Low-intensity parent- and clinician-delivered support for young autistic children in Aotearoa New Zealand: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Aotearoa New Zealand does not provide publicly-funded intensive autism support. While parent-mediated supports are promising, children and families may also benefit from direct clinician support. We tested the efficacy of a low-intensity programme involving parent- and clinician-delivered support for autistic children.

Autistic Co-Led Community Priorities for Future Autism Research in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Background: Previous studies of community priorities for autism research have been limited by low representation of autistic people and thus a bias toward the views of families and professionals. We aimed to determine the first community-led priorities for autism research in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ).

Methods: Autistic people were essential partners in the project, from inception and design through to methods and outputs.

Community perspectives on the appropriateness and importance of support goals for young autistic children.

Researchers do not know much about what autistic adults, parents and professionals think about support goals for young autistic children. People's views of support goals might also be influenced by their beliefs about early support more generally. This survey involved 87 autistic adults, 159 parents of autistic children and 80 clinical professionals living in New Zealand and Australia.

Association Between High-Need Education-Based Funding and School Suspension Rates for Autistic Students in New Zealand.

Importance: Autistic students often experience poor educational outcomes that have implications for later life, including unemployment, interactions with the criminal justice system, increased risk for substance abuse, and low socioeconomic status. Improving educational outcomes is critical for ensuring that autistic young people can reach their potential.

Objective: To quantify differences in suspension rates between autistic and nonautistic students and to assess whether high-need education-based funding for autistic students is associated with reduced rates of school suspension.

Brief Report: Training New Zealand Well Child/Tamariki Ora Nurses on Early Autism Signs Using the Social Attention and Communication Surveillance-Revised.

Universal developmental surveillance is considered best practice for early identification of autism. We analysed data from 175 New Zealand Well-Child/Tamariki Ora nurses who attended a 1-day training in developmental surveillance for autism using the social attention and communication surveillance-revised (SACS-R) tool. We used a survey to measure nurses' knowledge of typical development, knowledge of early signs of autism, general autism knowledge, and confidence in identifying and discussing early signs, prior to the workshop, after the workshop, and at follow-up.

An investigation of adherence to best practice guidelines for autism diagnosis in New Zealand.

Many clinicians in New Zealand do not follow guidelines for best practice in autism diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the processes that health professionals in New Zealand follow when diagnosing autistic children and adults. We asked 117 health professionals from a range of services and regions in New Zealand, how they identify and diagnose autism.

A Survey of Autistic Adults from New Zealand on the Autism Diagnostic Process During Adolescence and Adulthood.

The diagnostic experiences of autistic adults in New Zealand have not been investigated and little is known globally about autistic adults' satisfaction with the autism diagnostic process. This study describes the diagnostic experiences of 70 autistic adults living in New Zealand and explores how these experiences are related to satisfaction during three stages of the diagnostic process. The results show that autistic adults were reasonably satisfied with the early query and diagnostic assessment stages, but were dissatisfied with the post-diagnostic support stage, with significant unmet needs.

Effects of a low-intensity Early Start Denver Model-based intervention delivered in an inclusive preschool setting.

The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is a promising early intervention for promoting improved social, cognitive, and communication outcomes for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most studies evaluating group-based delivery of this program have used 15-25 h per week of intervention in specialized ESDM preschools with low child-teacher ratios. Thus, the positive results from such studies might not be obtained when this intervention model is evaluated in more typical inclusive preschool settings.

Examining parent use of specific intervention techniques during a 12-week training program based on the Early Start Denver Model.

Parents of young children with autism are often taught to deliver interventions which involve several different types of strategies. Research suggests that parents can usually learn to deliver these interventions but not much is known about their use of each specific intervention strategy. This study included five mothers of young children with autism who participated in a 12-week parent training program based on the Early Start Denver Model.

Supporting parents in the use of the early start Denver model as an intervention program for their young children with autism spectrum disorder.

Parents are the logical intervention agents for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The early start Denver model (ESDM) is a promising early intervention approach for children with ASD that can be implemented by parents. This study evaluated the effects of training parents in the use of the ESDM.

Evaluation of a low-intensity version of the early start Denver model with four preschool-aged boys with autism spectrum disorder.

Objectives: Data indicate that some developmentally and behaviorally based early intervention programs can lead to a range of improvements in children with autism spectrum disorder. However, many such programs call for a fairly intensive amount of intervention. The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a low-intensity therapist delivered intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder.

Training Direct-Care Staff to Provide Communication Intervention to Adults With Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: The aim of this review was to summarize and evaluate studies on training direct-care staff to provide communication intervention to adults with intellectual disability.

Method: Systematic searches identified 22 studies. These were summarized and evaluated in terms of (a) participants; (b) settings; (c) training aims and procedures; (d) research designs; (e) reliability, integrity, and social validity; (f) outcomes; (g) generalization and follow-up; and (h) certainty of evidence.

Research note: attitudes of teachers and undergraduate students regarding three augmentative and alternative communication modalities.

The social validity of different communication modalities is a potentially important variable to consider when designing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions. To assess the social validity of three AAC modes (i.e.

Undergraduates' perceptions of three augmentative and alternative communication modes.

Objective: To assess undergraduates' perceptions of three augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modes.

Method: We showed 104 undergraduates a video clip of a person using each of the three AAC modes and asked them to rate each option in terms of perceived (a) intelligibility, (b) ease of acquisition, (c) effectiveness/acceptability, and (d) preference. The three AAC modes shown were (a) manual signing, (b) picture exchange, and (c) speech-generating device.

An evaluation of speech production in two boys with neurodevelopmental disorders who received communication intervention with a speech-generating device.

Background: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders often present with little or no speech. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aims to promote functional communication using non-speech modes, but it might also influence natural speech production.

Method: To investigate this possibility, we provided AAC intervention to two boys with neurodevelopmental disorders and severe communication impairment.

Three children with autism spectrum disorder learn to perform a three-step communication sequence using an iPad®-based speech-generating device.

Background: Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have limited or absent speech and might therefore benefit from learning to use a speech-generating device (SGD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate a procedure aimed at teaching three children with ASD to use an iPad(®)-based SGD to make a general request for access to toys, then make a specific request for one of two toys, and then communicate a thank-you response after receiving the requested toy.

Method: A multiple-baseline across participants design was used to determine whether systematic instruction involving least-to-most-prompting, time delay, error correction, and reinforcement was effective in teaching the three children to engage in this requesting and social communication sequence.

Tangible Symbols as an AAC Option for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies.

We reviewed nine studies evaluating the use of tangible symbols in AAC interventions for 129 individuals with developmental disabilities. Studies were summarized in terms of participants, tangible symbols used, communication functions/skills targeted for intervention, intervention procedures, evaluation designs, and main findings. Tangible symbols mainly consisted of three-dimensional whole objects or partial objects.

Comparing acquisition of and preference for manual signs, picture exchange, and speech-generating devices in nine children with autism spectrum disorder.

Objective: To compare how quickly children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquired manual signs, picture exchange, and an iPad/iPod-based speech-generating device (SGD) and to compare if children showed a preference for one of these options.

Method: Nine children with ASD and limited communication skills received intervention to teach requesting preferred stimuli using manual signs, picture exchange, and a SGD. Intervention was evaluated in a non-concurrent multiple-baseline across participants and alternating treatments design.

Comparison of therapist implemented and iPad-assisted interventions for children with autism.

Objective: This study compares intervention delivered by a therapist to intervention delivered using an iPad for two children with autism. Further, this study evaluates the influence of choice between the conditions.

Methods: Time on-task, challenging behaviour, session duration and correct responses were compared across conditions in an alternating treatment design.

Teaching multi-step requesting and social communication to two children with autism spectrum disorders with three AAC options.

The present study involved comparing the acquisition of multi-step requesting and social communication across three AAC options: manual signing (MS), picture exchange (PE), and speech-generating devices (SGDs). Preference for each option was also assessed. The participants were two children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who had previously been taught to use each option to request preferred items.

Developmental profile of speech-language and communicative functions in an individual with the preserved speech variant of Rett syndrome.

Objective: We assessed various aspects of speech-language and communicative functions of an individual with the preserved speech variant of Rett syndrome (RTT) to describe her developmental profile over a period of 11 years.

Methods: For this study, we incorporated the following data resources and methods to assess speech-language and communicative functions during pre-, peri- and post-regressional development: retrospective video analyses, medical history data, parental checklists and diaries, standardized tests on vocabulary and grammar, spontaneous speech samples and picture stories to elicit narrative competences.

Results: Despite achieving speech-language milestones, atypical behaviours were present at all times.

Tracking development from early speech-language acquisition to reading skills at age 13.

Objective: Previous studies have indicated a link between speech-language and literacy development. To add to this body of knowledge, we investigated whether lexical and grammatical skills from toddler to early school age are related to reading competence in adolescence.

Methods: Twenty-three typically developing children were followed from age 1;6 to 13;6 (years;months).

Using iPods(®) and iPads(®) in teaching programs for individuals with developmental disabilities: a systematic review.

We conducted a systematic review of studies that involved iPods(®), iPads(®), and related devices (e.g., iPhones(®)) in teaching programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Speech-generating devices versus manual signing for children with developmental disabilities.

We compared speed of acquisition and preference for using a speech-generating device (SGD) versus manual signing (MS) as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) options. Four children with developmental disabilities (DD), aged 5-10 years, were taught to request preferred objects using an iPod(®)-based SGD and MS. Intervention was introduced in a multiple-probe across participants design and SGD and MS conditions were compared in an alternating treatments design.

Examination of an antecedent communication intervention to reduce tangibly maintained challenging behavior: a controlled analog analysis.

We examined the influence of an antecedent communication intervention on challenging behavior for three students with developmental disorders. Students were taught to request tangible items that were identified as reinforcers for challenging behavior in a prior functional analysis. Individual participant multielement and reversal designs were used to compare the effects of the antecedent communication intervention versus a no antecedent communication intervention condition.