Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Nigerian Reporter Discusses Various Therapies for Autism Being Used in Her Country

scottie — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Ruth Olurounbi, a reporter in Nigeria, provides a broad overview of autism and autism therapies currently being used.

Body:

Ruth Olurounbi, a reporter in Nigeria, provides a broad overview of autism and autism therapies currently being used. She explains symptoms and diagnostic tools. Olurounbi discusses a number of treatments that have proved successful including “auditory training, discrete trial training, vitamin therapy, anti-yeast therapy, facilitated communication, music therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and sensory integration.” For the sake of categorization, she divides these therapies into three major groupings: behavioral and communiation, biomedical and dietary, and complementary.

Read original article: Is Autism Treatable?

Evaluation of a Self-Instructional Manual for Conducting Discrete-Trials Teaching with Children with Autism

scottie — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:52:00 +0000

Title	Evaluation of a Self-Instructional Manual for Conducting Discrete-Trials Teaching with Children with Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Thiessen C, Fazzio D, Arnal L, Martin GL, Yu CT, Keilback L
Journal Title	Behavior Modification
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	33
Issue	1
Pages	360-373
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19139527
Teaser	A newly revised training manual may be helpful to teach college students and parents to use applied behavior analysis (ABA) to help children with autism.
Full Text	A newly revised training manual may be helpful to teach college students and parents to use applied behavior analysis (ABA) to help children with autism. ABA is seen by many to be the treatment of choice for children with autism. There is a large need for research-based, low-cost, rapid training to train tutors and parents to conduct discrete trial training with children with autism. This study was designed to see if a revised version of the training book used to teach students to do this type of ABA therapy was useful. The authors found that the revised manual was good at training college students to use discrete trial training to teach three tasks to children with autism. The authors note that the college students did not really work with children with autism, but instead worked with people who acted like children with autism.

The Use of Intensive Behavioural Intervention for Children with Autism

scottie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:57:39 +0000

Title	The Use of Intensive Behavioural Intervention for Children with Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	deRivera C
Journal Title	Journal of Developmental Disabilities
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	14
Issue	2
Pages	1-15
URL for Abstract	http://www.oadd.org/index.php?page=275
Teaser	A modified intensive behavioral therapy (IBI) program has been very helpful for children with autism in a Toronto preschool system.
Full Text	A modified intensive behavioral therapy (IBI) program has been very helpful for children with autism in a Toronto preschool system. The Lovaas method of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy has been used since the early 1980s to help improve behaviors in children with autism. The Toronto Partnership for Autism Services made some changes to the Lovaas method in their preschool autism treatment program. The Toronto IBI uses discrete trial training to teach language skills. The Toronto IBI therapy also uses the picture exchange communication system (PECS) and teaching schedules. The authors talk about the research related to Lovaas method, IBI, PECS, and teaching schedules. They also describe some practical details about how their therapy program works with children.

Instructing Individuals to Deliver Discrete-Trials Teaching to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review

scottie — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:41:50 +0000

Title	Instructing Individuals to Deliver Discrete-Trials Teaching to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Thomson K, Martin GL, Arnal L, Fazzio D, Yu CT
Journal Title	Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	3
Pages	590-606
URL for Abstract	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B83X1-4VM2KGD-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=1ef227830d6083a64f952cc9616ef97a
Full Text	Teachers, special education specialists, and parents can learn how to use discrete trial training during behavioral therapy to help children with autism. This article reviewed 17 studies of parent and teacher applied behavior analysis (ABA) training programs. Training programs used a variety of instruction methods (written, verbal, or videotaped). Some programs used demonstration, role-playing, and practice. The authors felt that there was not enough information in the 17 studies to determine whether one training approach worked better than another. Most of the studies measured whether or not the trainee learned what he or she was supposed to learn. Very few measured whether the trainee was able to use their new skills to help people with autism. The authors emphasized a need for effective training programs to meet the high demand for therapists trained in discrete trial training.

Efficacy of Applied Behavioral Intervention in Preschool Children with Autism for Improving Cognitive, Language, and Adaptive Behavior: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

scottie — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:14:41 +0000

Title	Efficacy of Applied Behavioral Intervention in Preschool Children with Autism for Improving Cognitive, Language, and Adaptive Behavior: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Spreckley M, Boyd R
Journal Title	Journal of Pediatrics
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	154
Issue	3
Pages	338-344
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18950798?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Teaser	Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapies may not be better than standard care in special education for children with autism.
Full Text	Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapies may not be better than standard care in special education for children with autism. The authors looked at 13 research studies on the effectiveness of ABA intervention. These were well run studies that used discrete trial training as part of the behavioral therapy. The studies measured cognitive, language, and adaptive behavior skills. Four of the best studies were compared to similar studies of standard care; however, there were no significant improvements between ABA therapy and the standard care.

Parent Training: Acquisition and Generalization of Discrete Trials Teaching Skills with Parents of Children with Autism

scottie — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:12:19 +0000

Title	Parent Training: Acquisition and Generalization of Discrete Trials Teaching Skills with Parents of Children with Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Crockett JL, Fleming RK, Doepke KJ, Stevens JS
Journal Title	Research in Developmental Disabilities
Year of Publication	2007
Volume	28
Issue	1
Pages	23-36
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16338118?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	Training on behavioral therapy techniques needs to be less expensive so that more parents can be trained on interventions that help their children with autism. The authors described how two parents successfully learned skills for teaching their 4-year-old children with autism. The parents taught attending (focusing attention), ball/toy play, and verbal imitation. Training sessions lasted 2 hours and the parent and child worked together for 6-9 sessions. Their children showed improvements in these skills and there were improvements in other skills that were not taught to parents in the training sessions. The authors believe that parent training in some skills may help parents teach other skills (generalization). The authors noted that the amount of time and cost involved in current parent training is high. Training would be more helpful if time and cost could be lowered.

Evaluation of a Changing Criterion Intervention to Increase Fluent Responding with an Elementary Age Student with Autism

scottie — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Title	Evaluation of a Changing Criterion Intervention to Increase Fluent Responding with an Elementary Age Student with Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Fienup DM, Doepke K
Journal Title	International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy
Year of Publication	2008
Volume	4
Issue	3
Pages	297-303
URL for Abstract	http://www.behavior-analyst-online.org/newIJBCT/IJBCT%20-VOL-4/IJBCT4.3SI.pdf
Full Text	Discrete trial training may help students with autism learn to give fluent answers. This study looked at the effect of rewards on building fluent response in a student with autism. The intervention worked and taught the elementary school-aged student to give many fluent responses. The student learned rather quickly (4 months) how to give fluent responses. The study was designed to allow the authors to make causal statements about the intervention. The study was limited because it had only one student and no formal data were collected on how well the intervention was done.

Brief Report: Toward Refinement of a Predictive Behavioral Profile for Treatment Outcome in Children with Autism

scottie — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:37:14 +0000

Title	Brief Report: Toward Refinement of a Predictive Behavioral Profile for Treatment Outcome in Children with Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Schreibman L, Stahmer AC, Barlett VC, Dufek S
Journal Title	Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	3
Pages	163-172
URL for Abstract	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleListURL&_method=list&_ArticleListID=891643122&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=ffd78483b1efe069cf72274a2a830201
Full Text	Future research may allow therapists to know in advance which type of applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) is most likely to work for any given child with autism. While many children with autism respond well to ABA therapy, not all children show a good response to all types of ABA therapy. This study of six children was designed to see if it is possible to predict which type of ABA therapy will work for which child with autism. The authors were able to predict which children would respond to pivotal response training, but not which ones would respond to discrete trial training. The authors note that all children were first exposed to pivotal response training and then to discrete trial training and this may have influenced the results. Children who liked toys were more likely to respond to pivotal response training than children who did not like toys.

Treatment Controversies in Autism

scottie — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:42:56 +0000

Title	Treatment Controversies in Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Schreibman L
Journal Title	Zero to Three
Year of Publication	2008
Volume	March
Pages	38-45
URL for Abstract	http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/ZTT28-4_mar_08.pdf?docID=7246
Full Text	Research suggests that behavioral autism therapies (discrete trial training and naturalistic strategies) may be most helpful for children with autism. This review article describes autism therapies and the research behind the therapies. The author calls on parents to avoid sensory integration therapy, diet therapy, and vitamin therapy. She notes that applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) can improve autism symptoms and some children can make large gains with early ABA intervention. Above all, the therapy should be tailored to the child and the family. She calls for more research and careful thinking in order to find new treatments and test whether or not new treatments work.

Virginia Schools Offer Free Autism Screening

scottie — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:07:50 +0000

Teaser:

Two Virginia school districts - Henry County and Martinsville - offer free autism screening, and provide therapy to children as young as 2 years of age.

Body:

Two Virginia school districts - Henry County and Martinsville - offer free autism screening, and provide therapy to children as young as 2 years of age. The Piedmont Regional Infant-Parent Program offers early intervention services that include picture exchange communication system (PECS) and discrete trial training. Therapists have realized that if they can start working with children as young as 2, the chances for learning are increased.

Read original article.