ABS Kids’ Post

Intensive behavioral and developmental intervention - twenty to forty hours per week -- is often recommended to children with autism. A new, large, well-executed, meta-analysis factoring data from 9,038 children across 144 published studies casts doubt on this one-size-fits-all guidance. The authors' review, published in JAMA Pediatrics, did not find evidence indicating that increasing the amount of intervention produced better outcomes. Clinicians should consult with families to tailor the intensity of proposed intervention, given the child's specific developmental readiness and without impinging on the positive effects of spontaneous exploration, play and routines. This paper is certain to be controversial. Take the time to read it before passing judgement.

"There are a lot of assessments to choose from. But we think we can work smarter, we can work more efficiently, and we can standardize care. When you standardize care, allowing for some variability when needed, you can improve the quality of care and can improve outcomes as well." — Donna Murray, PhD, CCC-SLP, Adjunct Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital/University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Do you ever find yourself wondering which ABA assessments to use? Do you struggle with juggling paper or tracking progress over time? In our blog post, we help you overcome those challenges so you can go from assessments to action. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4cR3ddx #BehavioralHealth #Autism #Neurodiversity #BehaviorAnalysis #AppliedBehaviorAnalysis #ABA #BCBA #ASD

A meta-analysis of treatments for autism finds that increasing intervention is not associated with greater improvement in development for young children with autism. Listen now to learn more as experts discuss in this JAMA Pediatrics Author Interview. https://lnkd.in/gNSP9CU6

How does #PhysicalFitness impact #MentalHealth? The New York Times recently covered a new study in JAMA Pediatrics, showing that exercise can protect against anxiety, depression, and ADHD in adolescents. The study highlights how cardiovascular activities, strength training, and muscular endurance all contribute to mental well-being in a dose-dependent manner. At Dr. Robin Lowey & Associates, we recognize the value of holistic approaches, combining therapy with lifestyle changes to promote better health. 🏃🏊♀️🏋️ Read the article: https://lnkd.in/d2h5_6X4 #PhillyTherapists #TherapyForChange

Associations Between Infant Screen Use and Cognitive Outcomes https://lnkd.in/gKx-AUuw A study last year suggests that too much screen time during infancy may lead to changes in brain activity, as well as problems with executive functioning — the ability to stay focused and control impulses, behaviors, and emotions — in elementary school. Dr. Carol Wilkinson, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital who was part of the study, says: “The infant brain thrives on enriching interactions with the environment, and excessive infant screen time can reduce opportunities for real-world interactions that are important for brain development. Especially today, when screens are with us all the time, we need to better support parents in non-screen time tips and tricks to keep infants engaged and parents sane.” JAMA Pediatrics study: https://lnkd.in/gFB2XY2g Check LinkTree on profile for clickable links to these articles. #infants #development #cognitivefunction #screentime #childdevelopment #study #pediatrics #outcomes #executivefunction

This will only be possible if one person in the practice devotes all their time to seeing these patients. The RVUs and coding don’t warrant this being a viable option. The barrier will be that the billing must collect enough to warrant the time taken away from seeing other patients. The reality is: insurance companies have to pay or else it is not a viable service to provide. Each evaluation will take 1-2 hours and almost equivalent documentation time. This then opens the door for patients to get ASD services which also have a barrier. Birth to Three services offered by the state is equipped to do the standardized testing requirements. The testing procedures and checklist are very time heavy, documentation heavy and administration heavy. To add this to a medical home moves the burden of testing from the state level to a business level. A private practice cannot take on the overhead burden. Pediatricians are specialists and the testing is administered and then interpreted. The time that is warranted in office for Pediatricians is interpreting the data. We all can generally diagnose a patient quickly. The educational piece to parents is important but currently insurance companies won’t compensate our time to educate. It isn’t that this isn’t valuable time. But the reality is: time is limited and already in order to get paid, our EHR mandates suck up our time.

Excited to share our latest publication in European Journal of Pediatrics! Our study indicates that very preterm preschool children experience delays in visual orienting function (VOF), which could be linked to parent-reported attention and concentration difficulties - important aspects of executive functions. These findings suggest that early eye-tracking assessments might help identify children at risk for executive function challenges. However, further research is needed to explore the clinical value of early VOF measurement in children at risk for executive functioning deficits. Many thanks to the team and participants who contributed to this research. Looking forward to seeing how these insights will shape future research, and potentially influence neonatal follow-up care. #neonatology #research #childdevelopment #eyetracking #preterm

As a parent, it is normal to wonder how your child will grow and develop. This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes autism screening for children and how to access therapies. https://ja.ma/3VFDRJi

#ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is the only intervention backed by #empirical #evidence. If you have any #doubts, I’d be happy to explain why. ABA is supported by key #organizations, including: • The U.S. Surgeon General • The American Academy of Pediatrics • The Autism Society of America Proud to be a #therapist making a difference. We record #progress every step of the way! 🎉 #ABA #EvidenceBased #Therapy #Evidencebased #specialeducator #Autism #SpecialNeeds #Progress

#Research2practice To screentime or not screentime, some findings for your considerations A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children ages between 18 and 36 months who spent more time looking at screens were less likely to hear adult words or engage in conversation with their parents. Researchers noted that the largest decreases were seen at 36 months, in which just one additional minute of screen time was associated with 6.6 fewer adult words, 4.9 fewer child vocalizations and 1.1 fewer turns in conversation.  https://lnkd.in/gf673Cem