The time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments: evidence from clinical practitioners
IntroductionRecent changes in diagnostics criteria have contributed to the broadening of the autism spectrum disorders and left clinicians ill-equipped to treat the highly heterogeneous spectrum that now includes toddlers and children with sensory and motor issues.MethodsTo uncover the clinicians’ c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnint.2023.1229110/full |
| _version_ | 1797754285910392832 |
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| author | Elizabeth B. Torres Elizabeth B. Torres Elizabeth B. Torres Goldie Twerski Hannah Varkey Richa Rai Mona Elsayed Miriam Tirtza Katz Jillian Tarlowe |
| author_facet | Elizabeth B. Torres Elizabeth B. Torres Elizabeth B. Torres Goldie Twerski Hannah Varkey Richa Rai Mona Elsayed Miriam Tirtza Katz Jillian Tarlowe |
| author_sort | Elizabeth B. Torres |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionRecent changes in diagnostics criteria have contributed to the broadening of the autism spectrum disorders and left clinicians ill-equipped to treat the highly heterogeneous spectrum that now includes toddlers and children with sensory and motor issues.MethodsTo uncover the clinicians’ critical needs in the autism space, we conducted surveys designed collaboratively with the clinicians themselves. Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs) and developmental model (DM) clinicians obtained permission from their accrediting boards and designed surveys to assess needs and preferences in their corresponding fields.Results92.6% of BCBAs are open to diversified treatment combining aspects of multiple disciplines; 82.7% of DMs also favor this diversification with 21.8% valuing BCBA-input and 40.6% neurologists-input; 85.9% of BCBAs and 85.3% of DMs advocate the use of wearables to objectively track nuanced behaviors in social exchange; 76.9% of BCBAs and 57.0% DMs feel they would benefit from augmenting their knowledge about the nervous systems of Autism (neuroscience research) to enhance treatment and planning programs; 50.0% of BCBAs feel they can benefit for more training to teach parents.DiscussionTwo complementary philosophies are converging to a more collaborative, integrative approach favoring scalable digital technologies and neuroscience. Autism practitioners seem ready to embrace the Digital-Neuroscience Revolutions under a new cooperative model. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:31:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-35e3c545168348599016b8d0b4fc4eff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5145 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:31:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-35e3c545168348599016b8d0b4fc4eff2023-08-04T18:30:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience1662-51452023-08-011710.3389/fnint.2023.12291101229110The time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments: evidence from clinical practitionersElizabeth B. Torres0Elizabeth B. Torres1Elizabeth B. Torres2Goldie Twerski3Hannah Varkey4Richa Rai5Mona Elsayed6Miriam Tirtza Katz7Jillian Tarlowe8Sensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesRutgers Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesDepartment of Computer Science, Rutgers Center for Biomedicine Imaging and Modeling, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesThe Monarch Center, Lakewood, NJ, United StatesSensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesSensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesSensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesMTK Therapy, Yahalom NJ, Family Advocacy and Support, Agudas Yisroel of America, Lakewood, NJ, United StatesSensory Motor Integration Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesIntroductionRecent changes in diagnostics criteria have contributed to the broadening of the autism spectrum disorders and left clinicians ill-equipped to treat the highly heterogeneous spectrum that now includes toddlers and children with sensory and motor issues.MethodsTo uncover the clinicians’ critical needs in the autism space, we conducted surveys designed collaboratively with the clinicians themselves. Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs) and developmental model (DM) clinicians obtained permission from their accrediting boards and designed surveys to assess needs and preferences in their corresponding fields.Results92.6% of BCBAs are open to diversified treatment combining aspects of multiple disciplines; 82.7% of DMs also favor this diversification with 21.8% valuing BCBA-input and 40.6% neurologists-input; 85.9% of BCBAs and 85.3% of DMs advocate the use of wearables to objectively track nuanced behaviors in social exchange; 76.9% of BCBAs and 57.0% DMs feel they would benefit from augmenting their knowledge about the nervous systems of Autism (neuroscience research) to enhance treatment and planning programs; 50.0% of BCBAs feel they can benefit for more training to teach parents.DiscussionTwo complementary philosophies are converging to a more collaborative, integrative approach favoring scalable digital technologies and neuroscience. Autism practitioners seem ready to embrace the Digital-Neuroscience Revolutions under a new cooperative model.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnint.2023.1229110/fullautismapplied behavioral analysisDIR Floortimedevelopmental modelneurodevelopmentwearable biosensors |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth B. Torres Elizabeth B. Torres Elizabeth B. Torres Goldie Twerski Hannah Varkey Richa Rai Mona Elsayed Miriam Tirtza Katz Jillian Tarlowe The time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments: evidence from clinical practitioners Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience autism applied behavioral analysis DIR Floortime developmental model neurodevelopment wearable biosensors |
| title | The time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments: evidence from clinical practitioners |
| title_full | The time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments: evidence from clinical practitioners |
| title_fullStr | The time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments: evidence from clinical practitioners |
| title_full_unstemmed | The time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments: evidence from clinical practitioners |
| title_short | The time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments: evidence from clinical practitioners |
| title_sort | time is ripe for the renaissance of autism treatments evidence from clinical practitioners |
| topic | autism applied behavioral analysis DIR Floortime developmental model neurodevelopment wearable biosensors |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnint.2023.1229110/full |
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