Autism is a neurobiological developmental disorder that has undergone several changes in identification and classification in recent years. It’s now characterized by a spectrum of disorders. People with ASD have difficulty with social communication and interaction, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors. However, these challenges and behaviors vary across people. For most children, ASD appears in early childhood and continues through adulthood.
Fortunately, advancements in ASD treatment over the past several decades have resulted in improved outcomes for children with ASD. These advancements have allowed more children with ASD to be included in general education classrooms with their typically developing peers. Research has shown that early intervention for children with ASD greatly improves their overall development.
Early intervention can help children with ASD:
Our new course Early Childhood: ASD Intervention Practices is designed to provide an overview of effective treatments for supporting the learning and development of children with ASD.
The course will:
Erin E. Barton PhD, BCBA-D, is an associate professor in the department of special education at Vanderbilt University. She is a former special education teacher with several years of experience teaching children with autism. She teaches courses on evidence-based assessment and intervention practices for young children with disabilities and single case research design. She is a board certified behavior analyst and directs research projects related to evidence-based practices for young children; policies and practices that support high quality inclusion; and effective professional development systems. She has more than 85 publications in major journals and is the editor-in-chief of Topics in Early Childhood Special Education and an associate editor for the Journal of Early Intervention.
