Tune in to hear Dean Alexander, Ph.D., discuss pica, the ingestion of non-food substances, which has received insufficient attention as a common, sometimes lethal, form of self-injurious behavior. Behavioral approaches to treatment, more often than not, fall short. Biological intervention, if supported, may hold out new promise.

Handouts are available for download (PDF) HERE

This is a joint presentation by ARI and the World Autism Organisation.

About the speaker:

Dr. Dean Alexander has worked at centers for children with physical handicaps and emotional disturbances and adults with developmental disabilities (Lanterman Developmental Center) before entering Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA. At CGU, Dr. Alexander teamed up with Dr. Laura Schreibman, then worked on Dr. Ivar Lovaas’s landmark Young Autism Project; this led to a case study and a co-authorship of Dr. Lovaas’s first two books. Returning to LDC as a psychologist, he co-authored the first behavioral treatment of pica while gaining familiarity with nutritional and vitamin-driven approaches through literature and conferences presented by the Autism Research Institute.

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