75% of the fees from this special ABACGives Webinar will be donated directly to the Autism Science Foundation.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition of early childhood onset characterized by social communication deficits, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors. ASD affects 1 in 59 children. In addition to the defining features, as many as 50% of children with ASD exhibit behavioral problems, including tantrums, noncompliance, and aggression. These behaviors interfere with the performance of daily living skills, limit the child’s ability to benefit from educational services, and may increase social isolation. Uncertainty on how to manage these behavioral problems may also amplify caregiver stress. The challenges parents face in raising a child with ASD has sparked interest in the use of parent training (PT) in this population, as it empowers parents to be the agent of change for their child. As a result, PT programs targeting a wide range of skills and abilities in ASD are emerging as effective. The Research Unit on Behavioral Interventions (RUBI) Autism Network developed a structured parent training manual for families of children with ASD and co-occurring disruptive behaviors. The program uses techniques grounded in applied behavior analysis to teach parents how to manage their child’s behavioral problems. We conducted a series of studies on the RUBI program and found that it is acceptable to parents, can be reliably delivered by trained therapists, and reduces children’s noncompliant and disruptive behavior. Because it is a time-limited intervention (11-13 weekly outpatient visits), this PT program can be implemented in a range of settings, including clinics and schools. The purpose of this seminar is to provide a greater understanding of the prevalence, impact, and treatment of disruptive behaviors in ASD and how parent training is a promising line of treatment for these challenging behaviors.
At the conclusion of this seminar participants will be able to:
1) Discuss the rationale for parent training (PT) as a first line treatment for children with ASD and disruptive behavior
2) Describe the design of a large-scale randomized trial of RUBI-PT versus Parent Education
3) Summarize the effects of RUBI-PT on disruptive behavior, daily living skills and parental stress compared to Parent Education.
4) Describe the modules and essential ingredients of the RUBI-PT program
5) Describe the implementation of RUBI-PT in clinical settings and via telehealth
Continuing Education and Professional Development:
- Certified Behavior Analysts/Licensed Behavior Analysts: 2 Type II CEs LIVE or RECORDING
- Psychologists: 2 CEs LIVE or RECORDING
- Social Workers/Certified Counselors: N/A
- Teachers/RBTs/Other professionals: This event may be eligible for continuing education or professional development hours. Speak with a representative at your organization or your supervisor for approval.
Lawrence Scahill, MSN, PhD is Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and Director of Clinical Trials at the Marcus Autism Center. He earned his master’s in child psychiatric nursing and PhD in psychiatric epidemiology at Yale University. He has over 20 years of experience in designing and conducting multi-site, randomized clinical trials in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These studies have included placebo-controlled medication trials, behavioral interventions and the combination of medication and behavioral interventions. Dr. Scahill’s research has also included the development of outcome measures for children with ASD.
Karen Bearss, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. She earned her B.S. in Psychology as well as her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Florida. Prior to joining the UW community, she served as an Associate Research Scientist at the School of Nursing and Child Study Center at Yale University and Assistant Professor at Emory University where her work focused on parenting interventions for children with disruptive behaviors. At UW, she directs the RUBI clinic at the Seattle Children’s Autism Center. Research pursuits focus on the development, evaluation and implementation of evidence-based parenting interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Presenter Disclosure Statement
Dr. Scahill has served as a consultant to Janssen, Roche, Neurocrine, Supernus, Shire and Yamo. He receives royalties from Oxford and Guilford.
Dr. Bearss does not have any disclosures.
6:00 pm: Introduction
6:05 pm: Live webinar begins
7:45 pm: Q & A session- submit questions via chat function
8:00 pm: Submit attendance codes, take post-test, and fill out confidential evaluation form
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