6 Four adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were taught to interact with peers by asking social questions or commenting about others during game play or group activities. Participants were shown a video model and then given an opportunity to perform the social behavior depicted in the model when playing a game with one another. All […]
7 
Research demonstrates young children with autism and other developmental disabilities can benefit from participation in play activities with peers. Play provides opportunities to increase social skills across developmental domains in an integrated manner and provides opportunities to develop a sense of belonging and friendship; these goals are†critical for young children with disabilities. However, in order […]
6 
We evaluated the effects of group activity schedules on social engagement among children with autism spectrum disorders. Although activity schedules are often applied to dyads, we assigned children to small groups (e.g., 3-4 children) to increase the number of available play partners and potential social validity of the intervention. We also compared the effects of […]
6 Few interventions exist for school-aged minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Even though play skills are associated with children’s production of language, few studies have focused on play for minimally verbal children. Fifty-eight minimally verbal children with ASD received a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention. Children were randomized to receive a speech generating device […]
6 
The purpose of this article was to systematically review the play therapy literature examining the effectiveness of child-centered play therapy with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population. Child-centered play therapy is shown to be an evidencebased, effective intervention for children; however, a systematic review of childcentered play therapy as an intervention with the ASD population […]
5
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent childhood disorder as 1 in 68 children, 8 years old and younger, are diagnosed with ASD. Additionally, childhood trauma impacts 60% of children living in the United States. Due to the lack of social awareness and increased sensitivity to various stimuli, children diagnosed with ASD are often more […]
4 The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a peer-mediated LEGO® play intervention on improving social skills for children with ASD in an inclusive preschool in China. Three boys with ASD and 13 typically developing children participated in this study. A multiple-probe across participants design was used. The intervention consisted of LEGO® construction […]
4 
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may not develop symbolic play skills, so such skills need to be taught specifically. We report an experiment regarding a procedure targeting “object-substitution ” symbolic play skills. The “object-substitution ” symbolic play behavior occurred when the child labeled a common object with the name of a substitute and used […]
3 This study compared sibling interactions between 24-month-old children and their older sibling with ASD (high-risk; n = 24) with 24-month-old children and their typically developing older sibling (low-risk; n = 32). First, high-risk sibling pairs showed lower levels of positive behaviour and younger siblings of children with ASD imitated their older sibling less. Second, in […]
2 
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain insight from speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) regarding appealing features of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) applications. Method: Two separate 1-hour focus groups were conducted with 8 SLPs and 5 parents of children with ASD to identify appealing design […]
2 Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties interacting with same-aged peers during unstructured play (e.g., on the playground). Thirty-five toddler and preschool children with and without ASD participated in a structured 15-min outdoor play curriculum. The intervention, the Buddy Game, used familiar songs, movement, and games to promote peer social interaction. A 2 ◊ […]
2 
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have deficits in social skills and may avoid engaging in play activities with typically developing peers. The purpose of this study was to identify the utility of activity schedules, with embedded scripts, to teach three children with ASD to play a complex social game. Specifically, children with ASD […]
1 
A multiple probe across participants with an embedded withdrawal single case research design was used to examine the effectiveness of a progressive time delay (PTD) procedure to teach preschoolers with disabilities to imitate their peers during a sculpting play activity. Data indicated the presence of a functional relation between the use of PTD and contingent […]
1 
When designing and implementing evidence-based programs for children with an autism spectrum disorder, the intervention priorities of parents are important criteria. Although studies in developed countries have explored parents’ intervention priorities, there is a paucity of this kind of research in developing countries. This research explores the intervention priorities of 207 Iranian parents for their […]
7 Preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have marked deficits in pretend play that impede interactions with typically developing peers in inclusive early childhood settings. This study aimed to teach three young children with ASD to engage in pretend play behaviors with their peers. A multiple probe across participants experimental design was used to […]
2 
The diversity of factors that may contribute to autism is enormous. Some lead to therapeutic ideas, most do not. Our own early work focused on possible endogenous opioid excesses in the brain, which lead to the use of low doses of naltrexone (LDN, 0.25 mg/kg, every other day, orally administered). The history of such an […]
1 
Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairments in social behavior, communication, and aberrant repetitive behaviors. A major focus of animal models of autism has been to mimic the social deficits of the disorder. The present study assessed whether rats exposed prenatally to valproic acid (VPA) show deficits in social play as juveniles […]
4 
An alternating treatments design was used to assess the effects of the language of instruction (English vs. heritage language) on the play skills of four bilingually exposed children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Baseline consisted of 5-min free-play sessions conducted in English. Intervention consisted of two alternating conditions: 5-min play sessions conducted in English or […]
4 
Background: The outcomes of psycho-educational interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) comorbid with severe to moderate intellectual disability (ID) are insufficiently documented. In this prospective study, we examined a developmental individual, interactive and intensive approach, called the ‘3i method’, which is based on play therapy. Methods: Twenty DSM-IV-TR ASD subjects (mean chronological age 63.8±37.8months; mean […]
8 
Early childhood autism is characterized by deficits in social approach and play behaviors, socio-emotional relatedness, and communication/speech abnormalities, as well as repetitive behaviors. These core neuropsychological features of autism can be modeled in laboratory rats, and the results may be useful for drug discovery and therapeutic development. We review data that show that rats selectively […]
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