Autism: Treatments

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Autism Treatments Interventions

• Presented By
• Kristen Mahoney, MS
• Wesley Spectrum Services
• kmahoney_at_wesleyspectrum.org

The mission of Wesley Spectrum Services is to
provide transformational support to children and
families as they strive to become more
independent, responsible, and caring members of
the community.
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Objectives

• Define Autism
• Latest research
• Characteristics of autism
• Strategies for behaviors
• Treatments available

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A Show of Hands
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People First Language
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Identified Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders

• ADDM Network (2000-2008)

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ASR

• True or False According to the CDC, Autism
  affects 1 in every 88 individuals born today.

True
False
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Definition of Autism

• A developmental disability marked by qualitative
  impairments of social interaction and
  communication, and by restricted, repetitive, and
  stereotyped patterns of behavior
• A spectrum disorder

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DSM-IV
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ASR

• True or False Autism, Aspergers, and Retts
  Disorder are the 3 autism spectrum disorders.

False
True
Autism, Aspergers and PDD-NOS are the 3 Autism
Spectrum Disorders.
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DSM-Vwww.dsm5.org
Autism Spectrum Disorder
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PA Autism Census Project
Percent of Individuals with Autism in
Pennsylvania in 2005 by Age Group
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PA Autism Census Project
of Adults with Autism in PA
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Identification of ASD

• Average age 2 or 3 years old
• Karen Pierce and other researchers are searching
  for ways to identify it as early as 6-12 months
• All children should be screened by a PCP at 18
  and 24 months specifically for ASD

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Red flags for ASD
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Red flags

• Red flags can generally be seen in children
  between 18-24 months

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Why Early Intervention?

• Neural Plasticity
• Why is this important when talking about children
  with ASD?

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ASR

• True or False Although our brains continue to
  change throughout our lifetimes, increased
  plasticity early in life makes early
  identification and intervention for autism
  critical for best results.

True
False
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Research on Autism

• Karen Pierce (2011)
• 137 pediatricians in the San Diego region
  completed a checklist at 12 month checkup to
  screen for ASD
• Checklist is the Communication and Symbolic
  Behavior Scale (CSBS) by Wetherby and Prizant
• Out of over 10,000 screenings, 184 failed and
  were referred for further screening and research

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Research on Autism

• Karen Pierce (2011)
• Reevaluated very 6 months until age 3
• Diagnoses
• 32 received ASD
• 56 receive language delay
• 9 received developmental delay
• 36 other

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Research on Autism
Brain Scans
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Research on Autism
Eye Gaze
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Research on Autism
Eye Tracking Study
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Implications

• Unlikely that any single marker will identify
  children at risk for ASD
• Risk is best determined by a variety of markers
  and those with increased markers are likely at
  greater risk

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Causes
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Characteristics
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Social And Communication

• Activity
• Look at the person sitting next to you. Have a
  conversation with them about the weather without
  using the letter R

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Perspective Taking Empathy
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Intellectual Functioning
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Responsiveness to Sensory Stimuli
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Insistence on Sameness Perseveration
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Executive Functioning
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Problem Behavior
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Positive Behaviors

• If youve met one child with autism,
• youve met one child with autism.
• -Source unknown

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Treatments
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Fads vs. Science

• What is a fad?
• Evidence Based Practices

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Where do fads come from?

• When there is no cure
• Many therapies show slow progress and require
  work
• Supported by theories
• Promoted by trustworthy sources

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Why do people buy into fads?

• Autism is a lifelong disability
• Scientific investigation
• Bombardment of information

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Types of Fads
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Biomedical Fads

• Pharmacological Treatments
• Nutritional Interventions
• Supplements
• Megavitamins
• MMR Vaccine
• Chelating

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Mechanical Fads

• Facilitated Communication
• Auditory Integration Therapy
• Sensory Integration Therapy

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Psychological Fads

• Floor time A developmental, individual
  difference, relation-based approach (DIR)
• TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and
  Communication Handicapped Children)

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National Standards Report (2009)
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National Standards Report
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National Standards Report
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ASR

• True or False Even though ABA did not make the
  list of established treatments, it is still an
  evidence based practice because the established
  treatments stem from ABA.

True
False
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National Standards Report
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National Standards Report
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Conclusion

• Behaviorally based methods are the only methods
  supported by research
• Applied Behavior Analysis

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How can we establish evidence based practices?

• Parent Education
• Use data based decision making
• Hire a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
• www.bacb.org

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Recall
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Question and Answer
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References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2000).
  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision.
  Washington, DC.
• American Psychological Association. (2011).
  Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
  disorders, Fifth Edition. Retrieved from
  www.dsm5.org
• aware4autism (2006). Early signs of autism
  Stacking blocks, no eye contact.
  http//www.youtube.com
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  (2012). Data and statistics. Retrieved from the
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  website http//www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.htm
  l
• Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., Heward, W. L.
  (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.).
  Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson.
• Ganz, J. B. (2007) Classroom Structuring Methods
  and Strategies for Children and Youth with Autism
  Spectrum Disorders. Exceptionality, 15(4),
  249-260.

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References

• Greenspan, S. (2005) Credulity and gullibility
  among service providers An attempt to understand
  why snake oil sells. In Jacobson, J. W., Foxx, R.
  M., Mulick, J. A. (Eds.). Controversial
  therapies for developmental disabilities Fad,
  fashion, and science in professional practice.
  Mahwah, New Jersey Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
  Inc.
• Kay, S. Vyse, S. (2005). Helping parents
  separate the wheat from the chaff Putting autism
  treatments to the test. In Jacobson, J. W., Foxx,
  R. M., Mulick, J. A. (Eds.). Controversial
  therapies for developmental disabilities Fad,
  fashion, and science in professional practice.
  Mahwah, New Jersey Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
  Inc.
• Lovaas, L., Newsom, C., Hickman C. (1987).
  Self-stimulatory behavior and perceptual
  reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior
  Analysis, 20(1), 45-68.

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References

• Metz, B., Mulick, J. A., Butter, E. M. (2005).
  Autism A late-20th-century fad magnet. In
  Jacobson, J. W., Foxx, R. M., Mulick, J. A.
  (Eds.). Controversial therapies for developmental
  disabilities Fad, fashion, and science in
  professional practice. Mahwah, New Jersey
  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
• National Autism Center (2010). National Standards
  Project. Retrieved from http//www.nationalautismc
  enter.org
• National Research Council. (2001). Educating
  Children with Autism . Washington, DC The
  National Academies Press.
• Patoine, B. (2006, January 1). Relatives Brains
  yield autism clues. The Dana Foundation.
  Retrieved from http//www.dana.org
• Pierce, K., Carter, c., Weinfeld, M., Desmond,
  J., Hazin, R. Bjork, R., Gallagher, N. (2011).
  Detecting, studying, and treating autism early
  The one-year well-baby check-up approach
  Abstract. Journal of Pediatrics, 159(3),
  458-456.

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References

• Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Bureau
  of Autism Services. (2009). Pennsylvania Autism
  Census Report Final Report.
• UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence (2012).
  Identifying and treating early. Retrieved from
  http//autism-center.ucsd.edu/treating-early-autis
  m/Pages/default.aspx
• UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence (2012).
  Discovering the causes. Retrieved from
  http//autism-center.ucsd.edu/what-causes-autism/P
  ages/default.aspx
• UCSDMedicalCenter (2010). Eye tracking study of
  toddler with autism. Retrieved from
  http//www.youtube.com
• Watterson, B. (2012). Calvin and Hobbes.
  Retrieved from www.gocomics.com
• Zarembo, A. (2011). Autism Boom An epidemic of
  disease or discovery? LA Times December 2011.