Assessment and Treatment of Emotion Regulation Impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorder Across the Life Span

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition characterizes oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as reflecting pervasive patterns of irritable mood, defiant behavior, and/or vindictiveness. Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit high rates of disruptive behaviors commonly associated with ODD, such as noncompliance, irritability, temper tantrums, and mood dysregulation. This chapter reviews the presentation of ODD in individuals with ASD, including current prevalence estimates, proposed etiology, validated assessment methods, and emerging best practices designed to treat challenging behaviors. Although there is a robust literature describing assessment and treatment procedures for disruptive behaviors in individuals with ASD, conceptualizing these hallmark behaviors within the framework of ODD is relatively novel and not without controversy. Discussion thus includes challenges around the applicability of the diagnostic criteria in this population and future research directions that may provide clarity on this issue.

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Assessment and Treatment of Selective Mutism in a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Clinical Case Studies ◽

10.1177/1534650120983451 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 153465012098345

Author(s):

Mirela Cengher ◽

Joy C. Clayborne ◽

Adrianna E. Crouch ◽

Julia T. O’Connor

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Social Interaction ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Selective Mutism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Future Research ◽

Assessment And Treatment

Over 60% of children diagnosed with selective mutism are also diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Previous research established that behavioral interventions are effective at increasing speech in children with both diagnoses. However, few studies conducted assessments to determine environmental variables that inhibit speech, and such assessments are necessary for the development of effective and efficient treatments. This case study describes an assessment that evaluated the function(s) of selective mutism. The results confirmed that the participant did not talk to avoid social interaction and that mutism occurred primarily in the presence of multiple, unfamiliar people. Our first treatment focused on increasing tolerance for social interaction, demonstrated by an increase in speech production in the presence of unfamiliar people. Our second treatment focused on increasing qualitative aspects of the participant’s speech (i.e., both responses and initiations). Finally, we taught the participant’s parents to implement the treatment in naturalistic settings, and the participant demonstrated generalization of treatment effects across people and settings. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

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Lagging skills contribute to challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability

Autism ◽

10.1177/1362361317712651 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (8) ◽

pp. 898-906 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Brenna B Maddox ◽

Patrick Cleary ◽

Emily S Kuschner ◽

Judith S Miller ◽

Anna Chelsea Armour ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Executive Function ◽

Intellectual Disability ◽

Social Skills ◽

Challenging Behaviors ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Environmental Demands

Many children with autism spectrum disorder display challenging behaviors. These behaviors are not limited to those with cognitive and/or language impairments. The Collaborative and Proactive Solutions framework proposes that challenging behaviors result from an incompatibility between environmental demands and a child’s “lagging skills.” The primary Collaborative and Proactive Solutions lagging skills—executive function, emotion regulation, language, and social skills—are often areas of weakness for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether these lagging skills are associated with challenging behaviors in youth with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability. Parents of 182 youth with autism spectrum disorder (6–15 years) completed measures of their children’s challenging behaviors, executive function, language, emotion regulation, and social skills. We tested whether the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions lagging skills predicted challenging behaviors using multiple linear regression. The Collaborative and Proactive Solutions lagging skills explained significant variance in participants’ challenging behaviors. The Depression (emotion regulation), Inhibit (executive function), and Sameness (executive function) scales emerged as significant predictors. Impairments in emotion regulation and executive function may contribute substantially to aggressive and oppositional behaviors in school-age youth with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability. Treatment for challenging behaviors in this group may consider targeting the incompatibility between environmental demands and a child’s lagging skills.

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Predictors of Emotion Regulation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102348-1 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-4

Author(s):

Rachel M. Fenning ◽

Jason K. Baker ◽

Jacquelyn Moffitt

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder

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Hyperacusis in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Audiology Research ◽

10.3390/audiolres11040049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 547-556

Author(s):

Ali A. Danesh ◽

Stephanie Howery ◽

Hashir Aazh ◽

Wafaa Kaf ◽

Adrien A. Eshraghi

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Assessment And Treatment ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

The Relationship

Hyperacusis is highly prevalent in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population. This auditory hypersensitivity can trigger pragmatically atypical reactions that may impact social and academic domains. Objective: The aim of this report is to describe the relationship between decreased sound tolerance disorders and the ASD population. Topics covered: The main topics discussed include (1) assessment and prevalence of hyperacusis in ASD; (2) etiology of hyperacusis in ASD; (3) treatment of hyperacusis in ASD. Conclusions: Knowledge of the assessment and treatment of decreased sound tolerance disorders within the ASD population is growing and changing.

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Treating Vocal Stereotypy With Environmental Enrichment and Response Cost

Clinical Case Studies ◽

10.1177/1534650111429377 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 440-448 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Nicholas Watkins ◽

Lisa Paananen ◽

Eric Rudrud ◽

John T. Rapp

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Case Studies ◽

Environmental Enrichment ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Future Research ◽

Response Cost ◽

Vocal Stereotypy ◽

Assessment And Treatment

The authors describe the assessment and treatment of vocal stereotypy in two children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Both the case studies evaluated the effectiveness of response cost (RC). The RC interventions quickly reduced and eventually eliminated the vocal stereotypy in one participant and reduced it to near-zero levels in the second. Postintervention probes for one participant confirmed the continued reduction of vocal stereotypy 1 month after treatment and its elimination 8 months after treatment. Directions for future research are also discussed.

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Evidence-based treatment and conceptualization of autism spectrum disorder: Emotion regulation, social impairment, and anxiety as targets

Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic ◽

10.1521/bumc.2019.83.3.199 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 83 (3) ◽

pp. 199-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michelle A. Patriquin

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Social Impairment ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Evidence Based Treatment ◽

Evidence Based Treatments ◽

Adults With Asd

The goal of this special issue is to highlight innovative evidence-based treatments and conceptualizations of emotion regulation difficulties, social impairment, and anxiety in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The issue is organized into these three highly linked constructs. Targeting these constructs effectively will help to ensure positive outcomes for youth and adults with ASD. It is clear that continued research is needed that creatively addresses emotion regulation problems, social impairment, and anxiety in ASD.

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