are some considerations surrounding the initiation and fading of gastrostomy tubes?
Diagnosis and Early Detection
Therapists are often asked for information about signs of autism and questions about how to proceed once an individual has been diagnosed. The following articles provide information about the signs of autism spectrum disorder and the importance of early detection, and how best to support families.
- Identification, evaluation, and management of children with autism spectrum disorder (Part 1 of 2)
- Identification, evaluation, and management of children with autism spectrum disorder (Part 2 of 2)
- Changes to the DSM Autism Diagnostic Criteria
- Review of CDC’s Learn the signs. Act early
- What is the relationship between autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability?
- Early detection and intervention
- How likely is it that I could have another child with autism?
- Comorbidity in autism
- How do self-injurious behaviors develop?
- Review of Autism 24/7: A family guide to learning at home and in the community
- Review of Autism and the family: Understanding and supporting parents and siblings
- Review of Life journey through autism: A parent’s guide to research
Interventions and Treatment Options
ASAT’s mission is to disseminate information on scientific evidence-based interventions for autism. The resources in this section provide guidance on choosing interventions followed by articles that address the teaching of skills of daily living, social and play skills, and safety skills.
- Research Synopsis: Effectiveness of sensory integration interventions in children with autism spectrum disorders: A pilot study
- Research Synopsis: Effects of weighted vests on the engagement of children with developmental delays and autism
- Research Synopsis: The use and efficacy of weighted vests
- Sensory Integration Theory and Ayres Sensory Integration®
- Sensory diets: Is there science behind that?
- What can I expect from a quality ABA program?
- Teaching an 18-month-old with autism
- Setting up the classroom to optimize learning opportunities and effective instruction
- How do you figure out what motivates your students?
- What is the importance of engagement when working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism?
Teaching Social and Play Skills
- Teaching game playing to children with autism
- What’s a good way to teach social skills, especially in a group?
- Measuring social skills goals
- Research Synopsis: PLAY project home consultation intervention program for young children with autism spectrum disorders: A randomized control trial.
- Research Synopsis: Symbolic play in school-aged minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder
- How can I structure playdates for success?
- Research Synopsis: Remaking recess intervention for improving peer interactions at school for children with autism spectrum disorder
- Research Synopsis: Symbolic play in school-aged minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder
- Preventing and addressing bullying
Teaching Skills of Daily Living
- How can I teach telephone skills at home?
- Improving food selectivity of children with autism
- Improving food selectivity
- Review of Broccoli boot camp: Basic training for parents of selective eaters
- Review of The distance between empirically supported treatment and actual practice for pediatric feeding problems: An international clinical perspective
- Regulating sleep
- Multidisciplinary collaboration in the establishment of oral hygiene habits
- Research Synopsis: Dental desensitization for students with autism spectrum disorder through graduated exposure, reinforcement, and reinforcement-fading
- Updated resources for promoting dental hygiene and success at the dentist
- Interview with Dr. Purnima Hernandez, DDS
- Research Synopsis: Teaching students with autism spectrum disorder to tolerate haircutting
Teaching Safety Skills
- Teaching safety skills to adolescents
- Bolting and neighborhood safety
- Review of the Big red safety tool kit
- A non-exhaustive list of safety products
- Review of Mortality in autism drowning
- An interview with Erika Gleeson founder and director of Autism Swim
- A non-exhaustive list of safety products
COVID/Wearing a Mask
- What are some essential skills in a COVID-19 era?
- Evidence-based telehealth practice in the time of COVID-19
- How can I teach my son to cooperate with wearing a face mask?
- ASAT Responds to Spectrum News 1’s “Face masks create new challenges for people with autism or sensory disorders”
Across the Life Span
ASAT is committed to helping those impacted by autism at all stages in the lifespan. These articles address issues such as transitioning to adult services, leisure skills for adults, and safety issues as all stages of life.
- A review of Transition resources for adolescents and adults with autism
- A review of Journey to community housing with supports: A road map for individuals and their families in New Jersey
- A review of Adults with autism: The journey home
- Leisure skills for adults with autism
- Preparing adults with autism for employment success
- Preparation for employment
- What are some adaptive skills for a young adult to gain independence?
- Review of Life journey through autism: A guide to safety
- Transition planning as it relates to challenging behaviors: Matching the individual to the right setting for adult services
- Defining and assessing quality of life as an outcome for adults with autism
- Website Review: OAR’s Hire Autism
Ways to connect with ASAT
This list of resources is shared in the spirit of connecting professionals with necessary and evidence-based resources. It is not meant to be exhaustive and will be updated periodically as we add additional material to our website. We hope it is useful to occupational and physical therapists as you provide essential services to families. To stay abreast of our current content, use the links below to access archived issues of Science in Autism Treatment or follow up on social media.
- Archived issues of Science in Autism Treatment (subscribe for free here)
- Website (Use the hashtag #OTs on the search bar of our website to connect with relevant content. We will be launching #PTs soon)
- Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn)
Citation for this article:
McKenna, K., & Gasiewski, K. (2023). A non-exhaustive list of previously published but relevant ASAT articles of interest to occupational and physical therapists. Science in Autism Treatment, 20(03).
#Collaboration #Feeding #Multidisciplinary #OTs
