The Autism Society of Autism shared a toolkit to support autistic people and their families through the unique challenges caused by the COVID pandemic. Topics include education, mental health & respite, healthcare resources, and lifestyle supports. All resources are available in both English and Spanish. The entire toolkit is available for download here!

Success means something different to each person, especially when it comes to treatments for autism spectrum disorders.  A clinician or researcher may take one approach to measure individual outcomes, whereas a person with autism and his or her loved ones may place value on other areas. All stakeholders within the autism community hold valid viewpoints and concerns, so this spectrum of opinions must be explored to determine how to best support autistic individuals. Spectrum News interviewed two adults with autism and three experts to begin to bridge these gaps and to establish where commonalities and differences may exist. Read their responses here and contribute your own definition of “successful” autism treatments to the reader forum!

In July of this year, Netflix released a five-part docuseries titled, “Love on the Spectrum.” Follow seven individuals and two couples, all of whom fall somewhere on the autism spectrum, as they explore romance, dating, and relationships. A reality show without the melodrama, each person voices their own dating experiences, for better and for worse.

“Love on the Spectrum” is a binge-worthy show that has quickly become a READi lab favorite. If you haven’t seen it just yet, you may consider adding it to your watch list as we all enter another month of COVID-era social distancing and self-quarantining.

PBS Kids offers myriad resources to help parents talk about COVID-19 with their children. Learn how germs work with the Man with the Yellow Hat, how to wash hands with Elmo, or become a germ-fighting Superhero with Daniel Tiger! Videos, games, and other activities with your kiddo’s favorite PBS characters are available here. Articles for parents on topics such as navigating scary news stories and tragedies, supporting children when they miss their friends and school, and de-stressing for the entire family amid COVID are available, too!

Drs. Wendy Stone and Paul Yoder recently completed a 5-year NIH grant to study the use of an intervention called Project ImPACT (Improving Parents as Communication Teachers). Project ImPACT is a parent-implemented intervention that provides 24 in-home teaching sessions over 12 weeks. Our research was conducted with families who have a child with ASD and a younger sibling 12-18 months old, as later-born siblings of children with ASD are at elevated risk for social-communication delays or ASD. For this study, 97 ‘high risk’ siblings were recruited across Vanderbilt University and UW, and were randomized to either the ImPACT intervention or a control group condition.

Two papers resulting from the study are now published online in the journal ‘Autism.’ Collectively, these results suggest that: (1) ImPACT can be an effective parent-mediated intervention for improving communication in 12-18-month old younger siblings of children with ASD; and (2) some improvements occurred only in a subgroup who were identified as having lowest additional risk (i.e., females who screened at low-risk on a parent-report ASD screen and had only one older sibling with ASD.)

We want to express our most sincere gratitude to the families who participated in this study. We enjoyed getting to know all of them during their four visits to the lab. We would also like to acknowledge the efforts of numerous READi Lab members whose contributions to this project have been immeasurable.

 

The Behavior Response Support Team (BRST) with the University of Utah released short informative videos for caregivers and their children. Most videos are adapted to the age of the child and are available in a wide variety of languages and across multiple social media platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube. Regardless of whether kiddos will be continuing virtual learning or will be returning to in-person instruction this fall, tips and tricks are available to ease the transition for caregivers and their students! Topics range from normalizing mask-wearing and social distancing, establishing routines and schedules, ensuring students’ safety online, tackling boredom, and beyond! Access the entire library of videos here.

AFIRM, an autism intervention and resource initiative at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has published a toolkit that includes 7 strategies designed to support children with autism during COVID-19. These strategies are:

# 1 Social Understanding

#2 Offer Opportunities for Expression

#3 Prioritizing Coping and Calming Skills

#4 Maintain Routines

#5 Build New Routines

#6 Foster Connections (from a Distance)

#7 Be Aware of Changing Behaviors

Detailed explanations of each strategy and ready-made resources are adapted to meet differing ages, needs, and skills. These materials are available for download here.

Navigating and implementing an IEP for a child with autism is challenging regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic. As many parents are struggling to decide whether their child should return to school this fall, parents and other IEP team members must come together to best support the needs of students on the spectrum. The Autism Science Foundation is hosting a free webinar titled, “Strategies for Implementing or Modifying an IEP for use at Home or the Community” on Thursday, July 30^th, 2020 at 12:00 pm PDT to discuss IEP management strategies for home-schooling and for returning to “traditional” schooling this fall. Register for the event here!

The idea of returning to school amid COVID-19 has elicited strong, complex emotions for many of us. Folks may be overwhelmed and unsure of how to best prepare their students with ASD (and themselves!) for the new standards and safety precautions implemented by schools. ECHO Autism will be hosting a no-cost webinar titled, “Back to School During a Pandemic” on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 from 1:00–2:00 PM PDT to address concerns and to help set up students for success during these challenging circumstances.

Dr. Rena Sorensen, a psychologist with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, will discuss strategies for returning to school and re-establishing routines, masking, social distancing, and more. Tools and resources to master each task will also be available. This event is open to parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals.

Register for this event here!

Life as we know it has changed rapidly with the COVID pandemic, and it continues to do so. We need quality sleep now more than ever to ensure the health and well-being of ourselves and our loved ones. Children with autism are often affected by irregular sleep, which may be worsened by the disruption of daily routines. This #FlashbackFriday highlights the Autism Treatment Network’s Sleep Tool Kit. The goal of this free informational booklet is to promote a stable routine to help children with autism fall asleep and to obtain restful sleep. Interested in learning more? Follow to this link to download!

 

The READi Lab is excited to announce that we are hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow to join our team on the new RISE (Reciprocal Imitation for Social Engagement) Study. RISE is a multisite NIMH grant designed to examine the effectiveness of, and mechanisms of action for, Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) when implemented by Early Intervention providers.

We are collaborating with the University of Massachusetts Boston, Michigan State University, Rush University Medical Center, and the Boston University School of Medicine. This partnership offers a unique opportunity to examine the effectiveness of RIT in community-based settings across four states (Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, and Illinois). Together, we can better understand the training, tools, and supports that EI professionals need to ensure that young children with autism attain their optimal outcomes.

Please click here to read the position announcement.

 

Everyone has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way. Families who live with autism face additional challenges, such as disrupted access to services. The SPARK Study, a large, online autism research community, asked its families to describe how they are impacted by COVID and even more importantly – to share the tips and tricks that have worked to overcome these unique challenges. Over 8,000 families throughout the United States responded by online survey. Follow this link to see the survey results, read family quotes, and share your own tips and tricks!

Sesame Street has launched a new page, Heroes for Health, filled with resources to help celebrate and support families of essential workers! In the time of COVID-19, workers including doctors, nurses, grocers, and child-care providers are using their “superpowers” to keep us all safe. Sesame Street wants to help these heroes and their families stay happy and healthy by providing tools to practice patience, show affection, and celebrate their hard work. To see the full list of resources, please follow  this link!

 

A new PBS Kid’s show, “Hero Elementary,” follows a group of four young students as they tackle important problems with the help of their superpowers. One of the students, AJ, is on the autism spectrum! He’s an important part of the team, and he uses his cool gadgets to help save the day. In the show, we see AJ’s friends help support him, and the show’s creators hope this can teach empathy and acceptance for children with behavioral differences. While “Hero Elementary” is targeted for children ages 4-7, all ages can learn something from the teamwork and friendship present in these four superheroes. To watch the show for free, tune into PBS kids. Follow this link for more information!

 

 

 

Magination Press, an organization dedicated to publishing psychology-related books for children, has released two new resources to help kids of different ages cope with the new Coronavirus. The first is A Kid’s Guide to the Coronavirus, a picture book for young children to read with an adult. This approachable story explains what the virus is, how we can stay safe, and what changes we may see in our lives. At the end of the story, the Reader’s Note has tips for caregivers about how to validate their child’s emotions, create new routines, and take care of themselves. To access this free book, please click here!

The second resource is an activity booklet for older children, ages 11-18, called Unstuck! 10 Things to do to Stay Safe and Sane During the Pandemic. It contains creative, stress-relieving activities that cover topics such as addressing grief, finding things to be thankful for, and expressing tough feelings. Although this booklet deals with serious topics, it does so through activities that include bingo sheets, journaling prompts, and colorful calendars. To find these activities, please click here!

We would like to share a new resilience-enhancing activity book designed to help children and families cope with the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Helping Children and Families Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic” is a highly interactive guide designed for adults to work on together with children. It was developed by Annette La Greca, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, in conjunction with Scott Sevin, President of 7-Dippity, Inc. Dr. La Greca is a child clinical psychologist with expertise in guiding children through stressful events, and this book is structured around communication, strategies, and coping skills. You will find step-by-step instructions to tackle your children’s tough questions, engage in educational activities, and find time for your own self-care. While this booklet is targeted toward children from 6 to 12 years old, the activities and information may be adapted to any age or developmental level. Fun Fact: Dr. La Greca was Dr. Stone’s mentor during her graduate training at UM!

To see the full guide, please follow this link!

 

 

 

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families has published a resource guide for parents and families as they face increased demands during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guide focuses on five protective factors to support strong families: parental resilience, knowledge of child development, social connection, concrete supports, and social/emotional development. The guide explains how to help children of different ages understand big changes in their lives, while also addressing ways for parents and caregivers to look after themselves. Filled with fun ideas to connect with your children and helpful tools to learn more about strategies for children with disabilities, this guide is a crucial reference for parents and caregivers of children of any age or ability level. Please follow this link to see the full guide!

 

The READi Lab has received a new grant from NIMH to expand their work with early intervention providers and families with toddlers suspected of having autism. The grant is titled, “Improving the Part C Early Intervention Service Delivery System for Children with ASD: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” (We hope to come up with a more catchy title before the next post.) Through this grant, we will conduct a large multi-site clinical trial that spans 4 states with structurally and demographically diverse Early Intervention systems: Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Michigan. We will be studying: (1) the effectiveness of an evidence-based parent-mediated intervention, Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT); (2) the mechanisms through which RIT improves children’s social communication; and (3) strategies for expanding its use through large-scale implementation efforts across service delivery systems.

This new book, “My Hero is You,” tells the story of a young girl grappling with changes in her life due to COVID-19. When her mother asks her to be a hero and keep people safe, she’s not sure where to start. But with the help of her friends, she learns how actions like washing your hands, covering your mouth, and staying home can save lives and keep her loved ones healthy. The book was a project of the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), and was created by a group of experts on mental health in emergency situations. Its development was supported by parents, teachers, and children across 104 countries. “My Hero is You” is free and has been translated into over 40 languages. Please follow this link to read the book!