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News articles abound about autism and people who claim a given therapy has “cured”, or otherwise improved, deficits of individuals diagnosed with autism. This section provides brief synopses that describe the evidence behind these therapies and guidelines for journalists to tackle their next autism story from a science-minded and careful perspective. This page also highlights…
Source July 28, 2009 Dear Editor: On behalf of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (www.asatonline.org), we are writing to you in connection with your Health Watch story on Rethink Autism that aired on 7-23-09. In particular, we wanted to commend the piece for highlighting that applied behavior analysis (ABA) is considered a…
Boynton, J. (2024). Questions to ask facilitators and yourself while observing FC/S2C/RPM sessions. Facilitatedcommunication.org https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/blog/questions-to-ask-facilitators-and-yourself-while-observing-fc-s2c-rpm-sessions Reviewed by Smrithi Thyagarajan (Extern) and David Celiberti, PhD, BABA-D Association for Science in Autism Treatment The Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) firmly believes that consumers are well within their rights to question providers and to receive…
Neely, L., Carnett, A., Cantrell, K., Stegemann, S., & Svoboda, M. (2022) Functional communication training for toddlers at‐risk for autism with early problem behavior. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 6, 537-548. Reviewed by: Smrithi Thyagarajan (Extern) & Kate McKenna, MEd, MSEd, MS, BCBA, LBA Why research this topic? Young children with autism can experience difficulties with social…
Schlosser, R. W., & Prabhu, A. (2024). Interrogating neurotypical bias in Facilitated Communication, Rapid Prompting Method, and Spelling 2 Communicate through a humanistic lens. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 11(1), 41-51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-024-00296-w Reviewed by Angela Fuhrmann-Knowles, MA, BCBA Endicott College Reports have indicated that approximately 25-35% of autistic individuals have minimal to no speech…
Bross, L. A., Travers, J. C., Wills, H. P., Huffman, J. M., Watson, E. K., Morningstar, M. E., & Boyd, B. A. (2020). Effects of video modeling for young adults with autism in community employment settings. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 43(4), 209-225. https://doi.org/10.1177/21651434209414 Reviewed by: Lindsey Cicalese, BA & Robert H. LaRue,…
I’m a newly certified behavior analyst working in a school-age program. Many of my students struggle with emotion regulation. However, my coursework and supervision were primarily focused on easily measurable, observable behaviors. While I was taught that behavior analysis doesn’t discredit private events, I just don’t know where to start. A few initial topics or…
David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D Association for Science in Autism Treatment As many of our readers know, we are formally showcasing some of the incredible, hardworking volunteers who share their time and talent with ASAT. In this installment, we feature Aboli Jadhav, BE, who lives in India and is the mother of a young girl with…
Interview conducted by Kristina (Kristy) Gasiewski, MEd, MOTR/L, BCBA Melmark PA Interviewees: Angel Cox Crayton, M.Ed., BCBA, LBS, Behavior Analyst Samantha (Sam) Chamberlin, MOT, OTR/L, Lead Occupational Therapist Amanda L. Duffy, MEd, BCBA, LBS, Director of Clinical Services – Adult Programs Lindsay Harre, MS, CCC-SLP, Lead Speech Language Pathologist Lara Redcay, MEd, BCBA, Assistant Director of…
I am concerned that my son has an underlying medical problem that may explain some of their behaviors. Do you have any advice for a parent of a very complex individual who may have both medical and behavioral difficulties? How are such individuals treated? What kind of care is required? How do I ensure my…
Written by: Kristina Gasiewski, MOTR/L, M.Ed., BCBA Melmark Description: Weighted vests are a Sensory Based Intervention (SBI) often used by occupational therapists and educators to target problem behaviors (e.g., inattentiveness or repetitive/stereotypical behaviors that interfere with an individual’s ability to engage in on-task behavior). The weighted vest is intended to help the individual modulate their…