Clinical Outcomes from an Interdisciplinary Outpatient Feeding Treatment Pilot Program.

Many children with developmental disabilities experience feeding challenges, including food refusal and food selectivity. Feeding concerns are often multifaceted and, therefore, an interdisciplinary approach to treatment is needed. A pilot of an interdisciplinary outpatient feeding program was conducted in a hospital medical center by psychologists and occupational therapists.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a reverse inclusion Social Skills intervention for children on the Autism Spectrum.

Schools need effective, generalizable, and socially valid social skills interventions to better support the social inclusion and peer relationships of their students on the autism spectrum. We evaluated a Pivotal Response Treatment-based, naturalistic social skills intervention implemented daily by school personnel in reverse inclusion school settings with four students on the autism spectrum (K-2nd grade). Using a single-case experimental design, results indicated that the students on the autism spectrum showed increases in the percent of time engaged in cooperative play with peers during the intervention (p = .

Comparison of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Typically Developing Children and Children with Down Syndrome.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom patterns among children with Down syndrome (DS) with or without ADHD and typically developing (TD) children with ADHD.

Methods: Parents and teachers rated symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and general behavioral concerns for 22 children with DS and comorbid diagnoses of ADHD (DS + ADHD), 66 gender-matched and age-matched children with DS with no diagnosis of ADHD (DS - ADHD), and 66 gender-matched and age-matched TD children with ADHD (TD + ADHD). Children with DS were recruited from the community.

Promoting Social Learning at Recess for Children with ASD and Related Social Challenges.

The school playground provides an ideal opportunity for social inclusion; however, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle to engage in appropriate social interactions in this unstructured environment. Thus, they may spend recess time alone. The FRIEND Playground Program is a structured, play-based intervention aimed at improving social interactions of children with ASD and other social challenges during recess.

Efficacy and Social Validity of Peer Network Interventions for High School Students With Severe Disabilities.

This randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of peer network interventions to improve the social connections of 47 high school students with severe disabilities. School staff invited, trained, and supported 192 peers without disabilities to participate in individualized social groups that met throughout one semester. Compared to adolescents in the "business-as-usual" control group (n = 48), students receiving peer networks gained significantly more new social contacts and friendships.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depressed Adults with Mild Intellectual Disability: A Pilot Study.

Background: There is a paucity of research on psychosocial treatments for depression in adults with intellectual disability (ID). In this pilot study, we explored the efficacy of a group CBT treatment that involved a caregiver component in adults with mild ID with a depressive disorder.

Method: Sixteen adults with mild ID and a depressive disorder participated in a 10-week group CBT treatment and 8 adults with mild ID with a depressive disorder served as a treatment as usual (TAU) control group.