CDD's Biobehavioral Outreach Service trains school- .... The NEW Iowa Compass website is online! ... Complete A-Z direct
Center for Disabilities and Development
Fall 2017
Oxytocin Nasal Spray Normalizes Eye Gaze Patterns in Children with Autism
Positive Outcomes for Students with Challenging Behaviors
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C
he so-called “love” hormone, oxytocin, has been shown to enhance social behavior in children with autism. Now, a new study has demonstrated that it may also influence other behavior patterns seen in autism, such as visual fixations and eye gaze preferences. The study was published this week in the journal Development and Psychopathology, with lead author Dr. Lane Strathearn from the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The researchers examined the effect of oxytocin, a chemical in the brain involved in social bonding, in children with autism. Using an automated eye tracking device, they were able to follow viewing preferences in 16 children with autism and a matched comparison group. Unexpectedly, the team also found the opposite result in typically developing children; after receiving the oxytocin spray they behaved more like the children with autism in their gaze preferences. Overall, this study provides additional evidence for the potential benefits of oxytocin in treating some of the non-social symptoms of autism. The study was supported by a Junior Faculty Seed Funding Program at Baylor College of Medicine and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The lead authors were Lane Strathearn and Sohye Kim from Baylor College of Medicine. Other investigators included Peter Fonagy, D. Anthony Bastian, Jennifer Jung, Udita Iyengar, Sheila Martinez and Robin Goin-Kochel. The paper can be found at: http://bit.ly/2fnIO5L.
DD’s Biobehavioral Outreach Service trains schoolbased challenging behavior teams to conduct high quality functional behavior assessments for students who engage in behaviors that are problematic and interfere with their learning (e.g., aggression, destruction, selfinjurious behaviors). During the past two years, data was collected by the Outreach Service for the outcomes of 70 students who were evaluated by school-based behavior teams that had received this training. At the time data was collected, the school-based behavior teams completed their involvement with 70% of the students (n=40) and were still involved with 67% of these students (n=30). Decreases in problem behaviors were observed for 69% of these students; whereas, no change or an increasing trend in problem behaviors were observed in 10% of the students. CDD’s Biobehavioral Outreach Service also observed reductions in the use of seclusion (17 out of 18 students) and restraint (10 out of 12 students) when trained schoolbased behavior teams had access to this data for review. The Biobehavioral Outreach Service continues their work with school-based behavior teams this year with support from contracts with the Department of Education, Heartland Area Education Agency, & Iowa City Community School District.
Decreasing Trend in Problem Behaviors School-based Behavior Teams Involvement
Yes
No
No Data Available
Complete (n=40)
70%
5%
23%
Ongoing (n=30)
67%
17%
13%
69% (n=49)
10%
21%
Total
Center for Disabilities and Development
AUCD Webinar
"Hello, It's Us: Perspectives on Inclusion" is a public interest program created to convey the message that including persons with disabilities in all aspects of life benefits the whole of society. Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD) Program Coordinator Mike Hoenig and Disability Rights Advocate Keith Ruff, who both have lived experience with disability, serve as co-hosts. The show features timely interviews with guests from the public and private sectors who are making a conscious effort to improve disability access and shape public attitudes on the benefits of inclusion. Recent episodes have described a family mentorship opportunity for trainees participating in a CDD leadership training program, the 2017 Johnson County (Iowa) ADA celebration, and accessibility services available through Iowa City’s Hancher Auditorium. "Hello, It's Us: Perspectives on Inclusion" airs every Monday evening from 8:30 to 9:00 pm on Public Access Television (PATV) Channel 18 in Iowa City. Current and past episodes are also available on the "Hello It's Us" dedicated YouTube channel, http://bit.ly/2x4qVCM. Beginning in September 2017, a new episode will be posted to the channel on the first and third Thursday of each month. If you would like to receive email notifications of new "Hello, It's Us" uploads, email:
[email protected].
Brenda Bassingthwaite, Ph.D., co-authored a webinar for the Mental Health Aspects of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities special interest group for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). The webinar was titled “School-based Supports for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.” Her co-author was Anne Katona-Linn from Pennsylvania. The webinar is archived at http://bit.ly/2wSgMKT.
The NEW Iowa Compass website is online! Go to www.iowacompass.org for the new user experience! • Mobile Responsive (website automatically changes to fit the device you are reading it on) • Accessibility and usability focused • Dedicated areas for Tip Sheet and Articles • Links to Frequently Asked Resource Questions • Guided search (start typing a keyword or program name and the field autopopulates with suggestions) • Scholarships directory • Complete A-Z directory of disability related keywords
Research Publication Center for Disabilities and Development physical therapist, Shelley Mockler, MPT, DSC, PCS, ATP has an article, “Retrospective Analysis of Predictors of Proficient Power Mobility in Young Children With Severe Motor Impairments” in the October edition of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. http://bit.ly/2fX7ySV
Connections, a newsletter from the Center for Disabilities and Development at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, is published four times a year. It provides updates on current information from Iowa’s University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, our Healy Clinic and research efforts at CDD. NEWSLETTER STAFF Editors: Emily Boshkoff, Mike Lightbody, Caitlin Owens, Heather Roman Designer: Leigh Bradford For correspondence relating to the newsletter, or to request permission to reproduce information from it, please contact Heather Roman:
[email protected] 