Advancing Behavioral Health Services through Ongoing Education: A Look at Recent Insights from the San Diego LEND Seminar

At Contemporary Health Solutions (C-H-S), we are committed to continually enhancing our behavioral health services to provide the best possible care. Our focus on continuous professional development helps us stay ahead in the field, ensuring that the families and individuals we serve receive the most up-to-date and effective interventions. One such opportunity to deepen our knowledge was attending the San Diego LEND Seminar on “Surviving and Thriving in the Real World: A Daily Living Skills Intervention for Autistic Adolescents.” The seminar, led by Dr. Amie Duncan from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and hosted by Lauren Brookman-Frazee Ph.D of UCSD emphasized the importance of teaching Daily Living Skills (DLS) to support the independence of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Key Highlights from the Seminar

The seminar presented powerful insights into DLS interventions and their impact on autistic adolescents. By focusing on key areas such as self-care, communication, and social skills, these interventions empower individuals to gain greater independence. The results of the interventions were substantial, showing significant improvements in the VABS-3 DLS scores from baseline to post-treatment across personal, domestic, and community domains:

• Personal Domain: A gain of 8.8 points from baseline (94.1) to post-treatment (100.0).
• Domestic Domain: A gain of 17.2 points from baseline (31.8) to post-treatment (45.2).
• Community Domain: A gain of 12.6 points from baseline (73.1) to post-treatment (83.5).

These gains are a testament to the importance of teaching DLS to individuals with ASD at any age, providing them with the tools they need to live fulfilling, independent lives.

What are Daily Living Skills (DLS)?

Daily Living Skills (DLS) refer to the essential tasks that we perform every day to take care of ourselves. For individuals with ASD, mastering these skills is vital for gaining independence and improving quality of life. DLS span across three main categories:

• Personal: These include activities such as eating, drinking, getting dressed, brushing teeth, taking a shower, and managing one’s own health.
• Domestic: Tasks like putting toys away, making simple snacks, using appliances, cleaning one's room, and doing laundry.
• Community: Includes managing time, understanding the cost of things, traveling, budgeting money, and navigating public transportation.

These skills start from a young age—teaching children to brush their teeth independently or establish secure attachments with caregivers is just the beginning. These early interventions set the foundation for more complex tasks as they grow older. Therefore, early intervention is critical to ensure that children with ASD can develop the skills they will need as adults.

Factors Affecting DLS in Autistic Individuals

While DLS interventions are crucial, several factors can affect the ability of individuals with ASD to develop these skills. Understanding these factors is essential for designing effective interventions. Key factors include:

• Social-communication skills: Difficulty in expressing needs or understanding social cues can hinder DLS development.
• Restricted and repetitive behaviors/interests: These behaviors can limit engagement in activities that help build DLS.
• Executive functioning skills: Challenges in planning, organizing, and completing tasks can interfere with acquiring DLS.
• Sensory issues: Sensory sensitivities may affect a person's ability to complete tasks like eating or using household appliances.
• Parental expectations of independence: Parents' expectations and the timing of encouraging independence can influence how quickly DLS are acquired.
• Dependence on others (e.g., prompts): Some individuals may need additional assistance to complete tasks, which can slow DLS development.
• Comorbid diagnoses (e.g., anxiety, depression, ADHD): These factors can complicate the development of DLS by affecting emotional regulation and focus.
• Lack of quality, affordable services: Without access to appropriate interventions, individuals may struggle to acquire necessary skills.

By identifying and addressing these factors early, we can provide more tailored interventions that support the development of DLS for individuals with ASD, ensuring that they are able to live more independent lives.

The Importance of Early Intervention

While DLS interventions for adolescents are essential, it's important to remember that addressing DLS starts before adolescence. Early intervention plays a critical role in setting the foundation for the future. By working with children as early as possible, we can help them develop the fundamental skills they will need as they grow. Whether it’s learning how to brush their teeth independently or develop healthy attachments to caregivers, these early steps are essential for success later in life.

At C-H-S, we believe that every individual has the potential to thrive, and our approach is rooted in evidence-based interventions that promote long-term success. Our team of professionals is dedicated to using the latest research to guide our interventions and provide the best care for the individuals and families we support.