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I am a home program coordinator who works with a six-year old child diagnosed with autism. The parents are concerned because their child struggles at bedtime and will often wake up in the middle of the night to come into their room. The parents want their child to stay asleep and have tried everything to…
My child seems to put everything into his mouth-paper, stones, leaves, plastic, toys… What can I do about this? Answered by James Mulick, PhD Ohio State University Pica refers to the apparent appetite for non-food items with no nutritional value. It presents a problem when the items are poisonous, pose the risk of infection, are…
I am a behavior analyst working with a 6-year-old child with a very limited food repertoire. Do you have any assessment and treatment recommendations that can guide my efforts to address this area? Answered by Jill K. Belchic-Schwartz, PhD Pediatric/Child Psychologist, Childhood Solutions, PC, Fort Washington, PA Food selectivity is a fairly common issue with…
How does a behavior consultant who is invested in the child’s best outcome encourage parents to actively participate in home-based intervention? Answered by Alice Walkup, MS, BCBA For many parents of children with autism, participation in a home-based behavioral intervention program may seem overwhelming. In addition to managing and advocating for the child’s various services,…
Why is early detection and treatment important? How can this be accomplished? Answered by Angela Smith, MA, BCBA Early detection of autism is essential in gaining access to treatment at the earliest point possible. With the rise in the incidence of autism, more and more families are faced with the challenge of accessing intervention programs…
My daughter with autism was very resistant during her first dental visit. Are there any steps we can take to help her tolerate a dental exam? We were actively involved in her home-based early intervention program for the last two years and have a working knowledge of ABA. Our daughter’s program is overseen by a…
I am a parent of an adolescent with autism who is urine trained but continues to have bowel accidents. What treatment strategies can I use to begin bowel training with him? Answered by Frank Cicero, PhD, BCBA-D Director of Psychological Services Eden II Programs Lingering issues with bowel training are common in individuals with autism, even…
My son, who has been diagnosed with autism, has been struggling with self-injury. His doctor is considering whether medication could help. What can I do to prepare for this conversation? Answered by Megan Atthowe, Megan Atthowe, MSN, RN, BCBA Former ASAT Board Member First, you should know that there is no medication that specifically treats…
David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D and Sunita Chhatwani, MSc, MEd Association for Science in Autism Treatment Description: Magnet therapy, magnetic field therapy, or magnetotherapy is a procedure that involves the application of magnets to target overall health as well as an array of pain conditions arising from arthritis, insomnia, headache, neuropathy, tensions, sciatica, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain,…
Updated by Lisa Tereshko, PhD, BCBA-D, Endicott College Joyce Mauk, MD, Burnett School of Medicine at TCU and Austin College Description: There is a hypothesis that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have higher levels of toxic heavy metals in their systems than their peers (Lagan & Balfe, 2018); however, this hypothesis is unproven. This…
Stay up to date with the latest science-based information about autism and its treatment. Sign up HERE for ASAT’s FREE monthly newsletter. Dr. Celiberti talks about autism diagnosis, treatment, and resources available on this site. Research indicates that early diagnosis is critically important. Therefore, parents and caregivers should be aware of some of the…