Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently struggle with emotion regulation, in which their emotions are stronger than their regulatory capacity and they cannot adequately modify the intensity or duration of their emotional responses (Mazefsky, et al., 2013). Moreover, rates of reactivity and dysphoria on the Emotional Dysregulation Inventory (EDI) are much higher in inpatient and community ASD populations than in the general US population. Research on emotional regulation in autism has been increasing in recent years, and the EDI is a tool that can be used for universal screening, progress monitoring, and research. In addition, treatments are being developed to help individuals with ASD learn skills to improve their emotion regulation and reduce anxiety and depression symptoms

Play is an important, developmentally appropriate context in which children develop cognitive, language, social, and emotional skills. However, children with autism spectrum disorder often demonstrate challenges engaging in functional and symbolic play. Instead, they may engage in repetitive, non-functional, and disorganized play. Further, their pretend play skills are often delayed. Due to the many benefits of play, it is important that play skills be an area of focus in a child’s early intervention program.

While the literature suggests early intervention is important for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Mundy & Crowson, 1997), there is still little known about what treatment approaches work best for which children. While some treatment approaches under the umbrella of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) have evidence of being effective for improving skills in children with ASD (e.g., I.Q., adaptive functioning skills, joint attention skills, play skills, communication, social behavior), many approaches that are commonly used in the community are not evidence-based. Due to the wide variety of available interventions, it is challenging for providers and families to know what treatments to use with their children. In addition, it is important to consider the individual child, the context, treatment targets, delivery, and intensity when deciding what treatment modality to use. Even with an extensive and diverse array of available interventions, it is not always clear what course of treatment is the best fit for each individual with ASD.

Sleep challenges are common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are often associated with increased physical aggression, irritability, inattention, and hyperactivity during the day (Mazzone, et al., 2018; Veatch et al., 2017). Among individuals with ASD, common sleep concerns include difficulties falling asleep, experiencing restless sleep, frequent nighttime awakenings, unwillingness to fall asleep in own bed, and difficulty arousing in the morning (Williams et al,. 2004). It is important for providers to consider a person’s sleep in overall treatment planning as it can significantly contribute to a person’s behavior during the day and overall family functioning. Interventions that incorporate behavioral strategies are often effective in improving a person’s sleep and benefit the overall well-being of the person with ASD and their family.