Christopher Lopata

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term impacts of a comprehensive school-based intervention (CSBI) that yielded beneficial impacts for elementary school students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Results from the initial randomized controlled trial indicated that students in grades 1-5 with HFASD in the CSBI schools demonstrated significantly better outcomes on measures of social-cognition, social-communication skills, and ASD symptoms compared to studen...

Core features of high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) include a significant and pervasive deficit in social skills, and repetitive and restricted behaviors, interests, and/or activities. Associated features include problems in pragmatic communication, comprehension of affective information, and emotional-behavioral functioning. Together these impairments and features interfere with learning and academic performance because classroom learning involves social communication, susta...