| Support Real Science in Autism Treatment! |
Effective communication with media outlets is potentially the greatest asset that we have in promoting a science-based approach to autism treatment. Each and every media contribution has the potential to reach thousands of consumers and service providers. In the interview below, the perspectives of several leaders in the field of autism treatment were solicited. A…
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…
Interview conducted by: Charlie Hui (Extern) and David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D Association for Science in Autism Treatment For many individuals with autism, the help and support they receive as a child vastly shapes their future. For 30-year-old teacher’s aide Eli Allen, he was fortunate to have a family who were staunch advocates and helped him…
Breanna Roberts, MA, BCBA, Ellie Hardesty, MA, BCBA, and Thomas Zane, PhD, BCBA-D Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas What is Zones of Regulation? Zones of Regulation is a “social emotional learning curriculum and regulation program” developed by Leah Kuypers, MAEd, OTR/L (Kuypers, 2011, 2023). This class-wide curriculum has become popular in schools…
Interview conducted by Mary Jane Weiss, PhD, BCBA-D Mary Jane: In this interview, Rita Gardner highlights the non-profit organization Melmark’s expansion into the Carolinas, an area of the country where many students with disabilities often experience ineffective education, and where there is an urgent need to provide quality services to individuals with autism. Rita also…
Dear Skeptical Inquirer, The human costs of pseudoscience are profound, heartbreaking, and far-reaching. Not only do these false and unproven interventions divert individuals from treatments that genuinely help, but they also drain precious resources—time, money, and even hope. And then there are interventions, like Facilitated Communication, that more directly cause harm not just to those…
Written by: Courtney Keleher, MEd, BCBA1, Kristina Gasiewski, MOTR/L, MEd, BCBA2, Mary Jane Weiss, PhD, BCBA-D1, 2 1Endicott College 2Melmark Description: In the 1970s, Dr. A. Jean Ayres developed sensory integration (SI) theory, which is based on the idea that atypical sensory processing requires therapeutic exposure to sensations that can change the brain’s ability to…
Interview conducted by Saikiran Reddy Battula (Extern) and David Celiberti PhD, BCBA-D Association for Science in Autism Treatment Interviewees: Lisa Searls, MA, BCBA (Motivating Change) Lorena Morsillo John A. Fortunato, PhD (Professor, Fordham University Gabelli School of Business, Area of Communication & Media Management) Thalia Morsillo, MA Miracle of Effort: Thalia’s Autism Journey, by John…
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…