Description: This paper discusses measuring play. Children with autism frequently display deficits in play skills, such as pretend play and object manipulation. This is described both in the diagnostic criteria for autism (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) and in descriptive studies on children's play (Jarrold, 2003; Williams, 2003). However, the nature of these deficits and the degree to which the play of children with autism differs in complexity and variety from the play of typically developing children is unclear (Vig, 2007). The purpose of this article is to review the importance of play in a young child's life and to discuss the importance of measuring play when designing interventions for children with autism. Furthermore, this paper will present an example of a consistent and reliable observation system that assesses the complexity and variety of play on children with autism and with typically developing children.

Description: This poster discusses research on the difficulty of assessing female psychopathy. Abstract: If the average person is asked to name a female psychopath from a movie, s/he might name Charlize Theron's portrayal of Aileen Wuornos from 'Monster' or Glenn Close as Alex from 'Fatal Attractions', but s/he would be only half-right. Aileen Wuornos was clearly a psychopath; Glenn Close's character displayed Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Similarities between psychopathy and BDP, particularly in presentation of BPD (i.e. mood swings or affect) at the time of assessment can be confusing. Male psychopathy assessment is more precise while the female assessment seems ambiguous and indistinct. An in-depth literature review of the personality disturbances and the different psychopathy scales, such as Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), will be beneficial in discerning why female psychopathy is often misdiagnosed.

Description: This article discusses applying behavior analysis to autism. Abstract: The growing number of children diagnosed with autism and the recognized importance of evidence-based interventions has substantially increased the need for well-trained applied behavior analysts. Relative to public/consumer demand, there are very few higher education programs that are equipped to train behavior analysts specializing in autism. Worldwide, there are only a few programs accredited by Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), that have course sequences approved by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB), and have formal institutional course approval for classes in autism and behavior analysis. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a series of expert commentary on the context, content and systems required to build quality higher education programs in autism and applied behavior analysis. Together the articles in this special section of the European Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis form a resource for faculty and university administrators interested in the development of innovative and socially relevant training programs in higher education.

Description: This article discusses generalized anxiety modulates frontal and limbic activation in major depression. Abstract: Background: Anxiety is relatively common in depression and capable of modifying the severity and course of depression. Yet our understanding of how anxiety modulates frontal and limbic activation in depression is limited. Methods: The authors used functional magnetic resonance imaging and two emotional information processing tasks to examine frontal and limbic activation in ten patients with major depression and comorbid with preceding generalized anxiety (MDD/GAD) and ten non-depressed controls. Results: Consistent with prior studies on depression, MDD/GAD patients showed hypoactivation in medial and middle frontal regions, as well as in the anterior cingulate and insula. However, heightened anxiety in MDD/GAD patients was associated with increased activation in middle frontal regions and the insula and the effects varied with the type of emotional information presented. Conclusions: The authors' findings highlight frontal and limbic hypoactivation in patients with depression and comorbid anxiety and indicate that anxiety level may modulate frontal and limbic activation depending upon the emotional context. One implication of this finding is that divergent findings reported in the imaging literature on depression could reflect modulation of activation by anxiety level in response to different types of ...

Description: This article discusses neural systems supporting avoidance behavior in healthy youths. Abstract: Active avoidance involving controlling and modifying threatening situations characterizations many forms of clinical pathology, particularly childhood anxiety. Presently our understanding of the neural systems supporting human avoidance is largely based on nonhuman research. Establishing the generality of nonhuman findings to healthy children is a needed first step towards advancing developmental affective neuroscience research on avoidance in childhood anxiety. Accordingly, this investigation examined brain activation patterns to threatening cues that prompted avoidance in healthy youths. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, fifteen youths (ages 9-13) completed a task that alternatively required approach or avoidance behaviors. On each trial either a threatening 'Snake' cue or a 'Reward' cue advanced towards a bank containing earned points. Directional buttons enabled subjects to move cues away from (Avoidance) or towards the bank (Approach). Avoidance cues elicited activation in regions hypothesized to support avoidance in nonhumans (amygdala, insula, striatum and thalamus). Results also highlighted that avoidance response rates were positively correlated with amygdala activation and negatively correlated with insula and anterior cingulate activation. Moreover, increased amygdala activity was associated with decreased insula and anterior cingulate activity. Our results suggest nonhuman neurophysiological research findings on avoidance ...