First Words Project: Screen My Child

The First Words Project offers an online screening tool, The Smart Early Screening for Autism and Communication Disorders (Smart ESAC), based on parent report for children 9 to 30 months of age. Infants and toddlers can be screened for skills that develop before children learn to talk, such as gestures, sounds, and actions with objects used in play.

Evidence-Based Practices

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders' 2014 report presents information on evidence-based practices for the treatment of ASD.

Autism and Health: A Special Report by Autism Speaks

Advances in understanding and treating the health conditions that frequently accompany ASD.

What Is Applied Behavior Analysis?

Dr. Deborah Fein, a professor at the University of Connecticut, gives a brief overview of Applied Behavior Analysis and summarizes its primary aims as a treatment modality.

Autism Mom Blog: Mary Barbera, BCBA-D

Dr. Mary Barbera offers advice and help on a variety of topics related to parenting and supporting a child with ASD.

Developmental Milestones

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as part of its "Learn the signs. Act early." campaign, have published facts sheets and videos on developmental milestones from birth to five years and information on what steps parents and caregivers can take if they have concerns about their child's development.

Autism and Your Family

It's not easy to hear the news that your child has autism, and realize that your life will be utterly different than you had expected it to be. Daily life with a special-needs child presents many unique challenges. How do you come to terms with the fact that your child has autism? How do you cope once you get over the initial shock? We aim to help you by providing regular features on topics ranging from how autism affects your family to day-to-day survival strategies.

The Controversy Around ABA

Over the last few decades, Applied Behavior Analysis has grown into a broad group of approaches and techniques designed to help children with autism. Principles of behavioral therapy (e.g., positive reinforcement of desired behaviors) are used, usually intensively, to help children with autism develop skills they’re not acquiring naturally and to reduce behaviors that are harmful to them, like self-injury. But as ABA has expanded and become more common, it has also acquired critics among parents and autism advocates, who take issue with its methods and the way they are used by some practitioners.