Category Archives: Autism Videos at ACT

Treating Selective Mutism in Children with ASD

Filmed April 2017 – edited into 2 parts; total 16 minutes

It is well-known that anxiety disorders co-exist with ASD but much less is known about how to treat anxiety specific to speaking – that is, selective mutism (SM) – in the context of ASD. This is problematic as SM compounds core social-communication deficits in ASD. While there is an urgent need to treat SM in youth with ASD, there is also a lack of skilled clinicians with expertise in both disorders.

This 15 minute presentation provides information about the treatment of SM in children with ASD, using evidence-based behavioural intervention for SM modified for ASD. This presentation offers suggestions for clinicians treating SM in youth with ASD.

Learning Objectives

  • Review the core aspects of Selective Mutism treatment
  • Examine how core symptoms of ASD may influence treatment
  • Review clinical considerations for the behavioural treatment of Selective Mutism in youth with ASD.
  • Explore the utility of this treatment approach for school-aged youth with ASD and Selective Mutism.

Ainsley Boudreau, PhD

Dr. Ainsley Boudreau is a Post-Doctoral Clinical Research Fellow at BC Children’s Hospital. She has a Master’s degree in School Psychology, and graduated from Dalhousie University with a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her research aims to advance treatment and other clinical work in neurodevelopmental disorders (primarily ASD, as well as tic/Tourette disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

 

Part 1: Diagnostic Criteria; Selective Mutism Frequency; Importance of Early Treatment

Part 2: Evidence-based Treatment for Selective Mutism

 

Practical Strategies for Supporting Mental Wellness of Teenage Girls and Women with ASD

Filmed April 2017 – edited into 3 parts; total 22 minutes
Presented by Dori Zener, MSW, RSW

Girls and women with autism are often hard to identify due to their polished rote social skills and internalized ASD characteristics. As a therapist in private practice in Toronto, Dori Zener sees many women and teens that experience mental health issues due to late identification of ASD. Often, life challenges such as the increasing complexity of social, academic or work demands chip away at coping skills until ASD becomes more evident.

This presentation discusses clinical techniques to help support girls and women on the spectrum. Case examples are used to highlight the mental health challenges experienced by this population. Clinical strategies are shared on how to equip girls and women with the tools and confidence to face the everyday bombardment of the sensory social world and how they can protect themselves from autistic burnout. Wellness includes developing distress tolerance strategies, learning how to identify, express and regulate emotion, and developing realistic parameters on time and energy. Through supportive, empathetic counseling, many clients feel validated and understood for the first time and can move toward self-acceptance, self-compassion and self-love. This presentation will teach the audience how to adapt clinical practice to address the needs of females on the spectrum.

Learning Objectives
  • Recognize the unique profile of ASD in girls and women.
  • Employ specific counseling techniques that assist adults and teens with autism to thrive.
  • Recognize and appreciate the gifts, strengths and abilities of females on the spectrum.
Dori Zener, MSW, RSW

Dori Zener, MSW, RSW, is an Individual, Couple and Family Therapist in Toronto. She has been working with individuals affected by ASD and learning differences for over a decade, with a particular interest in girls and women. She hosts “Asperfemme,” a free support group for women on the spectrum.

 

Part 1: Validation and acceptance, Understanding their ASD

Part 2: Making sense of experiences, Setting parameters

Part 3: Meltdowns, Emotional regulation, Building a support network, Celebrating growth

Mental Health in Post-Secondary Education: What is It Like for Students with ASD and What Does the Research Say?

Filmed April 2017 – edited into 2 parts; total 23 minutes

In this presentation, Dr. Rashmeen Nirmal provides key information on the mental health functioning of young autistic adults within the context of post-secondary settings including college and university.

Based on research that Dr. Nirmal’s did for her PhD dissertation, she provides useful insights into the management of common mental health symptoms in students with ASD, in particular, depression and anxiety. Recommendations for best practice in mental health service delivery and the provision of effective transition supports are discussed.

This research was one of the first projects where the researchers did an in-depth, systematic investigation of the lived experiences of autistic students in post-secondary education. The results of this research has  implications for adolescents preparing for life after secondary school, as well as adults in secondary schools, colleges and universities.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe mental health issues for students with ASD in post-secondary education.
  • Relate the lived experiences of young adults with ASD in college or university.
  • Discuss implications for best practice regarding mental health supports and the transition to post-secondary education.
Rashmeen Nirmal, PhD, RPsych

Dr. Rashmeen Nirmal is a Registered Psychologist, Qualified Specialist in the British Columbia Autism Assessment Network, and a Clinical Instructor in the University of British Columbia’s Department of Pediatrics. Her clinical and research interests include diagnostic assessment, post-secondary educational experience for young adults with ASD, and social skills treatment for teens and young adults with ASD.

 

Part 1: Factors affecting post-secondary educational functioning (10:37)

Part 2: Research procedures and results, Implications for practice (12:52)

The Relationship between Anxiety and Social Competence

Filmed April 2017 – edited into 3 parts; total 25 minutes

The relationship between the symptoms of anxiety, depression and social functioning among children, with and without ASD, are poorly understood. In this 25 minute presentation, Dr. Grace Iarocci presents a study into whether generalized anxiety and depression symptoms in children ages 6-14, with and without autism, were associated with social competence, after accounting for IQ, age, and gender. Dr. Iarocci will discuss the importance of  assessing both internalizing symptoms and social difficulties in children with ASD and the implications for treatment.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe the incidence of generalized anxiety and depression symptoms in a school-age community sample of children with and without ASD.
  • Identify assessment measures that can be used to assess anxiety and depression symptoms and social competence in children with and without ASD.
  • Recognize the reciprocal impact of anxiety and depression symptoms on social functioning in children with ASD.
Grace Iarocci, PhD, RPsych

Dr. Iarocci is a professor of psychology at Simon Fraser University and the Director of the Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab. Dr. Iarocci is also a practicing psychologist in BC who specializes in assessment, diagnosis and interventions for children and adults with ASD.

Part 1: Background and reflections on anxiety in people with ASD

Part 2: Environmental conditions that may maintain anxiety

Part 3: Study on anxiety and social competence –

 

The Role of Medication in the Management of ASD

Recorded at ACT’s 13th Annual Focus on Research Conference – April 2017

Presented by Professor Anthony Bailey, Institute of Mental Health Chair, Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of British Columbia

In this succinct and illuminating presentation, Dr. Anthony Bailey discusses the role of psychotropic medications in the treatment of individuals with ASD with a range of mental health diagnoses. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, he addresses:

  • when the cautious use of medications can be helpful in treating co-morbid conditions, including anxiety, depression and OCD;
  • the need to consider the effect of age, and other factors in increasing the potential for adverse impacts, and which medications are less likely to lead to side-effects for those diagnosed with autism;
  • the important of addressing relevant environmental factors rather than relying solely on medication ;
  • differentiating between challenging behaviors and co-morbid psychiatric disorders when making therapeutic decisions;
  • the importance of access to CBT for individuals with ASD.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand that medications are only one part of a comprehensive management plan;
  • Recognise that challenging behaviours require careful behavioral analysis and appropriate intervention before medication is considered;
  • Be aware that comorbid psychiatric disorders are under recognised in ASD’s and that psychotropic medications are effective treatments in combination with psychological interventions.

Anthony Bailey, BSc, MBBS, DCH, MRCPsych, FRCPC

Anthony Bailey is Institute of Mental Health Chair and Professor and Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia.  Dr. Bailey’s clinical work focuses on teenagers and able adults with ASD.

Part 1: Approaches and trends

Part 2: Treatment comorbidities in ASD: ADHD & Anxiety

Part 3: Treatment comorbidities in ASD: Depression, OCD, Psychosis, and Bipolar Disorder

Part 4: New drugs, systemic issues, and the future