Treatment Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Individualized, Problem-Solving Approach

Grounded in solid theory, Treatment Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Individualised, Problem-Solving Approach helps educators and therapists who work with children with autism spectrum disorders make sense of this confusing, often conflicting, and rapidly evolving clinical and research treatment landscape.

Rooted in evidence-based practices, Chedd and Levine provide a 7-step dynamic treatment planning process. The book shows how a variety of current interventions and treatments can be incorporated into this process and includes applications of different approaches for tackling different problems. The nine illustrative case vignettes cover a wide variety of ages, developmental challenges, learning and social profiles, and school and family circumstances.

With a firm commitment to and focus on the child’s best interests as well as family needs and preferences, Treatment Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders offers professionals new possibilities for enhancing the quality of life for children with ASDs.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction: Looking at Treatment Planning Through a Different Lens

• Defining Best Practices
• Media Overload
• A New Way of Thinking about Autism Treatment
• Core Deficits of Autism.
• How the Book is Organized
• Why There is Confusion about EBP in Treating ASD

Chapter 2. What is Evidence Based Practice?

• What is So Important ?
• Common Errors in Evaluating Treatments
• How Then Can Treatments be Evaluated?
• History of Evidence Based Practice in Psychology
• Brief History of EBP as it Pertains to Autism
• Evolution and Expansion of EBP
• EBP as it Pertains to Autism
• Clinical Judgment
• Autism-Specific vs. Non-Specific Treatments
• The Evolution of Treatment Models and Terminology
• Client Voice in What to Treat and How to Treat
• What is Important to Study? What is Important to Treat?
• The Role Context in Treatment Selection:
• Positive and Negative Policy Implications of uses of EBP in Autism Treatments
• Conclusions and Recommendations

Chapter 3. The Individualized, Problem-Solving Treatment Process

• Our Beliefs and Biases
• The Role of Children’s Emotions
• The Challenge of Generalization
• Strengthening Social Connections
• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the Problem
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours and Others’
• Step 4. Review Research
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate your own Evidence
• Step 7. Redesign the Plan as Needed

Chapter 4. Jamal: A Previously Happy Preschooler Disengages

• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the Problem
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours and Others
• Step 4. Review Treatment Approaches
• Step 5. Designing the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate Your own Evidence
• Step 7. Redesign the Plan as Needed

Chapter 5. Katherine: A Nine Year Old Learns to Cope with Hew Own Explosive Episodes

• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the Problem
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours and Others:
• Step 4. Consider Treatment Approaches
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate Your own Evidence

Chapter 6. Brandon: Developmental Delays and OCD present a Big Challenge for a Non-verbal Preschooler

• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the Problem
• Step 3. State the Working Hypothesis, Yours and Others’
• Step 4. Review Treatment Approaches
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate Your Own Evidence
• Step 7. Redesign the Plan as Needed

Chapter 7. Raphael: A Happy, Well-Behaved Six Year Old Becomes Increasingly Rigid

• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the Problem
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours and Others’
• Step 4. Review Treatment Approaches
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate Your Own Evidence
• Step 7: Redesign the Plan as Needed

Chapter 8. Alex: Extreme Mood Dysregulation Interferes with School and Home Functioning for a Fourth Grader

• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the Problem
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours and Others’
• Step 4. Review Treatment Approaches
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate Your Own Evidence
• Step 7. Redesign the Plan as Needed

Chapter 9. Emily: A Passive Teenager Begins to Learn Self-help Skills

• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Coping with the Present - Worried about the Future
• Step 2. Identify the Problem:
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours’ and Others?
• Step 4: Review Treatment Approaches:
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate Your Own evidence
• Step 7. Redesign the Plan as Needed

Chapter 10. Chen A teenager with Aspergers hits bottom, but with help and determination, heads for college

• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the problem
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours and Others’
• Step 4. Review Treatment Approaches
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate your own Evidence
• Step 7. Redesign the Plan as Needed

Chapter 11. Michael, a 10 year old whose behaviors are becoming more and aggressive and disruptive

• Step 1. Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the Problem
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours and Others’
• Step 4. Review Research
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate your own Evidence
• Step 7. Redesign the Plan as Needed

Chapter 12: Jake: A five year old who has responded well to Floortime

• Step 1: Gather Background Information
• Step 2. Identify the Problem
• Step 3. State the Hypothesis, Yours and Others
• Step 4. Review Research
• Step 5. Design the Treatment Plan
• Step 6. Evaluate Effectiveness and Generate Your Own Evidence

Afterword

Appendix A: Autism Treatment Approaches

References