Browsing by Author "Elias, Rebecca"

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    Exploring the Potential Role of Inflammation as an Etiological Process in ASD
    Elias, Rebecca; Sullivan, Juliana B.; Lee, Yong Woo; White, Susan W. (2015-09)
    The heterogeneity in the behavioral presentation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be surpassed only by the level of heterogeneity in its etiology. There are diverse pathways to the singular diagnostic outcome of ASD, and several etiological risk factors have been proposed in recent years. This review paper examines the role of inflammation as one possible etiologic factor in ASD, juxtaposed in the context of research on the role of inflammation in other psychiatric disorders. Human, animal, and postmortem studies of inflammation in ASD were surveyed, and their direct and indirect contributions to developing potential inflammation-based treatments, as well as potential preventative considerations, in ASD were reviewed. Although the mechanisms that link inflammation and ASD remain unknown, there exists a sizable multidisciplinary literature suggesting inflammation as a trans-etiological process.
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    Psychosocial and Computer-Assisted Intervention for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preliminary Support for Feasibility
    White, Susan W.; Richey, John A.; Gracanin, Denis; Coffman, Marika C.; Elias, Rebecca; LaConte, Stephen M.; Ollendick, Thomas H. (The Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 2016-09)
    The number of young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) enrolled in higher education institutions has steadily increased over the last decade. Despite this, there has been little research on how to most effectively support this growing population. The current study presents data from a pilot trial of two novel intervention programs developed for college students with ASD. In this small randomized controlled trial, college students with ASD (n = 8) were assigned to one of two new programs – either an intervention based on a virtual reality–Brain-Computer Interface for ASD (BCI-ASD) or a psychosocial intervention, the College and Living Success (CLS) program. Preliminary evidence supports the feasibility and acceptability of both programs, although behavioral outcomes were inconsistent across participants and interventions. Results indicate that expanded research on psychosocial and computer-assisted intervention approaches for this population is warranted, given the preliminary support found in this pilot study.