In parallel with a national school policy on an inclusive school with a marked reduction in the number of pupils who, due to their disruptive behaviour, are referred to educational provisions outside of the ordinary school environment, a sharp rise has been seen in the number of children and teenagers who are given a clinical diagnosis, first and…

Investigating social participation of young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is important given the increasing number of youth aging into young adulthood. Social participation is an indicator of life quality and overall functioning. Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2, we examined rates of participation in…

This article describes a project about using contact work with people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. People with learning disabilities and additional autistic spectrum disorder are at risk of becoming socially isolated because of their difficulties in interacting with others. Contact work is a form of Pre-Therapy, which…

In order to investigate unique and shared characteristics and to determine factors predictive of group classification, quantitative comparisons of behavioral and emotional problems were assessed using the Developmental Behavior Checklist (DBC-P) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales in autistic disorder, Williams syndrome (WS), and…

Enhancing Developmentally Oriented Primary Care (EDOPC) is a formal didactic curriculum based on Healthy Steps materials that is designed to improve practicing pediatricians' knowledge and confidence in developmental screening within the medical home. We modified the EDOPC program to provide a formal curriculum to pediatric residents serving…

Similar to the state of the broader intellectual disabilities field, many gaps exist in the research and treatment of mental health concerns in people with Down syndrome. This review summarizes key findings on the type and prevalence of behavior and emotional problems in children, adolescents, and adults with Down syndrome. Such findings include…

The Autism Research Institute says autism-like disorders affect 15 out of 10,000 children. Cases are climbing in schools, partly due to expanded diagnostic codes (see sidebar). Autistic children are often misdiagnosed as having attention-deficit, learning, or emotional disorders. Schools can help by providing good teachers and early intervention.…