Early Intervention for Autism: A Developmental Approach to Assessment & Treatment – Griffin Doyle

Early detection is critical to effective autism treatment… every moment counts.

But, at what age can you effectively identify autism and begin treatment? Do you know how to start treatment with very young children? Autism expert, Griffin Doyle, PhD, will show you the answers to these questions and more!

Looking through a developmental lens, you will learn new and improved strategies allowing you to effectively close the gap between what you know about autism and how to begin early treatment!

Through case examples, videos and lively class discussion you’ll be guided on how you can identify key markers of autism and begin treatment with children as young as 9 months old. You’ll get specific instruction so you can effectively intervene, prevent regression and promote developmental gains in young children – even prior to formal diagnosis.

In this recording, you’ll learn the necessary skills you need to:

• Ask “What is missing?” – Subtle differences in neurotypical and ASD-like children
• Identify the easy-to-miss ‘red flags’ of ASD in infants, toddlers and young children
• Develop an initial working profile of sensory-motor processing deficiencies
• Customize treatment plans for each child’s unique challenges
• Positively impact clinical outcomes with evidence-based therapeutic strategies to reduce and replace maladaptive behaviors.

Don’t let a wait and see approach cost kids a better future. Intervene early when brain plasticity is much more pronounced and the impact of intervention is much more comprehensive!

You’ll get the early identification and intervention skills you need to make a life-changing impact on children with autism!

1. Summarize the core functional emotional developmental capacities as they relate to assessment and treatment of autism in clients.
2. Assess for “red flags” and subtle signs of “autistic-like” behaviors seen in young children who are at risk for autism.
3. Use formal/developmental assessment protocols to determine if autism is present.
4. Implement clinical techniques to reduce problematic behaviors inherent to young children with autism.
5. Use affect-based strategies to improve client engagement and reciprocity in clinical treatment.
6. Design an intervention treatment plan customized to meet the developmental needs of each individual child.

The Developmental Perspective

• Core functional emotional capacities: Case examples
• Inherited neurobiology and human experience
• Infant/Child seeking security, information, meaning
• Role of the parent-child bond
• All developmental domains are interdependent
• What typical traits are missing in ASD-like behavior?

Assessment and Easy-To-Miss “Red Flags”

• Earliest atypical infant behavior
• DSM-5® criteria
• Formal evaluations
• Your play/activity with child
• Informal and qualitative traits
• Parent-Child (P-C) Interaction
• Differentiating SID or Expressive-Receptive LD from ASD
• Current research findings

Developmental Evaluation

• Rate six core functional stages
• Regulation and shared attention
• Warm engagement
• Intention and purposeful, reciprocal interaction
• Continuous interaction and problem-solving
• Symbolic play and language
• Representational thinking
• Level of communication and play/activity
• Quality of P-C emotional bond
• Joint Attention (JA) and Imitation
• Atypical Sensory-Motor Systems
• Patterns and triggers for ASD-like behavior

INTERVENTION STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES
Encourage Shared Play and Pleasure

• Establish and hold mutual engagement
• Track child’s interests at his/her functional level
• Follow child’s back-and-forth pace
• Find Fun!! Go for the “Gleam” and eye contact
• Gently join self-absorbing action
• Invite/model further exploration
• Inject needed “affect”
• Reciprocity/communication
• Intentionality
• Rigidity/transitions

Treat Difficult Behaviors

• Dysregulation, security seeking
• Meltdowns
• Seeking/avoiding
• Stimming/self-absorbed
• Perseveration
• Physical proximity/holding
• Eating/sleeping problems

Major Treatment Approaches

• Relationship-based, ABA, mixed programs
• Application of Developmental (DIR) Model
• Dyadic treatment approach

Developmental Treatment Framework

• Create a treatment plan in class: Class example
• Follow developmental evaluation
• Prepare suitable sensory-motor environment
• Shoot for child succeeding at his developmental level
• Follow and join child’s interests

Empower Parents and Families

• Help them come to terms with the ASD diagnosis
• Strategies for grief, stress, anxiety and depression
• Strengthen/coach the parent-child relationship: Case example
• Understand their child’s behavior and motives
• Team work/referral process
• Coordination with school placement