Treatment Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Naomi Chedd, LMHC, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and an Educational Consultant in private practice. She specializes in the behavioral, social/emotional, and mental health issues related to children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Prader-Willi Syndrome, and other developmental disabilities.
 
Karen Levine, PhD is a Licensed Psychologist and Instructor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She was co-founder and co-director of Boston Children's Hospital's former Center for Autism and Related Disorders Clinic and worked in the field of developmental disabilities for twenty-five years. She is the 2012 recipient of thefirst Lesley University Austim Hero Award.

A new way of thinking about treatment planning to support children with autism spectrum disorders
 
Grounded in solid theory, Treatment Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Individualized, Problem-Solving Approachhelps 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.

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 Treat