Table of Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv
About the Authors xvii
1 Introduction: Looking at Treatment Planning Through a Different Lens 1
Defining Best Practices 2
Media Overload 3
A New Way of Thinking About Autism Treatment 4
Core Deficits of Autism 5
How the Book Is Organized 5
Why There Is Confusion About Evidence Based Practice in Treating ASD 5
Case Studies 8
About the Appendices 10
2 What Is Evidence-Based Practice? 11
What Is So Important About EBP? 12
Common Errors in Evaluating Treatments 12
Correlation Versus Causality 13
Determining Treatment Effect When the Child Is Receiving Multiple Treatments 14
Emotions Versus Logic 14
Face Validity 15
How Can Treatments Be Evaluated? 16
History of Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology 17
Brief History of EBP and Autism 18
Evolution and Expansion of EBP 20
EBP as it Pertains to Autism 22
Clinical Judgment 23
Autism-Specific Versus Nonspecific Treatments 24
The Evolution of Treatment Models and Terminology 24
Client Voice in What to Treat and How to Treat 27
Family Preferences 31
What Is Important to Study? What Is Important to Treat? 32
The Role of Context in Treatment Selection 34
Positive and Negative Policy Implications of Uses of EBP in Autism Treatments 35
Conclusions and Recommendations 37
3 The Individualized, Problem-Solving Treatment Process 39
Our Beliefs and Biases 41
The Role of Children’s Emotions 43
The Challenge of Generalization 44
Strengthening Social Connections 45
Individualized Treatment Planning Process 46
4 Jamal: A Previously Happy Preschooler Disengages 71
5 Katherine: A 9-Year-Old Learns to Cope With Her Own Explosive Episodes 85
6 Brandon: Developmental Delays and OCD Present a Big Challenge for a Nonverbal Preschooler 103
7 Rafael: A Happy, Well-Behaved 6-Year-Old Becomes Increasingly Rigid 119
8 Alex: Extreme Mood Dysregulation Interferes With School and Home Functioning for a Fourth Grader 139
9 Emily: A Passive Teenager Begins to Learn Self-Help Skills 157
10 Chen: A Teenager With Asperger’s Hits Bottom, But With Help and Determination, Heads for College 173
11 Michael: A 10-Year-Old Whose Behaviors Are Becoming More Disruptive and Aggressive 189
12 Jake: A 5-Year-Old Who Has Responded Well to Floortime TM 207
Afterword 215
Appendix: Autism Treatment Approaches 221
References 229
Author Index 239
Subject Index 243