Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorders. The best known yet less understood characteristic of autism is its unexplained male preponderance. Using a biosocial perspective, the goal of this article is to draw attention to the role of gender-based socialization practices and behavioral expectations during…

The effectiveness of four antecedent treatments for rumination was compared for two individuals with autism, severe intellectual disabilities and long histories (at least 20 years) of rumination. Comparisons of increased meal size, supplemental feedings, fixed-time provision of peanut butter, and liquid rescheduling found liquid rescheduling to be…

Multiple electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities have been associated with autism. In the course of clinical work, we have observed a posterior dominant EEG rhythm at higher frequency in children with autism. To test this observation, 56 EEG tracings of children with autism were compared to the EEGs of age-matched controls. Children with autism…

There has been an exponential growth in assessment methods to diagnose disorders on the autism spectrum. Many reasons for this trend exist and include advancing knowledge on how to make a diagnosis, the heterogeneity of the spectrum, the realization that different methods may be needed based on age and intellectual disability. Other factors…

Although, reviews and outcome research supports empirical evidence for Early Intensive Behavior Intervention in pre-scholars, intensive behavioral service provision for school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are less subject to research studies. In order to provide effective behavioral interventions for school-aged children it…

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a "pervasive developmental disorder," characterized by social impairments and focused, circumscribed interests and activities in the absence of significant language impairment and cognitive delay. Since its inclusion in the DSM-IV, there has been a dramatic increase in its recognition both in children and adults. Some…

Increasingly, Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is internationally recognised as the scientific basis for teaching and treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Yet, many governments and professionals across Europe promote an eclectic model as more child-centred and pragmatic. This paper addresses the issues of eclecticism and ABA by exploring how…

The etiology of autism spectrum disorders is unknown but there are claims of increasing prevalence in many countries. Despite more than a decade of epidemiological investigation, it is still unclear whether the rising trend in prevalence reflects a true increase or changes in diagnostic trends and improvements in case ascertainment. This paper…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), particularly the high incidence conditions of autism, PDD NOS, and Asperger's Syndrome, have become increasingly popular topics of study in the mental health field. Traditionally, the focus has been on young children and early recognition and diagnosis. However, given that these conditions are life long in nature,…

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) has been identified as the treatment of choice for children with autism spectrum disorders. A common strategy for conducting EIBI is discrete-trials teaching (DTT). There is a demand for research-based, economical, rapid training techniques to teach tutors and parents of children with autism to…

Outcome research has shown that early and intensive behavioural intervention (ABA) may improve intellectual, language and adaptive functioning in children with autism. However, research has also indicated that not all ABA provisions are equally effective. Therefore, it may be beneficial to describe the key variables that are common to programmes…

The development of learning based interventions has proven to be an effective means of remediating symptoms of autism and PDD-NOS. The central focus of these effects in recent years has been on early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI) with preschool children. We use the term EIBI since it is the most often used, and we assume, preferred…

An area of research with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which has received a considerable amount of attention recently is early diagnosis. This phenomenon is due largely to encouraging results from intensive intervention programs for children at very young ages. While five types of ASD exist, efforts in this area have focused almost exclusively…

Little empirical research has focused on teaching of imitation to learners with autism in ordinary environments. Typically-developing individuals imitate the behavior of others in ordinary social environments. One possible reason that learners with autism do not imitate in ordinary environments is they are not observing relevant discriminative…

The autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have generated great interest among clinicians and researchers. Once considered rare, recent epidemiological data now suggests rates of up to 1 in 150 people. One of the most frequent of the ASD, Asperger's syndrome (AS), has been known as a disorder for as long as autism, which is easily the most visible of…