Imaging and molecular methods increasingly help classify and stratify causes to enable preventative

strategies ranging from preconception carrier screening, lifestyle, immunogen/ allergen management, and small molecule/protein/gene therapies to direct management of patterns of neuronal activity.
Imagine a 6-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) standing in the middle of the grocery store and screaming. Faced with his behavior and the glances she is receiving from others in the store, his mother tries Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to interpret his behavior and respond appropriately. Is he screaming because the store is full of people using eye contact and social smiles that he doesn’t understand? Is he screaming because he is hungry, sees a cookie, and doesn’t know how to ask for something to eat? Is he screaming because this isn’t the same grocery store that he usually goes to with Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical his mother? Is he screaming because he is overwhelmed by the bright lights in the store? Or, is he

screaming because he was asked to put food in the shopping cart and he doesn’t want to do so? In other words, is this behavior problem a result of the social-communication impairments, repetitive behaviors, or sensory SB-715992 price interests that characterize individuals with ASD, or is this boy being noncompliant? In this moment, his mother Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical attempts to choose an intervention strategy that fits with the underlying reason for his behavior problem. If his mother believes that he is hungry she might coach him to ask for a snack. If Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical his mother believes that he is upset by the change in routine, she might use a visual schedule to show him what to expect in this new location. If her interpretation is accurate, then she is likely to see a decrease in his challenging Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical behavior and have a more successful shopping trip with her son. Children with

ASD are often referred for mental health services to treat behavioral problems. Indeed, Mandell and colleagues1 reported that 40% of children with ASD are referred for treatment of disruptive behaviors including aggression, noncompliance, and and hyperactivity. From the above example, it is clear that: (i) an understanding of the underlying symptoms of ASD is necessary for successful management of challenging behaviors; and (ii) the involvement of caregivers in treating challenging behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD aids in generalization to community settings. Indeed, the involvement of caregivers has been identified as an essential component of a good treatment program.2,3 Caregiver involvement in treatment is not new. In fact, the utility of parents as interventionists has spanned over four decades, with Schopler and Reichler4 cited as being the first advocates for involving parents as cotherapists in the treatment of behavior problems in children with ASD.