Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for bullying victimization. School refusal is a 'red flag' for identification of bullying in children with ASD and/or ADHD. This study examined the impact of diagnoses, demographics, and school variables on school refusal due to…

Bullying is problematic for school-age children and especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is commonly defined in research using three themes: intent to harm, repetition, and a power imbalance. Despite encompassing a wide range of behaviors, these themes may not fully align with day-to-day layperson experiences. They also…

Children with autism spectrum disorder experience bullying more frequently than their typical peers. Inconsistent definitions for and imprecise measurement of bullying in the literature impede a better understanding of this difference, and multiple types of bullying topographies create additional dimensions for analysis. In this study,…

Alongside the increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), there is a greater likelihood of clinical psychologists having a role in the treatment of children with these disorders. Population heterogeneity with respect to ASD-specific symptomatology, comorbid medical and psychiatric issues, level of cognitive functioning, and presence…

Impaired social skills represent a fundamental deficit for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Despite the potential importance of "good sportsmanship," this social skill has received relatively little attention in the literature. The current study utilized a Behavioral Skills Training (BST) approach to teach three…

Evaluation of evidence-based treatments is important for adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) given the increasing number of interventions available and the prevalence of ASD. In this study, we sought to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioral interventions for this population by conducting a meta-analysis of published…

Since 2000, there has been an increasing emphasis on screening for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) during well-child visits (P. A. Filipek et al., 2000; C. P. Johnson & S. M. Myers, 2007). Pediatricians surveyed in 2 mid-Atlantic states reported extremely low rates of screening for ASD (8% of participants) in comparison with higher rates of…

Anxiety disorders, including social phobia, occur often in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; Gillott, Furniss, & Walter, 2001; Leyfer et al., 2006; Simonoff et al., 2008); however, little is known about the conceptualization and treatment of social phobia in this population. The current study presents the case of "James," a 6-year-old…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be diagnosed as early as 18 months of age. State Early Intervention (EI) programs under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are serving increasing numbers of children with ASD; however, little is known about outcomes of these services. This study evaluated the impact of EI for…

The current study investigated social behaviors, including initiating joint attention (IJA), responding to joint attention (RJA), social orienting, and imitation in 14 children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to 12 typically developing children (TD). Results indicated that IJA and RJA were positively correlated with social…

There are a limited number of assessments available to examine social skills deficits in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The Behavioral Assessment of Social Interactions in Young Children (BASYC) was developed as a direct assessment of social deficits in young children with ASD relative to children without ASD. The BASYC is a…

Many treatment programs for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) target social skills, and there is growing attention directed toward the development of specific interventions to improve social skills and social interactions in this population (Hestenes & Carroll, 2000; Strain & Hoyson, 2000). However, there are limited tools…

Social skill development is one of the primary areas of intervention for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The purpose of this article was to conduct a retrospective review of social skills intervention research for preschool children with ASD. A review of 17 single-subject design studies from twelve journals (1999-2006) was…

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have a high prevalence of specific fears, including fear of general medical procedures, but research on the treatment of medical fears has been limited. Two studies are described in this article. The first study involved an assessment of the prevalence of fears associated with physical exams.…

The primary core deficit in autism spectrum disorders is social development. While frequently acknowledged as a critical aspect of intervention for improved functioning, research on the specifics of social development and effective models of intervention is not commensurate with the acknowledged importance. We present a model of social competence…