SASS Research

Society for Autism Support and Services began conducting small scale clinical research in the fall of 2010 under the mentorship of Shirley V. Leew, PhD. A measure of treatment fidelity (i.e., the degree to which a treatment is implemented as intended) for the early intervention program was subsequently developed and implemented. Though SASS’s goals are individually determined for every child, the pathways to achieving the goals are standardized, based on the philosophy at Society for Autism Support and Services, and are monitored using these treatment fidelity checks. Our most recent quarterly check indicated the Early Intervention Program had 96% fidelity, well above the recommended minimum of 80%!

The majority of research investigations to date have involved social-communication outcomes from our Early Intervention Program and personal and vocational training program outcomes for adolescents and adults with Autism from our Adult and Adolescent programs. Results from these studies and evaluations have been presented at a variety of national and international conferences and conventions.

Peer-Reviewed Presentations

Booker, S., Roy, S., Flynn, S. Using Visual Supports to Facilitate Language in Verbal
Children with ASD. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, November 2013. Chicago, IL. Seminar.

ASHA Visual Supports Handout.pdf

Booker, S., Leew, S.V. Social-Pragmatic-Behaviour Intervention & Communication
Outcomes for Children with ASD, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention, November 2011. San Diego, CA. Seminar.

ASHA Handout.pdf

Posters

Booker, S., Ward, K., Gower Foster, T. Vocational Training for Adolescents and
Adults with ASD, Geneva Centre for Autism International Symposium, October 2012. Toronto, ON.

Geneva Voc Skills Poster.pdf

Booker, S. Enhancing Interventions and Embedded Research with Treatment Fidelity,
Geneva Centre for Autism International Symposium, October 2012. Toronto, ON.

Geneva Treatment Fidelity Poster.pdf

Booker, S. Comprehensive Early Intervention and Communication Outcomes for
Children with ASD, Geneva Centre for Autism International Symposium, October 2012.
Toronto, ON.

Geneva Social-Communiation Poster.pdf

Booker, S., Leew, S.V., Ward, K., Gower Foster, T. Vocational and Personal Independence Training for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), May 2012. Toronto, ON.

IMFAR Poster.pdf

Potential areas for future research may include:

• Effective use of visual supports to develop language in preschoolers
• Effectiveness of mealtime supports to increase food tolerance and/or repertoire in preschoolers
• Effectiveness of transdisciplinary treatment in managing challenging behaviours in older children and adolescents with Autism
• Parent and professional perspectives related to transdisciplinary versus multidisciplinary treatment