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Outline

Neuroscience shows how the brain works for people with disabilities.

• Latest research in ASD brain development
• Comorbid disorders and symptoms
• Enhanced vs. impaired abilities
• Information processing: Typical brain vs. brain with autism
• How an individual with ASD processes tasks

There are assessments from observation to standard tools.

• Comprehensive diagnostic tools and evaluations
• Screeners for anxiety, depression, OCD
• Career planning assessments
• Modified checklists for infants and toddlers
• Accurately interpret reports to guide interventions
• Ethical challenges in assessment and communication of diagnosis

Take your obsession to the next level.

Intervene early.

• Applied Behavioral Analysis to break down targeted skills
• Developmental interventions to express feelings and form relationships
• Educational interventions for parents
• Ethical principles to educate and support families in treatment choices
• Case study: 2-year-old boy, working on verbal requests

Communication and social interaction skills can be strengthened.

• Visual systems to improve communication and reduce meltdowns
• Teach turn-taking and pragmatic language
• Programs to assist in generalizing social skills
• Video modeling and role play to teach social rules
• Social stories and social autopsies
• Special interests to change unwanted or inappropriate behavior
• Case study: 8-year-old male, competitive, difficulty losing at games, aggressive with peers

Sensory Overload and Self-Stimulatory Behaviors can be managed.

• Exposure to more appropriate self-stimulatory behaviors
• Fading out severe self-stimulatory behaviors
• Environmental strategies including classroom modifications
• Case study: 6-year-old female, hand flapping, rocking, and high-pitch squealing sounds

Decode attention deficit disorder and executive functioning.

• Improve attention, on-task and organizational skills
• Schedules, timelines, web diagramming
• How to provide more preferred tasks vs. less preferred tasks
• “Home base” to help organize in classroom
• Case study: 11-year-old male, difficulty planning/ organizing, needs help with social pragmatic language skills

Lower undesirable physical, verbal and inappropriate behavior.

• Turn noncompliance and oppositional behavior around
• Applied behavioral analysis techniques
• Token economy systems
• Functional behavioral assessment made easy
• Case study: 10-year old male, impulsive, engages in stealing behaviors

Specific Phobias and anxiety can be managed.

• Cognitive Behavioral and Coping Cat Training
• Recognize emotional and physical reactions to anxiety
• Clarifying thoughts and feelings in anxious situations
• Develop plans for effective coping
• Evaluate performance and giving self-reinforcement
• Case study: 9-year old male, generalized anxiety disorder, and school phobia

Decrease obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

• Decipher symptoms of OCD vs ASD
• CBT and Exposure and Response Prevention
• Mapping OCD
• Creating the exposure hierarchy
• Relapse prevention and family sessions
• Case study: 22-year old female, excessive hand washing with fear of illness

Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation can be reduced.

• Psychosocial interventions: Experiential activities with practice time
• Cognitive-behavioral therapies
• Mindfulness-based therapies
• Family therapies
• Social and vocational programs
• Case study: 15-year-old male, hates school and has a plan, intent, and timeline for suicide

There are challenges with sexuality and sexual behavior.

• Body awareness and exploration of self
• Sexual arousal, puberty and sex education
• Address dating and sexual relationships
• Education on masturbation and pornography
• Gender Identity and LGBTQ
• Case study: 14-year-old male, frequent masturbation and stalking behaviors

Psychopharmacological interventions.

• Commonly prescribed medications
• Medication efficacy
• Risks vs. benefits
• Case study: 17-year-old male, flat affect, on medication for ADHD and anxiety

There are special considerations.

• Trauma: Similarities and differences with ASD
• Independent living and career planning
• Guardianship and legal Issues
• Multicultural and gender differences
• Limitations of research and potential risks
• Case study: 5-year-old male, adopted overseas with no birth or developmental history
• Case Study: 19-year-old female, living at home with mom, no job, and never diagnosed with ASD

There are ethical challenges for people on the spectrum.

• Guidelines for assessment, treatment, and consultation
• Welfare of the individual Informed consent
• Use of restraints
• Time-out vs. seclusion
• Case study: 8-year-old-male, screaming, standing on top of table with scissors in his hand

Faculty

Cara Marker Daily, PhD, BCBA

Licensed Pediatric Psychologist

Daily Behavioral Health

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Cara Marker Daily is a PhD. With over 20 years of experience providing assessment and treatment for children, adolescents and young adults with autism in the home, school, hospital and community settings,, is a licensed psychologist and a Board Certified Behavior analyst. She works with a lot of people. Dr. Daily is the president and training director of Daily Behavioral Health, a leading behavioral health provider in northeast Ohio that specializes in assessment, consultation, and treatment of anxiety and disruptive behavior disorders. She is the founder and executive director of the Building Behaviors Autism Center, which has received numerous grants to provide free and reduced cost applied behavioral analysis services to individuals with autism.

A peer-reviewed journal article supporting evidence for success of cognitive-behavioral and behavioral-based curriculums written by Dr. Daily has been published. She has presented on topics of anxiety and chronic health conditions in children. In northeast Ohio, Dr. Daily has appeared on radio, television, and other media platforms. She is an author. There is an evidence-based workbook for assessing and treating children and adolescents. PESI, 2016

Dr. Daily received her masters degree in school psychology from the University of South Carolina and her PhD from The Children’s Hospital at The Cleveland Clinic. The American Psychological Association, the Ohio Psychological Association, and the Christian Association of Psychological Studies are all where Dr. Daily is a member.

Speaker disclosures.

Cara Marker Daily is the president of Daily Behavioral Health, Inc. She is a consultant for a company. She is paid by PESI, Inc.

Cara Marker Daily does not have a relevant non-financial relationship.