Category Archives: Autism Videos at ACT

Emergency Services, Hospitalizations and Mental Health Care for Adolescents and Adults with ASD

Filmed April 2013 – edited into 4 parts; total 63 minutes

Individuals with ASD often have challenges in accessing appropriate healthcare, with many caregivers citing challenges in navigating between sectors (health and social services), transitioning across age groups, and finding specialized expertise. These challenges can be confusing and stressful for individuals with ASD and their caregivers. As a result, emergency services can end up being one pathway to mental health care. The current study examines emergency service and psychiatric hospitalization in a large sample of adolescents and adults with ASD in Ontario, as part of an ongoing longitudinal study of health care service use in this population. A number of individual, family, and service characteristics are implicated as correlates of service use, and have important implications for supporting health care interventions.

About the Presenter

Jonathan A. Weiss, Ph.D., C. Psych. is the Chair in Autism Spectrum Disorders Treatment and Care Research at York University. Dr. Weiss’ research focuses on the prevention and treatment of mental health problems in people with ASD and/or intellectual disabilities (ID) across the lifespan. He conducts studies into how people with ASD and with ID access mental health care in Ontario, and is interested in their health service needs, their emergency service use, and their experiences of psychiatric crisis. Families play a critical role in the health of people with ASD and with ID by providing them with care and enabling their access to health services, and he is currently focused on learning about the experience of family caregivers.

Part 1: Introductions and Why Undertake this Work? (12:50)

Part 2: The Research Study: Who they talked to and what they’re learning (20:15)

Part 3: What Can We Do Next? (7:28)

Part 4: Question and Answer Period (22:04)

 

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Culturally Responsive PBS with Families of Diverse Cultural and Linguistic Backgrounds

Filmed April 2013 – edited into 4 parts; total 73 minutes

This video summarizes the results of two studies that employed ecological, family-centered positive behavior support (PBS) and were designed to be culturally responsive to families of children with ASD. Three themes emerged across the two studies, including the importance of:

  • developing rapport that is informed by family culture;
  • understanding families’ cultural values, beliefs, and parenting practices; and
  • designing interventions that accommodate cross-cultural values and beliefs.

Implications for behavior consultants who work with families of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds will be discussed.

About the Presenter

Joseph Lucyshyn, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is an Associate Professor and Board Certified Behavior Analyst in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia. Dr. Lucyshyn has extensive experience working in collaboration with families and allied professionals to develop and implement family centered PBS plans in home and community settings for children and youth with developmental disabilities. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Positive Behaviour Support (APBS).

Christy Cheremshynski, MA, BCBA, RCC, is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst who works primarily as a Behavioural Consultant with children diagnosed with ASD in the Lower Mainland. Christy is also a graduate of both the Special Education and Counselling programs in the Department of Educational Psychology at UBC. Her research interests included supporting parents, in particular those from diverse cultural background, in managing the challenges experienced in raising a child with a developmental disability. As a Registered Clinical Counsellor she will focus her support on families raising a child with a disability.

Part 1: Introduction and the Need for Culturally Responsive PBS services (15:56)

Part 2: Study 1 – Implementation of a Culturally Appropriate PBS Plan by a Japanese Mother of a Boy with Autism (16:55)

Part 3: Study 2 – Transforming Coercive Processes in Family Routines with a Taiwanese Family of a Child with a Moderate Intellectual Disability (22:28)

Part 4: Study 3 – Experiences and Perspectives (18:00)

 

 

Quality of Life Among Families Living with ASD

Filmed April 2013 – edited into 3 parts; total 67 minutes

The research is definitive: families raising children with autism are highly stressed. This makes it vital for professionals to understand the individual needs of families to prioritize interventions that fit their needs. Family Quality of Life (FQOL) assessments can provide a vehicle for productive family-professional conversations that serve as a starting place from which both need and strength can be identified. This presentation introduces the core concepts and research findings related to FQOL, with particular attention to families of children with ASD. The information will be relevant to families, professionals, and policy makers.

About the Presenter

Grace Iarocci, Ph.D., R. Psych. is associate professor of psychology at Simon Fraser University, and the Director of the Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab.  She is also a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar and a faculty mentor of the Autism Research Training Program (ART) and a registered psychologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ASD. Emily Gardiner, M.A. is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University.  She is a member of the Autism & Developmental Disorders Lab. She is particularly interested in research on quality of life for families of children with ASD. Emily has been involved in research investigating how individuals with ASD are perceived by their college-aged peers, as well as the link between executive functions and social competence in individuals with ASD.

Part 1: Introduction to the Study (22:06)

Part 2: Study Structure and Preliminary Findings (16:42)

Part 3: Implementing into Practice (28:02)

Best Practices in Early Intervention: An Update

Filmed November 2014 – edited into 15 parts; total 196 minutes

Research and Helping Families Build the “Team”

This video provides an overview of current best practice treatment approaches for children and youth with ASD. It also focuses on developing collaborative partnerships between behavior consultants, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and other professionals in order to enhance optimal outcomes for children with ASD and provide their families with meaningful support. Dr. Bopp has spent over 20 years in the autism field, as a clinician, researcher and in policy development. Topics include:

  • Prevalence and the State of the Science
  • Evidence-Based Practices: Key Elements
  • Intervention Models
  • What the Research Says
  • Alternative and Complementary Treatments: What Do We Know?
  • Making the Most of the Intervention Team

About the Presenter

Dr. Karen Bopp is an autism policy consultant for the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Senior Behaviour Consultant for the provincial government of B.C., a researcher, and a registered Speech-Language Pathologist. At MCFD, she works in the Children and Youth with Diverse Needs Policy department and provides clinical and best practice consultation on autism service delivery and policy. Dr. Bopp has worked extensively with children with autism spectrum disorders and their families for over 20 years.

Part 1: Introduction and DSM-V (Prevalence and the State of the Science) (21:24)

Links to resources mentioned in this part:

Part 2: Prevalence of Autism (17:11)

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Part 3: Evidence-Based Practices: Choosing an Intervention (11:08)

Part 4: Evidence-Based Practices: Key Elements (9:37)

Part 5: Evidence-Based Practices: Guidelines for Intervention (13:20)

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Part 6: Intervention Model: Applied Behavior Analytic Approaches (11:56)

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Part 7: Intervention Model: Developmental Social Pragmatic Approaches (5:04)

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Part 8: Intervention Model: Comprehensive or Combined Approach (7:11)

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Part 9: What does the Research Say? (19:57)

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Part 10: Intro to Alternative and Complementary Treatments (9:47)

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Part 11: Some Specific Complementary and Alternative Treatments (17:30)

Part 12: Obesity, Exercise and Diet (14:17)

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Other Resources:

  • Canucks Autism Network – sports, recreational, arts, and social programs for individuals and families living with autism.

Part 13: What to Consider with Complementary and Alternative Therapies (6:30)

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Part 14: Making the Most of your Intervention Team: Hiring Team Members (21:09)

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Part 15: Making the Most of your Intervention Team: Teamwork and Quality (10:12)

Additional resources: 

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Navigating Puberty, Adolescence and Beyond: Supporting Individuals with Neuro-Developmental Challenges

Filmed January 2014 – edited into 15 parts; total 221 minutes

Joy Becker uses humour and insight to provide parents, caregivers, and professionals a foundation for teaching individuals with ASD and/or other diverse needs about sexuality and their bodies. It is geared to individuals with age-appropriate language skills and includes information about the sexual development of children, and the information they should understand at various stages of their development. It is designed to address the anxieties caregivers and parents may experience when they discuss sexuality with their children. Education can help children and young adults develop safe relationships and protect them from sexual exploitation, which is more likely to happen if children with diverse needs are not provided information.

About the Presenter

Joy Becker is a nurse educator who draws on many years of experience in educating teenagers with diverse needs. She emphasizes the importance of parents as the primary sexuality educators of their children. In addition to speaking to numerous parent groups, she has delivered courses and workshops to students, teachers, social workers, nurses, and diverse needs individuals of various ages. Ms. Becker has two sons on the autism spectrum and lives in Nanaimo.

Part 1: Introduction and Characteristics of ASD (16:16)

Part 2: Joint Attention, Social Reciprocity, Imitation and Teaching Sexuality (16:42)

Part 3: Knowledge, Attitudes and Skills Needed to Teach Sexuality (20:52)

Part 4: Issues Surrounding Sexuality Education for Individuals with ASD (5:42)

Part 5: Effective Principles and Approaches for Teaching Sexuality (18:01)

Part 6: Being an Effective Sexuality Educator (4:31)

Part 7: Levels of Learning: Privacy, Hygiene, Body Parts and Functions (19:23)

Part 8: Specific Topics about Sexual Education (14:53)

Part 9: Attitudes and Values, Activity: Taking a Stand (14:53)

Includes values clarification exercise. 

Part 10: Teaching Strategies: Visual, Communication and Emotion Management (19:38)

Part 11: Teaching Strategies: Public and Private, Modeling, Social Stories (8:58) 

Part 12: Visuals: Books and Comic Strip (5:33)

Part 13: Visuals: Life Horizon slides, Anatomical Doll, Role Play (27:40)

Part 14: Responding to Questions, Collaboration, and Q&A (13:24)

Positive Behavior Support: What Parents Need to Know!

Filmed November 2015 – edited into 23 parts; total 252 minutes

Parents often assume that difficult eating, sleeping and toileting behaviors are part of their child’s autism and must be endured. This video will provide parents with an overview of Positive Behavior Support (PBS). Many families find PBS very helpful in learning how to help their children with diverse needs develop functional behaviors that can make a huge difference in the quality of family life and the child’s ability to be included in school and community activities. Some of the topics include:

  • the four functions of behavior
  • indirect and direct assessment
  • teaching strategies
  • three examples of PBS
  • visual support strategies and examples

Core features of PBS include the application of behavioral science (ABA), the use of practical interventions to prevent problem behavior and promote desired behavior, and a focus on improving the quality of life for the individual and those who live with and support him/her.

Download the supplementary handout for this video series

About the Presenter

Brenda Fossett, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an inspired teacher who is widely admired for her ability to convey complex concepts to those who work with children and adults with diverse needs, whether they are educational professionals or parents.  Dr. Fossett has been on faculty in the Applied Behavior Analysis – Autism Department at Capilano University since 2013. Prior to that she was Assistant Professor (Special Education) at the University of Alberta. She is also a certified teacher of the deaf, as well as being a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Dr. Fossett has extensive clinical experience providing behavioral and educational consultative services to children with ASD, deafness, and other developmental disabilities in home, school, and community settings. Her scholarly and clinical interests include: applied behavior analysis, the implementation of positive behavior support in home and school settings, and educational interventions for deaf children with developmental disabilities. For more information on Dr. Fossett see Capilano University ABA Diploma

Part 1: Introduction and The Shift to PBS (9:54)

Part 2: What is PBS? (24:23)

Part 3: What the PBS Process Looks Like (6:10)

Part 4: What is Functional Behavioral (5:39)

Part 5: The Four Functions of Behavior (8:54)

Part 6: Indirect Assessment Interview: Behavior, Antecedents, Outcomes (17:16)

Part 7: Indirect Assessment Interview: Communication Abilities and Reinforcers (10:00)

Part 8: Indirect Assessment: An Example (9:59)

Part 9: Direct Assessment (9:27)

Part 10: Direct and Indirect Assessment Guides the Intervention (4:16)

Part 11: PBS Plans: Setting Event Strategies (10:34)

Part 12: PBS Plans: Antecedent Strategies (12:59)

Part 13:Teaching Strategies/ Functional Communication Training (10:37)

Part 14: Consequence Strategies (5:29)

Part 15: PBS Example: Transition to Bath (15:29)

Part 16: PBS Example: Transition from Computer (7:19)

Part 17: PBS Example: Dinner (16:36)

Part 18: Accessing PBS Services (11:50)

Part 19: Visual Support Strategies to Prevent Problem Behavior (12:29)

Part 20: Visual Support Examples (24:17)

Part 21: Visual Schedules: Behavioral Support, Skill Development, Showing Steps (8:54)

Part 22: Visual Supports to Understand Rules (11:07)

Part 23: Putting it all Together (9:03)

The Essentials of Advocacy: A Parent’s Guide to Advocating for their Child with Diverse Needs

Filmed November 2015 – edited into 13 parts; total 153 minutes
Presented by Deborah Pugh, Executive Director, ACT – Autism Community Training

This presentation highlights essential information for parents, and the professionals who support them, in understanding the systems that control access to services for children with diverse needs. Many of the examples are from British Columbia’s education system, but the basic principles of effective advocacy apply to most jurisdictions. The materials presented in this workshop include guidance to empowered families to understand their rights, roles and responsibilities with practical information on how to achieve their advocacy goals.

Deborah Pugh has been an active advocate on behalf of children and adults with diverse needs for over 20 years, following a career as a foreign correspondent. For details of Deborah’s work see the ACT Staff page.

Download the supplementary handout for The Essentials of Advocacy

Part 1: Introduction (11:24)

Part 2: The Big Picture: What is Advocacy? (9:32)

Part 3: Building a Team / Why Advocate? (10:55)

Part 4: Geographic Differences: Laws or Services (7:20)

Part 5: The Autism Dimension in B.C. (4:54)

Part 6: Finding the Information You Need (ACT Resources) (23:13)

Part 7: Keep the Focus on Your Child – Developing a Profile (10:31)

Part 8: Question & Answer Period (7:56)

Part 9: The Mechanics of the School System (16:01)

Part 10: Hierarchy of Policy (7:36)

Part 11: People in the System: Roles and Responsibilities

Part 12: Advocacy Skills: Documentation, Letters, Meetings and Appeals (15:37)

Part 13: Question & Answer Period (18:40)

Part 14: Internal and External Appeals (14:19)

Part 15: The Professional Colleges & Human Rights Tribunal (11:23)

Part 16: Your Behavior Skills / Writing Effective Letters (14:46)

Part 17: Building Effective Relationships (15:44)

Part 18: Assertive Statements or Sentence Starters (11:53)

Part 19: Collaboration (7:07)

Part 20: Mistakes and Solutions (11:53)

Part 21: Q&A – Assessments, Access to Learning Resource Teacher or SLP, the Future (21:48)

Looking Beyond Autism:
Treating Anxiety, Depression and OCD in Children and Youth with ASD

Filmed November 2015 – edited into 7 parts; total 76 minutes

This page has been designed to support Webinar 2 Looking Beyond Autism: Treating Anxiety, Depression and OCD in Children and Youth with ASD.

The previous webinar, Recognizing Mental Health Disorders, focused on raising awareness of  ASD; higher incidences of mental health conditions among children and adults with ASD; Behavior Analysts and the mental health team; eligible services from Children and Youth Mental Health teams or from Development Disability Mental Health Teams.

Page Index

Anxiety – Dr. Melanie McConnell
OCD – Dr. David Worling
Depression – Dr. Anthony Bailey
Panelist Comments (Georgina Robinson and David Batstone) 
Q&A
Additional Resources:
Screening and Assessment 
Cognitive Behavior Therapy 
Community Resources

Video: Introduction – Deborah Pugh

Video: Anxiety – Melanie McConnell

Presenter: Melanie McConnell, PhD, RPsych in Neuropsychiatry, BC Children’s Hospital Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry; Clinical Investigator, Child and Family Research Institute; Clinical Instructor, UBC Developmental Disorders Program 

Children and youth with ASD are at an increased risk for developing anxiety, which often exacerbates core autism symptoms. The anxiety can interfere with social development, life skills, academic achievement and relationships. Anxiety symptoms are often incorrectly attributed to ASD, and this diagnostic overshadowing is a barrier to accessing treatment. 

 

Resources from the presentation

Additional Resources

 

Video: OCD – David Worling

Presenter: Dr. David Worling, RPsych, Clinical Director, Westcoast Child Development Group

In distinguishing between typical OCD features and more typical ASD features, there is a need to take into account: emotional valence of the thoughts and compulsions; content of the obsessions and compulsions; function of the obsessive-compulsive behaviors and patterns of restrictive and repetitive behaviors.

Resources from the presentation:

  • Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale in Autism Spectrum Disorder (CYBOCS-ASD) (Scahill et. al., 2014)
  • What is OCD? Canadian Mental Health Association
  • Understand the Facts: OCD. Anxiety and Depression Association of America 

Additional Resources

Video: Depression – Anthony Bailey

Presenter: Professor Anthony Bailey, Ph.D., Chair Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of British Columbia. 

Video: Panelist Georgina Robinson

Video: Panelist David Batstone

Video: Questions and Answers

Screening and Assessment 

Cognitive Behavior Therapy 

Key modifications for ASD include: parents as “coach” or co-therapist;  increase visual supports and hands-on activities; use modelling/practice/repetition to support generalization; incorporate special interests; provide positive reinforcement/rewards; address underlying skills deficits. 

Community Resources 

OMHAP Project Looking Beyond Autism

Video and resources from Webinar 1: Recognising Mental Health Disorders

Contact ACT for more information or search the AID for more resources.

Learning Objectives – Treating Anxiety, Depression and OCD:

Identify specific environmental changes important in the reduction of precipitating and maintaining factors for mental health disorders.

Employ specific techniques to approach diagnosis and care of children and youth with developmental issues co-morbid with common mental health disorders.

Describe and distinguish the available treatment options, including the associated benefits, limitations and risks of specific medications for treating core symptoms of ASD.

Recognize the importance of cognitive behavioral approaches to treating anxiety, depression and OCD in ASD, with modifications.

Access and utilize resources and tools to support care of children and youth with developmental issues and mental health disorders in a primary care setting.