An interprofessional clinical learning experience was developed for pre-licensure occupational therapy (OT) and psychology graduate students. Students worked in interprofessional teams to plan and implement a social skills training program for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The objectives were to provide a hands-on, student-led clinical experience; facilitate interprofessional collaborative learning through leadership partnerships and teach children with ASD to engage in appropriate social skill behaviors. Concurrently, faculty performed qualitative research to explore how the students worked together to provide intervention to the children. Data were collected via interview, direct observation of student planning sessions and student interprofessional interactions, and collection of posts from an online social network site used for session planning. There were six student participants and two faculty participants. Four themes emerged: learning who I am as a professional, learning to appreciate our professional differences, learning to communicate with each other and figuring it out, for the benefit of the kids. This interprofessional clinical learning experience and research helps ensure that students are adequately prepared to represent their profession as part of a diverse interprofessional health care team.

This study examined the value researchers assign to specific research activities and the assignment of authorship relative to the reported contributions to these tasks. All single, first, and second authors of empirical articles in the 1989 volume of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology were surveyed by mail. “Writing the paper” and “Having the idea” were the two research tasks most highly valued. Most authors followed the weighted value of each author's contribution to the completion of the research, but for some the order of authorship was misplaced and in some cases assigned when the person had made no direct contribution. The merit of having discipline-wide standardized guidelines for research activities was discussed.

This study explored the experience of stress in the understudied group of parents of children with high functioning autism. The 24 participants were asked to complete the PSI-short form, a standardized self-report measure of parenting stress. Their responses suggest that on this measure, this group of parents reported variable but significant parenting stress, especially in relationship to challenging or difficult characteristics of their child with high functioning autism. Parents were also asked to describe their five most significant Stressors in parenting their child with high functioning autism. Qualitative analysis of their responses identified a number of themes, including some concerns specific to the parents' practical and emotional well-being and many, many concerns related to the behaviors and needs of the child with high functioning autism. Further study is suggested to learn more about how to understand and support this subgroup of parents of children with autism.

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The medical home model of care is widely accepted as the ideal for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) but may be very difficult to implement. In this study, parents of children with autism and pediatricians caring for children with autism in Kentucky were surveyed to determine the current status of primary care services for children with ASDs. Results indicated that the majority of families and physicians were comfortable with the routine health care provided to children with ASDs, but had concerns about physician ability to provide information regarding community resources, address comorbid conditions associated with autism, and discuss treatment options. The need for physician education regarding available national and regional autism resources is clear. Creative strategies involving collaboration across medical, educational, and community systems appear to be essential for establishing effective medical homes for children with ASDs.

There has been an increase in the past several years of the number of people diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism spectrum diagnoses include autism, Asperger ' s Disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specifi ed. There are several measures of adaptive functioning that are given to individuals with an ASD, but one that is not often used is the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (SIB-R). The 25 participants in this study were clients from a psychology clinic and a private psychology practice; all data obtained were archival. This study examines subscores on the SIB-R and their correlations between Full IQ scores and Verbal IQ scores, to assess the convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity of the SIB-R with ASD clients and to describe the typical profi le seen in this group. Results suggest that the SIB-R could be useful as a source of diagnostically relevant information for individuals with ASDs.

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