Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'ASD (Autistic spectral disorder)'

This research aimed to explore the skills of those with and without a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in social coordination. The basis for these skills is considered to reside in social cognition, which is held to be either 'lacking' or 'different' for those with an ASD diagnosis. As such, few studies have explored contextualised social knowledge in those with a diagnosis or considered how this might be used in interaction. To explore social knowledge and how it is used in social coordination, several novel tasks were utilised. These tasks explored participant responses in situations of: coordination with an unknown co-player; in competition with a known co-player; in social situational coordination and when using moral reasoning in judgements. Participants were also asked to reflect on their experience in brief interviews. No differences between the groups were found in the quantitative analysis, suggesting comparable abilities in social coordination. The qualitative findings revealed differences in the manner in which the groups approached and managed the tasks. The control group approached tasks with confidence and a belief in their belonging to a wider network of similar people. The ASD group seemed to feel more uncertain about their sense of belonging and their abilities. This research suggests that social knowledge drawn on in coordination situations is similar for both groups; however, confidence in its use is not. It appears that individuals with an ASD diagnosis may use different and more expansive routes to achieve coordination. This is proposed to be driven by differences in neural pathways and internalised clinical and social understandings of being 'different'. It is hoped that this research can begin to challenge assumptions about what individuals with a diagnosis of ASD can do. Thus, widening the scope for research and supporting individuals to have greater confidence in their abilities.

Objectives: Currently there is no known single cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and diagnosis is based on observable behavioural characteristics. Research regarding theories about the aetiology of ASD have been dominated by an academic perspective. However, parents with children who have ASD will also have their own explanatory beliefs of their child's difficulties. Research examining parents' beliefs surrounding their child's ASD have shown both similarities and discrepancies between parental and academic understandings. These discrepancies may impact on parental help seeking behaviours and engagement with therapeutic services. The aim of this study is to explore the different explanatory beliefs parents have when talking about their child who has been diagnosed with ASD. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten parents of children with ASD. Data collection and analysis was guided by the Grounded Theory method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) which led to the production of a process model grounded in the parents experiences. Results: The core category of the process model was termed 'Accommodating Autism', which reflected the parents' beliefs regarding ASD and had implications for how they lived and coped with accommodating ASD within their families. Accommodation involves a process of adaptation, specifically how the parents have made adjustments to raising a child with ASD. The core category was formed of four main categories 'Making Sense of ASD', 'Process of Acceptance', 'Negotiating Difference'and 'Searching for an Explanation'. Discussion: The study's findings from the analysis are located within the current literature. The clinical implications of the findings include recommendations that services need to become more explicit with families in acknowledging their perspectives regarding the aetiology of ASD and there being other perspectives available. Grief was also a key issue and emotional support for parents needs to be addressed more openly.

With an expansion of knowledge and interest in ASD, widening diagnostic criteria and an increasing number of students being diagnosed, it is important to address whether schools are meeting the needs of this population adequately and to examine which methods are most effective in achieving this end. The study aimed to develop a clearer insight into the special educational needs of young people with ASD and how these needs can best be met in educational settings. Questionnaires were distributed (through parent support groups) to young people with ASD and their families regrading their high school experiences. The findings from the questionnaire were used to derive a model of good practice for supporting pupils with ASD.The main factors were found to be: the existence of trained staff in the field of autism, higher staffing ratios to support these pupils, flexibility of staff to respond to their individual needs and an inclusive ethos throughout the school. To 'test' this hypothetical model of good practice a case study of an educational setting deemed by parents and pupils to be 'successful' was undertaken in order to test the strength of these hypotheses and also to potentially identify any additional factors to include in the model. Many of the factors identified in the model were found to be present in the 'successful' school yet other significant features included: good relationships between staff and parents, between staff and pupils and between pupils and peers. the case study highlighted that these relationships as well as an inclusive ethos were pivotal to the success of the school. However, it was apparent that an element of inclusion dissonance existed across the school: the perceived commitment of staff to achieving inclusion for these pupils was not always seen in reality.

Selective eating (SE) refers to an individual narrowing their range of preferred foods, resulting in a restricted food intake, high levels of rigidity and food refusal (Bryant-Waugh, 2000). SE is encompassed in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-V) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) category avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Such difficulties are common in children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Raiten & Massaro, 1986) and neuropsychological differences have been found in children with ASD (Hill, 2004). This research aimed to be the first to investigate whether a distinct neuropsychological profile exists in children and adolescents with SE and furthermore, whether aspects of the profile vary depending on whether the child or adolescent displays elevated autistic traits. A case series of 10 children between the ages of 8 to 13 years old were recruited. A well-established neuropsychological test battery, the Ravello Profile (Rose, Frampton & Lask, 2012), was modified and administered to assess visuospatial processing, central coherence, executive functions (including cognitive flexibility, inhibition and planning) and theory of mind abilities. The results demonstrated a high degree of variability across the group in terms of visuospatial processing and theory of mind, weak central coherence across all participants and otherwise relatively intact abilities in executive function domains. There were no substantive findings in relation to those children with elevated autistic traits although a trend toward visuospatial processing differences did emerge. This exploratory case series was the first attempt to describe a neuropsychological profile in SE, however the small sample size and high variability in the data meant that a distinct neuropsychological profile did not emerge. The results did however provide an initial indication of possible trends in strengths and weaknesses across neuropsychological domains in SE. These findings have implications for the assessment and treatment of SE difficulties.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty Of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Educational Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology & Special Needs Education at the University Of Zululand, 2018<br>The study sought to explore and examine experiences of parents with regard to the education of their autistic children in special schools. Previous studies in this area looked at the inclusion of autistic children and focused on educators’ attitudes or perceptions. Thus this study intended to get parents’ perspectives, their ideas and views about the education of their children with autism spectrum disorder in special schools. To find out if they are satisfied, and explore what seem to be the concerns and challenges, the study adopted a qualitative case study design. Data were generated from nine mothers who had children attending special schools. They were purposively sampled from three special schools for children with intellectual impairment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers regarding their views and concerns about the education of their autistic children. A thematic content analysis was used to extract common themes from the collected data. Major findings were that most parents were happy and satisfied with the education of their children, though some lacked understanding and thorough knowledge about autism and special education. Parents raised concerns about lack of therapists in special schools when their ASD children need the intervention of speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. It was also found that parents struggle to access preprimary education for their children. It is recommended that special schools create forums where parents have a platform to voice their opinions and concerns. In conclusion, the study was able to give insight into parents’ experiences, views and concerns with regard to the education of autistic children. Knowing parents’ concerns and opinions may help improve the provision of education for autistic children. With the recent release of the Draft on National Strategy for Autism (September, 2017), perhaps parents’ hope for improvement in provision of education for autistic children might be realized

There is an increasing emphasis on the importance of parental voice in education, and specifically within the realm of Special Educational Needs (SEN). For parents whose children have been identified as potentially having Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), their story may have begun long before there is professional involvement. There appears to be a dearth of qualitative research into parental experiences prior to their child’s ASD assessment. Therefore, this research explored the narratives of two parents whose children had been referred for an ASD assessment. Within a social constructivist, relativist paradigm, narratives were collected through in-depth interviews that enabled a detailed inductive analysis of each of the unique stories. Findings are discussed in relation to the analysis and related theory, research and policy. The limitations of this research and implications for future projects and Educational Psychology (EP) practice are also discussed, including how reflection on issues of power, hermeneutics, ontology and epistemology may be pertinent to EP practice.

Play is an important contributor to children’s development: it reflects, reinforces, and results in development (Johnson, Christie, Wardle, 2005). However, the tools available to support planning and measurement of play are not sufficiently detailed or focused on children with autism and severe learning difficulties (SLD). Play for children with autism is consistently identified as restrictive and repetitive. Although extensive research examines symbolic play, the content and structure of functional play, which is considered a valuable precursor of symbolic play, is rarely the subject of focused research (Williams, 2003; Lifter, Foster-Sanda, Arzamarski, Briesch, & McClure, 2011). Given the developmental potential that play presents, the aim of this study was to examine the functional play presented by children with autism and SLD, with a view to designing a play framework that enables teachers to support functional play development in the classroom. A pragmatic mixed methods approach was adopted across a three-stage study in three schools. Study 1 provides the background for creating a functional play framework, while Study 2 focuses on the creation of the framework through objective observations of the play activity of a total of 27 children with autism and SLD, as well as interviews with nine classroom teachers. Study 3 was a process of trialling the framework in two schools and collaborating with eight teachers to finalise the functional play framework, in particular by considering its usability. Data collected across the three studies provided a description of functional play that suggests it is more complex than traditionally defined. Four key areas of functional play were identified: interacting with one object; interacting with two (or more) objects; interacting with self; and interacting with the environment. Additionally, 12 subcategories were established as components related to functional play. Teachers reported that they could use the framework to baseline play, set targets and measure play progression for children with autism and SLD. The framework was also identified as a tool that supports classroom management and continuing professional development. The proposed framework facilitates the identification of small increments of progress and extends on other available play frameworks. By developing detailed descriptions of the play that children with autism and SLD present, the framework provides a greater ability to identify precise deficits and, more specifically, to target support in the area of play. Additionally, the collaborative approach with classroom teachers provides diverse viewpoints but also begins to merge the gap between researchers and practitioners in order to ensure a useful resource. Recommendations for further descriptive accounts, greater involvement of classroom professionals in the development of resources and additional trials of the framework are acknowledged.

Many children can find it difficult to adjust to the social and curriculum differences they encounter when they begin secondary school. For some children — particularly children with a special educational need (SEN) — a difficult transition from primary to secondary school undermines educational, social and emotional outcomes. Children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are known to be especially vulnerable at the time of secondary transition. It is well recognised amongst practitioners that these children have a profile of needs, including difficulties in social communication, problems coping with the sensory environment, and anxiety difficulties, which can potentially make changing schools particularly difficult. Despite this knowledge, there is a paucity of academic research that has focused specifically on this group of children at the time of secondary transition. This study aimed, for the first time, to examine the factors that both support and hinder a successful transition from primary to secondary school for children with an ASD in one local authority. Adopting an eco-systemic perspective and utilising a mixed methodology, this study investigated which potential intrinsic characteristics of the child and wider systemic factors influenced the secondary transition process for 15 children with an ASD. Children were seen twice in the space of 3 months — once before the process of changing school and once the move to secondary school was made. This longitudinal design enabled the examination of any possible changes in the views and perspectives of children, parents, and teachers during the transition process, in addition to the impact of systemic factors on the process. It also allowed for investigation of the possible pre-transition predictors — the intrinsic needs of the child with ASD — of a successful transition. Specifically, it was expected that children with better verbal ability, fewer autistic symptoms, fewer sensory issues, and reduced anxiety levels would experience a smoother transition. Unexpectedly, this study found no significant associations between pre-transition intrinsic ASD child characteristics and overall transition success. Nevertheless, it identified several systemic factors, including the child's identity, tensions over school choice, delay in placement decisions, lack of primary preparation and in-reach, which were found to have a strong influence on the process of secondary transition for the children and their families. Intriguingly, the children who transitioned from mainstream to specialist provisions were identified as experiencing particular difficulties coping with their new secondary school. These findings have important implications for the role of educational psychologists in the transition process.

The purpose of this paper is to examine to what extent teachers in Swedish EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms need to adapt their teaching methods and strategies to best handle students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to Skolverket (2020), a lot of students diagnosed with ASD fail to reach the knowledge requirements for a pass in their English classes in school. The paper presents relevant research retrieved from databases ERIC and EBSCO and discusses the findings in relation to the research questions and the Swedish curriculum. The research presented show students with ASD often struggle with attention, anxiety, and primarily listening comprehension in the classroom.  Methods researchers argue counteracts the obstacles for the autistic students aim to reduce anxiety, enhance communication, and complement verbal instructions with visual support.

The current action research project aimed to explore perceptions of Sense of Belonging (SOB) for male young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in two mainstream secondary schools with the aim of facilitating discussions within the school community. SOB is considered to be a central part of successful inclusion. Twelve male pupils aged between 12-14 years and aware of their diagnosis of ASD were interviewed. The young people chose to take part in the research using a range of methodology including photography and an adaptation of the 'Drawing the Ideal Self' technique. Each interview was transcribed and qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis. A focus group in each of the two schools enabled findings to be discussed. Staff reflected on the aspects of the school which were supporting and constraining the pupils' SOB. Focus group participants were school staff who held a variety of roles. Themes emerged from the pupil interviews relating to factors which facilitate and inhibit SOB for male secondary school aged pupils. These included the physical school environment, social environment and effective learning conditions. Further factors which support SOB relate to the educational support and school ethos. A model relating to fostering of SOB by school staff was created, based on the key themes from the school staff focus groups including placement/resources, attitudes, pupil knowledge, collaboration, role of management/leadership and flexible curriculum. Further promotion of SOB was discussed within the focus group and focused on collaboration at different levels within the school and increased staff awareness around meeting the needs of pupils with ASD.

En analys av en studie gjord av Lorenz och Heinitz (2014) på autistiska personers uppfattning om sig själva, sina förmågor och behov och en kartläggningsrapport av Specialpedagogiska skolmyndigheten från 2013 har belyst hur det hos dessa individer finns en potential långt utöver det normala. Skolmyndigheten (2013) rapporterar om att lärare saknar verktyg för att förstå elever med neuropsykiatriska funktionsvariationer, framförallt vid autismspektrumtillstånd där sådana verktyg ofta behöver vara individanpassade och därför varierar från elev till elev. Önskan om att hitta metoder för att använda tillgängliga läromedel eller önskan om handledning för att förstå eleverna bättre är någonting som lyfts upp då lärare menar sig vara vilsna kring vad man ska göra i den egna undervisningen med de metoder som finns. Med detta som grund motiverades jag till att utforma ett fortbildningsmaterial för lärare inom matematik som förhoppningsvis ska kunna stötta lärarna i deras kommunikation med elever med autismspektrumtillstånd. Som ett led i utvecklingsarbetet gjordes djupintervjuer med två lärare inom matematik och teknik och med fyra personer diagnosticerade med AST. Därefter analyserades intervjuerna med hjälp av tematisk analys för att sedan användas som underlag för diskussion kring några faktorer som påverkar elevens lärande. Faktorer som framkom var lärarnas undervisningsform, föreställningar av sin och elevens roll i lärandet och hur lärarens relation till de övriga lärare i kollegieteamet påverkar kvalitén av lärarens undervisning. Resultatet från djupintervjuerna visade att det hos elever med AST finns behov av tydlighet, struktur och tidsplanering. Vill man som lärare säkerställa en bra kommunikation med dessa elever behöver en förståelse för hur läraren kan förmedla förväntningar uppmärksammas. Sådana förväntningar kan vara såväl implicita och explicita. Förväntningar som t.ex. kan vara att läraren tilldelar uppgifter som befinner sig på en lägre nivå än elevens egen föreställning av sin förmåga. Läraren behöver också vara införstådd i elevens problematik och för det krävs ett mer omfattande arbete inom kollegiet som läraren är en del av. Detta eftersom ett bra stöd för eleven inte kan förväntas ges enbart av elevens egna lärare då elevens behov av stöd kräver insatser från flera olika yrkesgrupper. Vidare visade resultat från djupintervjuerna hur det hos elever med AST finns ett behov av social inkludering, däremot var det mindre tydligt hur eleverna skulle uppnå detta. Man hänvisade till att läraren saknar kunskap om hur elevens personligheter och intressen måste beaktas tillsammans innan man sammanför grupper. Också underströks hur eleven behöver lära sig hantera vissa sociala situationer, vad den ska säga och hur. Om inte det sker vågar eleven sällan inleda samtal med övriga klasskamrater och det i sin tur har jag kunnat visa påverka elevens fortsatta förståelse av matematik. Utvärdering av det utvecklade fortbildningsmaterialet gav värdefull återkoppling för att förbättra materialet. Utvärderingen genomfördes bland tre verksamma lärare. En lärare hade förstått det avsedda syftet och angav att materialet gav hen idéer om hur undervisning kan genomföras, t.ex. genom att omformulera sina uppgifter eller addera material inför vissa moment som kan göra det lättare för AST-elever att sätta sig in i dem. För de andra två lärarna var syftet otydligt och de angav att det saknades tillräckligt med uppgifter som läraren kunde använda för sina elever med AST, men att de förslagen som gavs ändå var uppskattade.<br>A study conducted by Lorenz and Heinitz (2014) on the view that autistic people have of themselves, their attributes as well as a survey done by Specialpedagogiska Skolmyndigheten (2013) suggest that a lot of individuals on the spectrum may own a potential far beyond what is considered normal. The report from Skolmyndigheten (2013) paints an image of how present material for students with neuropsychiatric disorders are lacking, especially for those students who are on the autistic spectrum. These students are specially a challenge since every individual on the spectrum and thus a one-way solution is considered virtually impossible. Using this knowledge as a building block, I was motivated to construct an introductory material for teachers in mathematics to effectively communicate with students on the autistic spectrum. The material is based on surveys done in the form of deep interviews. These deep interviews were conducted with 2 teachers in math and technology and with 4 people diagnosed with ASD. Furthermore, the data from the interviews were analysed with the help of a tool called thematic analysis. Afterwards the data was used to discuss some of the factors that affect students learning. The factors involved in my discussion were the specific form of teaching, preconceptions about ones and students’ involvement in their own learning and how teacher interaction with the other teachers in the colleague team may impact the quality of student learning. Looking at the results from the deep interviews, we see that for people with ASD there is a desire for precision, structure and adequate time-planning. Good communication with these students requires the teachers’ understanding of how she can convey her conceptions, explicit as well as implicit, by her form of teaching, for example by recognizing how the distribution of lower level problems could downgrade a students’ perception of their own10ability. Teachers need to consider and understand the problems of specific students and in order to do that a more extensive cooperation is required with the rest of the team. Such cooperation is required since one need to consider how a complex diagnosis such as autism spectrum involves appropriate intervention regulated and influenced by people in different occupation groups. The final results concerned the opinions received by teachers regarding the realization of the introductory material. With regards to the intention to construct a material which can support understanding of the communication problems associated with autism, the results of evaluation from three teachers in mathematics and technology showed mix of responses. One of the three teachers had understood the purpose and commented on how the material inspired his own taking on how to teach for these students, for instance by reformulating problems or add material in the making of problems to make it easier for students on the autistic spectrum to engage with them. The other two teachers mentioned the lack of sufficient amount of math problems which could be of any use in their own teaching, although they saw how some of the parts were useful for other purposes. I suggest that the responses were mixed as an effect of misunderstanding of the real purpose of the introductory material. Since the making of a new introductory material given the feedback was not tested, the conclusions regarding how well this material meets the context cannot be properly validated.

Submitted by Aelson Maciera (aelsoncm@terra.com.br) on 2017-04-11T17:14:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseGOB.pdf: 2831285 bytes, checksum: cacb5bec1f7db77498788d440d426c1e (MD5)<br>Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-04-19T20:09:36Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseGOB.pdf: 2831285 bytes, checksum: cacb5bec1f7db77498788d440d426c1e (MD5)<br>Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-04-19T20:09:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseGOB.pdf: 2831285 bytes, checksum: cacb5bec1f7db77498788d440d426c1e (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-19T20:14:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseGOB.pdf: 2831285 bytes, checksum: cacb5bec1f7db77498788d440d426c1e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-26<br>Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)<br>The autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by inadequacies in social interaction, communication skills, learning and adaptability. The person with ASD should be exposed to conditions that stimulate its maximum development in order to promote the learning process in different contexts. In this sense, the hippotherapy can be an effective strategy in the child development process with ASD, since it favors different sensory systems. However, in order the learning process to become efficient, it is necessary to employ compensatory teaching strategies that provide access to information in order to provide effective opportunity to participate in the activity. The study aimed at analyzing the effectiveness of aid levels in the posture learning process in hippotherapy for children with ASD. As for the method, this study was single-subject design, type AB with replicas of designs with single subject; three children with ASD aged between four and nine years had participated in the study. Participants underwent hippotherapy intervention lasting four months, twice a week, corresponding to 31 individual sessions of hippotherapy. As data collection instrument was made anamnesis with the parents or guardians, the Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities, field diary and checklist. The checklist was based on 10 postures namely, mount, prone, side mount, inverted mount, inverted prone, standing in the stirrups, four supports, inverted four supports, kneeling and reversed kneeling. The data analysis on the progress of each participant was descriptive. Regarding the results, it was observed that all participants were able to perform the postures with verbal assistance at the late intervention, and the learning process mediated by the visualverbal, physical and verbal aids. The latter was predominant. We conclude that the aid was effective overall, once all participants have evolved compared to the baseline, they also respond more effectively to physical and verbal assistance to later the verbal one. Moreover, learning is favored by the association of various aids, as different sensory inputs were benefited; therefore, there is no universally more efficient method; each child has a peculiar way of relating to the world and hence to the learning processes.<br>O transtorno do espectro autista (TEA) caracteriza-se por inadequações na interação social, habilidade comunicativa, aprendizado e capacidade de adaptação. A pessoa com TEA deve ser exposta a condições que estimulem o seu máximo desenvolvimento, de modo a favorecer o processo de aprendizagem em diferentes contextos. Nessa direção, a equoterapia pode ser uma estratégia efetiva no processo de desenvolvimento da criança com TEA, uma vez que favorece diversos sistemas sensoriais. Contudo, para que o processo de aprendizagem torne-se eficiente, faz-se necessário empregar estratégias de ensino compensatórias que viabilizem o acesso à informação de forma a proporcionar efetiva oportunidade de participação na atividade. O estudo objetivou analisar a efetividade dos níveis de auxílio no processo de aprendizagem de posturas em equoterapia por crianças com TEA. Quanto ao método, o presente estudo foi de delineamento de sujeito único, do tipo AB, com réplicas em delineamentos com sujeito único. Participaram do estudo três crianças com TEA, com idades entre quatro e nove anos. Os participantes foram submetidos a intervenção equoterápica com duração de quatro meses, duas vezes na semana, o que correspondeu a 31 sessões individuais de equoterapia. Como instrumento de coleta de dados, foi realizada uma anamnese com os pais ou responsáveis, um protocolo de Avaliação de Habilidades Básicas de Aprendizagem (sigla em inglês: ABLA – Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities), um diário de campo e uma checklist. A lista de checagem foi baseada em 10 posturas, sendo elas: montaria, decúbito ventral, montaria lateral, montaria invertida, decúbito ventral invertido, em pé sobre os estribos, quatro apoios, quatro apoios invertido, ajoelhado e ajoelhado invertido. A análise dos dados a respeito da evolução de cada participante foi descritiva. Com relação aos resultados, observou-se que todos os participantes foram capazes de realizar as posturas com auxílio verbal ao final da intervenção, sendo o processo de aprendizagem mediado pelos auxílios visual-verbal e físico-verbal, este último foi predominante. Conclui-se que, de maneira geral, os auxílios foram efetivos, pois todos os participantes evoluíram quando comparados à linha de base, como também responderam com maior efetividade ao auxílio físico-verbal para, posteriormente, responderem ao verbal. Além disso, a aprendizagem foi favorecida com a associação dos diferentes auxílios, pois diferentes entradas sensoriais foram beneficiadas; portanto, não há um método universalmente mais eficiente, pois cada criança tem uma maneira peculiar de relacionar-se com o mundo e, consequentemente, com os processos de aprendizagem.

The prevalence of autism in the United States is 1 in 68 children. African American children are less likely to receive advance testing to confirm the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome (AS) compared to other ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to determine if demographic factors (parental education level, family annual income, marital status of custodial parent(s), parent ethnicity, number of children in home, other children with disability, family location, mother age at time of birth, gender of child, birth status of child, adoption status and age, child order, and other disability) have any predictive relationship to AS diagnosis among African American children in the Washington Metropolitan area. A quantitative correlational study of a cross-sectional nature was conducted using a survey to collect data from parents of children age 3-16 (n= 187) who may or may not have a confirmed autism diagnosis. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory provided an understanding of how environmental factors may be related to a diagnosis of AS. Chi-square analyses were conducted and statistically significant higher frequencies of diagnosis were found in parents with no other child with a disability, later born children, and parents who have been married. Logistic regressions analysis resulted in parental marital status being found to be a statistically significant predictor of a child having an official AS diagnosis. There is a critical need to train health care professionals working in underserved communities where minority groups may reside about AS. Results from this study may provide information to develop policies, community-based services, and programs that ensure that children can receive an accurate AS diagnosis regardless of factors such as race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

Thesis(MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that, at present, affects approximately one out of every 100 children globally and indications are that the prevalence thereof is steadily on the rise. ASD is a complex neurological condition that impairs social interaction, communication and behaviour. Research on the wide-ranging effects of ASD and its unique characteristics in each child with ASD is widely available. Several studies refer to the fact that ASD has an impact on the family unit, but very few researchers have investigated the support that families from different cultural groups in South Africa are enjoying whilst raising a child with autism. The current situation being what it is means that professionals and families have very little data on the subject and inadequate support is available to address the specific needs of families who are raising a child with autism. The aim of this study was to investigate the support structures of three families from three different cultural groups in South Africa who were raising a child with autism. The central issue that was researched was the support structures available to parents raising a child with autism, and how parents access that support. This is a qualitative study within an interpretive research paradigm. In this case study, the methods of data collection comprised semi-structured interviews, observations and reflective journals. This design embraced qualitative research methods that could expose the uniqueness of each family’s experience and allowed participants the freedom to express this. The three families, who were purposefully selected for this study, were from different cultural backgrounds. One of the children in each family met the criteria published in the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition, text revision (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) for Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). The study found that the parents in the three families received support from their spouses and the neuro-typical siblings. The families also enjoyed physical support, financial support and emotional support from different sources. Parents reported feeling supported when others show acceptance and understanding of their children’s deficits and when such others are prepared to ‘go the extra mile’. The three families also perceived information and guidance as a valuable source of support. Even though they had firm support structures in place, they also reported on the lack of support available to them. All three families enjoyed these forms of support, but it was interesting to find out that the families received the support from different sources.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Outisme of outisme spektrum versteuring (OSV) is 'n toestand wat tans ongeveer een uit elke 100 kinders wêreldwyd affekteer en daar is aanduidings dat die voorkoms daarvan steeds toeneem. OSV is 'n komplekse neurologiese toestand wat swak sosiale interaksie, kommunikasie en gedrag tot gevolg het. Navorsingsresultate oor die breë gevolge van OSV en die unieke eienskappe daarvan in elke kind met OSV is algemeen beskikbaar. Verskeie studies verwys na die feit dat OSV 'n impak het op die gesinseenheid, maar tot dusver het baie min navorsers die ondersteuning ondersoek wat gesinne uit verskillende kulturele groepe in Suid-Afrika tydens die opvoeding van 'n kind met outisme geniet . Die huidige situasie voorsien professionele mense en gesinne van baie min data oor die onderwerp en onvoldoende ondersteuning is beskikbaar om die spesifieke behoeftes van gesinne met 'n kind met outisme aan te spreek. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die ondersteuning wat gesinne in verskillende kultuurgroepe in Suid-Afrika tydens die opvoeding van ‘n kind met outisme geniet. Die sentrale ondersoekvraag het betrekking gehad op ondersteuningstrukture vir gesinne met ‘n kind met outisme binne hul kultuurgroep, sowel as die wyse waarop die gesinne toegang tot die ondersteuning verkry. Die studie was kwalitatief van aard binne 'n interpretatiewe navorsingsparadigma en ’n gevallestudie is as navorsingsontwerp gekies. Data is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, waarnemings en reflektiewe joernale ingesamel. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes omvat die uniekheid van elke gesin se ervaring en laat deelnemers die vryheid om uitdrukking daaraan te gee. Drie gesinne is doelbewus vir hierdie studie gekies. Die gesinne moes oor die volgende kenmerke beskik: Hulle moes uit verskillende kulturele agtergronde (Afrikaan, Wit en Indiër) kom. Hul kind moes voldoen aan die kriteria in die Diagnostiese en Statistiese Handleiding van geestesversteurings, vierde uitgawe, teks hersiening (2000) vir Outisme of pervasieve ontwikkelingsstoornis nie anders gespesifiseer nie (PDD-NOS). Verskeie etiese beginsels is vir hierdie studie nagekom om te verseker dat die navorsing eties was. Die studie het bevind dat die ouers in die drie gesinne ondersteuning van hul gades en die neurotipiese broers en susters van die kind met outisme ontvang het. Die gesinne het ook fisiese ondersteuning, finansiële steun en emosionele ondersteuning vanuit verskillende bronne geniet. Die gesinne het aangedui dat hul ondersteun voel wanneer hul kinders se afwykings aanvaar word, begrip daarvoor getoon word en andere bereid was om die ‘ekstra myl te loop’. Die drie gesinne het ook inligting en leiding as waardevolle bronne van ondersteuning ervaar. Selfs al het die families sterk ondersteuningstrukture in plek gehad, het hulle ook die gebrek aan ondersteuning uitgelig. Al drie gesinne geniet die bogenoemde vorme van ondersteuning, maar dit was interessant om uit te vind dat die families hierdie ondersteuning vanuit verskillende bronne ontvang het.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-07-18T11:46:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata Cristina Michel.pdf: 1614274 bytes, checksum: e95f711d2385e57a6d1783ef14a0dfa6 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-18T11:46:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Renata Cristina Michel.pdf: 1614274 bytes, checksum: e95f711d2385e57a6d1783ef14a0dfa6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-10<br>Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES<br>Results from previous studies indicated that there was a reduction in the percentage of intervals with occurrence of disruptive behaviors after children with ASD were taught a verbal response relevant to the situation that evoked such behaviors; and there was an increase in the percentage of intervals with occurrence of relevant verbal responses (control). In the present study, we sought to verify the effect, on disruptive behaviors, on the emission of verbal responses and non-verbal responses, from a Functional Communication Training (FCT), plus a procedure to avoid escape of important activities by participants; it was also sought to verify if there was a generalization of the verbal response before a naive experimenter. Participants were three children between three and six years old, diagnosed with autism, who attended to school for at least one year, had verbal behavior below that expected for the age, and disruptive behaviors maintained by negative reinforcement (task escape). A functional analysis was performed composed of three experimental conditions: Demand; Attention; and Control. The results of the functional analysis showed that there was a considerably greater number of disruptive responses emitted by the three participants in the demand condition. In the Functional Communication Training (FCT) phase, each participant was taught to request a pause to perform tasks through verbal command responses. Initially, the participant was instructed to issue the verbal response, immediately after the presentation of the task, and gradually increased the time between the issuance of the experimenter's instruction ("Do ...") and the tip for verbal response by participant, until the verbal response was issued without any prompt. The results showed that the three participants presented a decrease in the emission of disruptive responses after the acquisition of the verbal response to request a pause to perform tasks. Then, in the Fading out phase for the task execution response and a gradual decrease of the prompt was implemented, from highest to lowest: DF - total physical hint, DL - light physical tip, DG - gestural tip and I - independent response. The results indicated that the three participants acquired the response for the task execution, reducing the emission of verbal pause requests for execution and maintaining a low number of disruptive responses. In the generalization test of the verbal response (mand) and the non-verbal response (do the task) to a naive experimenter, it was verified that for all the participants there was generalization of the verbal response and generalization of the nonverbal response<br>Resultados de estudos anteriores apontaram que houve redução da porcentagem dos intervalos com ocorrência de comportamentos disruptivos após crianças com TEA serem ensinadas a emitir resposta verbal relevante à situação que evocava tais comportamentos; e houve aumento da porcentagem dos intervalos com ocorrência de respostas verbais relevantes (mando). No presente estudo, buscou-se verificar o efeito, sobre comportamentos disruptivos, sobre a emissão de respostas verbais e de respostas não verbais, de um Treino de Comunicação Funcional (FCT), acrescido de um procedimento para evitar a esquiva de atividades importantes pelos participantes; buscou-se, também, verificar se ocorria generalização da emissão da resposta verbal diante de experimentadora ingênua. Foram participantes três crianças, entre três e seis anos de idade, diagnosticadas com autismo, que frequentavam escola há pelo menos um ano, apresentavam comportamento verbal abaixo do esperado para a idade e comportamentos disruptivos mantidos por reforçamento negativo (fuga da tarefa). Foi conduzida análise funcional composta de três condições experimentais: Condição de demanda; Condição de atenção; e Condição controle. Os resultados da análise funcional mostraram que houve um número consideravelmente maior de respostas disruptivas emitidos pelos três participantes na condição de demanda. Na fase do Treino de Comunicação Funcional (FCT), cada participante foi ensinado a solicitar pausa da execução de tarefas através de respostas verbais de mando. Inicialmente, era dada dica ao participante para emissão da resposta verbal, imediatamente após a apresentação da tarefa, e aumentava-se gradativamente o tempo entre a emissão da instrução da experimentadora (“Faça...”) e a dica para a resposta verbal pelo participante, até que a resposta verbal fosse emitida sem nenhuma dica. Os resultados mostraram que os três participantes apresentaram diminuição na emissão de respostas disruptivas após a aquisição da resposta verbal para solicitação de pausa para a execução de tarefas. Em seguida, na fase de Dica para a resposta de execução da tarefa e diminuição gradativa da dica (Fading-out), foi implementado um procedimento de alteração do nível de dica, da maior para a menor: DF - dica física total, DL – dica física leve, DG – dica gestual e I – resposta independente. Os resultados apontaram que os três participantes adquiriram a resposta de execução das tarefas, reduzindo a emissão de respostas verbais de solicitação de pausa para a sua execução e mantendo baixo número de emissão de respostas disruptivas. No teste de generalização da emissão de resposta verbal (mando) e do tempo de permanência na tarefa diante de uma experimentadora ingênua, verificou-se que, para todos os participantes, houve generalização da resposta verbal e generalização da resposta não verbal

This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment ofthe requirement ofthe degree for Doctor ofClinical Psychology at the University ofBirmingham. The thesis consists ofa literature review and empirical paper. The literature review focuses on evidence for a degree ofoverlap between autistic spectrum disorder and psychosis. Evidence suggests that ASD may be a risk factor for psychosis. There may also be a sub group ofindividuals presenting with psychosis who have ASD. It can be speculated that this sub group have an early onset ofschiZ<?phrenia, display severe pre-morbid . , impairments, and suffer with predominantly negative symptoms. Further research is urgently needed. The empirical .paper examines autistic spectrum traits and empathy in individuals at risk of devel<?ping psychosis. A gro\iP at high risk of psychosis scored significantly higher on a measure ofautistic spectrum traits, and significantly lower on a measure of empathy than a control group. Twenty-seven percent ofthe high risk group scored above the cut off for a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. Preliminary analysis suggested that autistic spectrum traits or empathy were not associated with particular psychotic symptoms. Clinicians need to be mindful ofautistic spectrum traits in psychosis samples.

Questions have been raised as to whether the patterns of thoughts and behaviours experienced by individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) can be indicative of comorbid obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The current study aimed to compare the experiences of adults with ASD or OCD and healthy controls (HC) in terms of the symptoms experienced and the associated emotions and responses. Associations between autistic traits and OCD severity were explored. A cross-sectional design utilising MANOVA, ANOVA and correlation was employed. Methods: Eighteen participants with ASD, 20 with OCD and 19 healthy controls completed self-report measures and interviews assessing IQ, comorbid diagnoses, OCD symptoms, autistic traits and emotions and responses associated with obsessional thoughts. Participants with ASD scored significantly higher than healthy controls in terms of OCD severity and also number of obsessions and compulsions and associated distress. While the OCD and ASD groups did not differ significantly on OCD severity, the OCD group reported significantly higher levels of sadness, worry, shame, guilt and disapproval triggered by obsessions. The ASD and healthy control groups were largely comparable on these factors. Associations were found between OCD severity and particular domains which are typically impaired in ASD, including social skills, attention switching, communication and imagination. Findings suggest that OCD symptoms may be common and a source of distress in individuals with ASD, thus perhaps warranting psychological intervention. Further research into the exact nature of this distress and how this can be assessed is required.

Section A: A review of current research literature relating to the impact of child ASD upon non-affected siblings and the utility of sibling group interventions. The first section summarises and critiques studies relating to the social, emotional and behavioural adjustment of siblings, including consideration of potential mediating factors and discussion of methodological issues. The second section considers evidence for one intervention for this group, ASD-specific sibling support groups. The review suggests that inconsistencies remain within the sibling research literature and that there is a clear need for UK-based outcome research. Section B: Background: Having a brother or sister with an ASD can be challenging for non-affected siblings. These children may experience reduced parental attention, isolation from peers and difficult sibling behaviours. This pilot study aimed to investigate the utility of support groups for siblings of children with ASDs. Methods: A within group, mixed methods design was used with a pre-intervention baseline. Participants were 35 children, aged 7-15 years, with an ASD sibling. All were attending ASD-specific sibling group interventions across the South East of England. Sibling rated self-concept, anxiety and anger and parent-rated emotional difficulties were collected at pre group, post group and follow up. One group also participated in a focus group. Results: Results indicated significant improvements in self concept and significant decreases in anger and anxiety following participation in an ASD-specific sibling group. Anxiety continued to decrease at 3 month follow up. Parent-rated sibling emotional difficulties did not change. All siblings valued the groups. Four main themes were identified from qualitative data: Siblings valued the opportunity to meet similar others, have fun, learn new information about ASD and apply this knowledge to their own situation. Conclusions: The present pilot study extends existing literature on ASD-specific sibling groups. This is one of the first studies to combine qualitative data with standardised outcome measures. Participation in an ASD-specific support group may be associated with more positive self concept and decreased anger and anxiety. Given inherent study limitations, further, controlled research studies are warranted. Section C: A critical appraisal of the study conducted in section B and a reflective account of the process. This includes consideration of research skills learnt, future adaptations, clinical implications and ideas for future research.

Visuospatial abilities are considered essential to our interaction with the environment and are involved in many every-day activities (Hegarty & Waller, 2005; Jansen, Wiedenbauer, & Hahn, 2010). A useful way to approach this neuropsychological domain is the global-local paradigm, according to which, people may attend an event using a global processing style, in which they consider the gestalt of a set of stimuli, or a local processing style, in which they focus on details (Förster & Dannenberg, 2010; Navon, 1977; Schooler, 2002). An abundance of research on global versus local processing has revealed preferential processing styles (with a global or local bias) in specific neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly as concerns Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (Caron, Mottron, Dawson, Bertiaume, & Dawson, 2006; Kuschner, Bodner, & Minshew, 2009). Conflicting findings have often emerged in the literature (see for example Van der Hallen, Evers, Brewaeys, Van den Noortgate, & Wagemans, 2015), however, showing that participants with different developmental disorders can process both global and local information, depending on the task requirements and the cognitive domain involved, but in different and atypical ways (Dukette & Stiles, 2001). These results prevent possible generalizations and need to be further explored. Differently, global and local processing styles have never been studied in children with other neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD), even though there is evidence to suggest that the issue could be relevant in individuals with NLD as well (Chow & Skuy, 1999). For this reason, cross-task and cross-syndrome comparisons are suggested as the best way to analyze these processing abilities and reveal similarities and differences in global and local processing styles in neurodevelopmental disorders (D’Souza, Booth, Connolly, Happé, & Karmiloff-Smith, 2016). The main aim of this PhD dissertation is to improve our understanding of the role of global and local visuospatial processing in the neuropsychological profile of specific neurodevelopmental disorders, using cross-task and cross-disorder comparisons. Children with ASD without intellectual disability (ID) or NLD were tested in terms of their performance in different domains of visuospatial skills, comparing them with each other and with children who had other neurodevelopmental disorders, such as dyslexia or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The assessment focused on visuospatial processing speed, visuo-perceptual and visuo-constructive abilities, visuospatial working memory (VSWM), and their interplay with local and global processing. Based on the modified Block Design Task (BDT) paradigm (Caron et al., 2006), new tasks and stimuli have been devised in order to assess the previously mentioned visuospatial abilities, and four studies have been carried out. Study I aimed to make a cross-task comparison on global-local visuospatial processing in two groups of participants with ASD without ID – with and without a visuospatial peak (–P and –NP) – comparing them with matched typically developing (TD) individuals. The results helped us to clarify the visuospatial profile of the two groups of individuals with ASD, demonstrating the importance of taking specific factors into account (i.e. the visuospatial domains examined and the perceptual reasoning abilities). Participants with ASD-NP performed poorly in all domains, revealing weaker spatial integration abilities in the visuo-perceptual domain and a diminished sensitivity to perceptual coherence in the VSWM, while the ASD-P group used both global and local processing effectively according to the task, and a local bias only emerged in the visuo-constructive task. In agreement with D’Souza and coauthors (2016), our results support the conviction that labelling individuals with ASD as ‘local processors’ is restrictive. They may use both local and global processing styles depending on the demands of the task in hand, the visuospatial domain involved and their cognitive visuospatial functioning. Study II (Chapter 3) aimed to investigate global and local visuospatial processing in children with symptoms of NLD comparing them with children with symptoms of dyslexia and with TD controls. The results showed that children with symptoms of NLD were less accurate in visuo-constructive tasks, while children with symptoms of dyslexia were only slightly impaired in a visuo-constructive task, but clearly slower in the perceptual task. Children with symptoms of NLD were less able to benefit from different levels of coherence of the stimuli, probably as a consequence of their less flexible and efficient visuospatial processes (Mammarella, & Cornoldi, 2005). In particular, the global dominance mechanism (Navon, 1977) made it more complicated for the group with symptoms of NLD to switch from a global to a local processing, which was needed to complete the visuo-constructive task correctly. After investigating the issue of global and local visuospatial processing separately for ASD without ID and NLD, the aim of Study III (Chapter 4) was to draw a cross-disorders comparison, highlighting similarities and differences across three clinical profiles - ASD without ID, NLD and ADHD - as compared with TD controls. Our results revealed different visuospatial profiles for the groups considered, and suggested the utility of manipulating the coherence of stimuli to investigate visuospatial skills. Marked deficit in all the visuospatial domains emerged for the group with NLD, confirming that impairments in the visuospatial domain are core and distinctive symptoms of this disorder (Cornoldi, Mammarella, & Fine, 2016; Semrud-Clikeman, Walkowiak, Wilkinson, & Christopher, 2010). In addition, difficulty in integrating local configurations in a coherent whole emerged for the visuo-perceptual domain. A heterogeneous profile emerged for children with ADHD, which showed, consistently with previous studies, impairment in the visuospatial processing speed domain and in VSWM (Martinussen, Hayden, Hogg-Johnson, & Tannock, 2005; Weigard & Huang-Pollock, 2017). Moreover, these participants presented some difficulties in visuo-constructive abilities when they had to deal with global configurations, while they performed normally in visuo-perceptual task. Differently, participants with ASD performed normally in all the examined domains, using effectively both global and local visuospatial processes, with the sole exception of the visuo-constructive task in which this group showed slower response times and a diminished sensitivity to perceptual coherence (Caron et al., 2006; Shah & Frith, 1993). Finally, since individuals with NLD and those with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome (DSM-IV TR, American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000) are often confused, Study IV (Chapter 5) included a further comparison between ASD and NLD. Visuo-constructive abilities and VSWM were investigated in a subgroup of participants with ASD without ID and without a visuospatial peak (ASD-NP) and in a group with NLD. Thus, Study IV aimed to analyze whether ASD-NP – though not representative of the ASD without ID population as a whole– shared any characteristics with the NLD group. Once again, our results differentiate the visuospatial profile of children with NLD from that of children with ASD. The former group showed an impaired performance in all the domains examined affecting both global and local levels of processing. The ASD group had a more heterogeneous profile, with normal performance in VSWM and in the drawing of a complex figure, slower response times in the segmented condition of visuoconstructive BDT and a more local and fragmented drawing style in the recall of a complex figure. Here again, local bias affected the performance of participants with ASD in tasks demanding visuoconstructive skills that specifically involved combining parts to form a single whole (Simic, Khan, & Rovet, 2013). General conclusions derived from the main findings of the four studies, and both clinical and educational implications will be thus highlighted in the final chapter of this dissertation. To conclude, investigating visuospatial abilities and global-local processing in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders offer crucial insight for the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the clinical profiles examined and for their differential diagnosis. There is still space for further research on the domains of visuospatial abilities, and on the general neuropsychological functioning of children with different neurodevelopmental disorders. This dissertation was an effort to raise and clarify some points, however other questions remain open and will require further studies.<br>Le abilità visuospaziali sono un insieme di abilità considerate essenziali nell’interazione con l’ambiente e sono coinvolte in numerose attività quotidiane (Hegarty & Waller, 2005; Jansen, Wiedenbauer, & Hahn, 2010). Il paradigma di elaborazione globale-locale (Navon, 1977) costituisce un utile approccio per studiare questo dominio neuropsicologico. Secondo tale paradigma le persone possono percepire un evento usando uno stile di elaborazione globale, per cui considerano la gestalt di un insieme di stimoli, o uno stile di elaborazione locale, per cui si focalizzano sui dettagli (Förster & Dannenberg, 2010; Navon, 1977; Schooler, 2002). Numerose ricerche sull’elaborazione globale-locale hanno rivelato l’uso preferenziale di uno stile di elaborazione (con un bias globale o locale) in specifici disturbi del neurosviluppo, in particolare riguardo al disturbo dello spettro dell’autismo (ASD) (Caron, Mottron, Dawson, Bertiaume, & Dawson, 2006; Kuschner, Bodner, & Minshew, 2009). Tuttavia, risultati conflittuali sono spesso emersi in letteratura (vedi Van der Hallen, Evers, Brewaeys, Van den Noortgate, & Wagemans, 2015) e mostrano come i partecipanti con differenti disturbi dello sviluppo possono elaborare sia informazioni locali che globali, a seconda delle richieste del compito e del dominio cognitivo coinvolto, ma in modi differenti e atipici (Dukette & Stiles, 2001). Questi risultati prevengono possibili generalizzazioni e necessitano di essere ulteriormente esplorati. Al contrario, gli stili di elaborazione globale-locale non sono mai stati studiati in bambini con altri disturbi del neurosviluppo, come il disturbo dell’apprendimento nonverbale (NLD), nonostante evidenze abbiano suggerito che questi aspetti possano essere rilevanti anche nell’NLD (Chow & Skuy, 1999). Per tale ragione, confronti tra differenti disturbi del neurosviluppo e attraverso l’uso di diversi compiti vengono suggeriti come il metodo migliore per analizzare queste abilità ed evidenziare similitudini o differenze nell’uso degli stili di elaborazione (D’Souza, Booth, Connolly, Happé, & Karmiloff-Smith, 2016). L'obiettivo principale della presente tesi di Dottorato è quello di migliorare la nostra comprensione del ruolo dell’elaborazione visuospaziale globale-locale nel profilo neuropsicologico di specifici disturbi del neurosviluppo, attraverso la comparazione di diversi disturbi e l’uso di prove differenti. Sono state indagate le prestazioni di partecipanti con ASD senza disabilità intellettiva (ID) o NLD in diversi domini di abilità visuospaziali, confrontandoli tra loro e con bambini aventi altri disturbi del neurosviluppo, come la dislessia o il deficit di attenzione/iperattività (ADHD). L’assessment si è concentrato sull’indagine della velocità di elaborazione visuospaziale, delle abilità visuo-percettive, visuo-costruttive e di memoria di lavoro visuospaziale (VSWM). È stata inoltre indagata l’interazione tra le performance in questi domini e l'elaborazione globale-locale. Sulla base del paradigma modificato di disegno con cubi (BDT) (Caron et al., 2006), sono stati elaborati nuovi compiti e stimoli per valutare le abilità visuospaziali menzionate. In particolare, sono stati condotti quattro studi. Lo Studio I ha indagato gli stili di elaborazione visuospaziale globale-locale in due gruppi di partecipanti con ASD senza ID - con e senza un picco visuospaziale (-P e -NP) - confrontandoli con individui a sviluppo tipico (TD). I risultati hanno permesso di chiarire il profilo visuospaziale dei due gruppi di partecipanti con ASD, dimostrando l’importanza di tenere in considerazione fattori specifici (come i domini di abilità visuospaziali esaminati e le abilità di ragionamento percettivo dei partecipanti). I partecipanti con ASD-NP hanno ottenuto scarsi risultati in tutti i domini, mostrando inferiori capacità di integrazione spaziale nel dominio visuo-percettivo e una ridotta sensibilità alla coerenza percettiva nella VSWM, mentre il gruppo ASD-P ha utilizzato entrambe le strategie di elaborazione globale e locale in modo efficace in base al compito e un bias locale è emerso solo nel compito visuo-costruttivo. In accordo con D'Souza et al. (2016), i nostri risultati sostengono la convinzione che etichettare gli individui con ASD come "local processors" sia restrittivo. Infatti, essi possono utilizzare entrambi gli stili di elaborazione locale e globale a seconda delle richieste del compito, del dominio visuospaziale coinvolto e del loro funzionamento cognitivo di tipo visuospaziale. Lo studio II (Capitolo 3) ha indagato l'elaborazione visuospaziale globale-locale nei bambini con sintomi di NLD confrontandoli con bambini con sintomi di dislessia e con TD. I risultati hanno mostrato un’accuratezza inferiore per i bambini con sintomi di NLD nel compito visuo-costruttivo, mentre i bambini con sintomi di dislessia hanno mostrato lievi difficoltà nel compito visuo-costruttivo e una chiara lentezza in quello viuso-percettivo. Inoltre, i bambini con sintomi di NLD si sono mostrati meno in grado di beneficiare dei diversi livelli di coerenza degli stimoli, probabilmente come conseguenza dei loro processi visuospaziali meno flessibili ed efficienti (Mammarella & Cornoldi, 2005). In particolare, il meccanismo di dominanza globale (Navon, 1977) ha reso più complicato per il gruppo con sintomi di NLD il passaggio dall’elaborazione globale a quella locale, necessario per completare correttamente il compito visuo-costruttivo. Dopo aver esaminato l’elaborazione visuospaziale globale-locale separatamente per ASD senza ID e NLD, lo scopo dello Studio III (Capitolo 4) era quello di effettuare un confronto tra disturbi, evidenziando somiglianze e differenze tra tre profili clinici - ASD senza ID, NLD e ADHD - rispetto ai TD. I nostri risultati hanno rivelato diversi profili visuospaziali per i gruppi considerati e suggerito l'utilità di manipolare la coerenza degli stimoli per l’indagine di tali abilità. Per il gruppo con NLD è emerso un deficit marcato in tutti i domini visuospaziali, a conferma che le difficoltà in tale dominio costituiscono sintomi fondamentali e distintivi di questo disturbo (Cornoldi, Mammarella & Fine, 2016, Semrud-Clikeman, Walkowiak, Wilkinson e Christopher, 2010). Inoltre, per il dominio visuo-percettivo è emersa la difficoltà di integrare le configurazioni locali in un insieme coerente. Per il gruppo con ADHD si è evidenziato un profilo eterogeneo, i partecipanti con tale diagnosi hanno mostrato, in linea con gli studi precedenti, un deficit nel dominio di velocità di elaborazione visuospaziale e nella VSWM (Martinussen, Hayden, Hogg-Johnson & Tannock, 2005, Weigard & Huang-Pollock, 2017). Inoltre, questi partecipanti hanno presentato alcune difficoltà nelle abilità viso-costruttive quando dovevano ricostruire configurazioni globali, mentre sono emerse abilità visuo-percettive in norma. Diversamente, i partecipanti con ASD hanno mostrato prestazioni in norma in tutti i domini esaminati, utilizzando efficacemente processi visuospaziali globali e locali, con l'unica eccezione del compito visuo-costruttivo in cui questo gruppo ha mostrato tempi di risposta più lenti e una sensibilità ridotta alla coerenza percettiva (Caron et al., 2006; Shah & Frith, 1993). Infine, considerato che i profili di individui con NLD e con autismo ad alto funzionamento o sindrome di Asperger (DSM-IV TR, American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000) sono spesso confusi, nello Studio IV (Capitolo 5) è stato proposto un ulteriore confronto tra ASD e NLD. Le abilità visuo-costruttive e la VSWM sono state studiate in un sottogruppo di partecipanti con ASD senza ID e senza picco visuospaziale (ASD-NP) e in partecipanti con NLD. Lo scopo era quello di analizzare se il gruppo con ASD-NP - sebbene non rappresentativo dell'intera popolazione con ASD senza ID – condividesse o meno caratteristiche con il gruppo NLD. Ancora una volta, i nostri risultati hanno permesso di differenziare il profilo visuospaziale dei bambini con NLD da quello dei bambini con ASD. Il primo gruppo ha mostrato prestazioni deficitarie in tutti i domini esaminati sia per il livello di elaborazione locale sia per quello globale. Il gruppo con ASD ha mostrato invece un profilo più eterogeneo, con prestazioni in norma nella VSWM e nel disegno di una figura complessa, tempi di risposta più lenti nella condizione segmentata della prova visuo-costruttiva e uno stile di disegno locale e frammentato nel disegno a memoria di una figura complessa. Anche qui, il bias locale ha influenzato le prestazioni dei partecipanti con ASD in compiti che richiedevano competenze visuo-costruttive e nello specifico di combinare le parti per formare un unico insieme (Simic, Khan, & Rovet, 2013). Infine, le conclusioni generali derivate dai principali risultati dei quattro studi e le loro implicazioni cliniche ed educative sono state evidenziate nel capitolo conclusivo della presente tesi. Per concludere, l'analisi delle capacità visuospaziali e l'elaborazione globale-locale in individui con disturbi del neurosviluppo offrono una visione cruciale per l'analisi dei punti di forza e di debolezza dei profili clinici esaminati e per la loro diagnosi differenziale. C'è ancora molto spazio per ulteriori ricerche sulle capacità visuospaziali e sul funzionamento neuropsicologico generale dei bambini con diversi disturbi del neurosviluppo. La presente tesi ha avuto l’obiettivo di sollevare e chiarire alcuni punti, ma altre domande restano aperte e richiederanno ulteriori studi.

Current diagnostic criteria for autism are guided by the 'Triad of Impairments' (Wing & Gould, 1979), of which 'social impairment' forms an individual category. Social difficulties have been observed in children with autism under the age of two years and the difficulties continue throughout adulthood. Few studies have used computer-based training packages (CBTP's) to facilitate social competency in individuals with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study was completed in two phases: Phase I -compared 14 individuals with ASD (IQ ý: 70), ten individuals with no disabilities (ND) and eight individuals with mild mental retardation (MR; IQ 50-70) on their ability to identify appropriate and inappropriate social interactions using 12 scenarios on a tailor-made DVD. Phase H- the ASD group was divided into two groups. Eight individuals were trained using six of the scenarios from Phase I and eight new scenarios. Following training, both groups with ASD re-viewed the 12 scenarios shown in Phase I. The results showed that individuals with ASD were less able_to identify appropriate and inappropriate social skills than individuals with MR (t (18) = 4.9, p<00 1) or ND (t (13) = 7.5, p<00 1). The severity of the autistic symptoms negatively impacted on performance (r (14) =- . 83, p<. 001). The training group significantly improved their performance (z = -2.52, p= . 05) on both trained (z = -2.207, p= . 027) and untrained scenarios (z = -2.032, p . 042). The untrained group scores showed no significant difference between Phase I and Phase II. The current study identified that individuals with autism have more difficulty understanding inappropriate and appropriate behaviour than their MR and ND peers. However the DVD was an effective method of training a component of social competency for this population. Within the trained group, ability improved on untrained as well as trained scenarios, this suggests a generalisation of skills rather than rote learning or practice effects. Future studies would benefit from addressing how to generalise this skill from computers to 'real-life' situations.

This thesis consists of three chapters, a literature review, an empirical paper and a reflective paper. The literature review explores the relationship between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Personality Disorders (PDs). The focus is on examining empirical evidence regarding the shared features as well as the differences between the two types of disorder. The reviewed articles were all cross-sectional studies, with a range of population and comparison sample groups. The review identifies evidence suggesting that ASD and PD presentations share common features as well as displaying some distinct differences. Findings also point to considerable diagnostic co-occurrence of the two types of disorder. Methodological limitations are of the reviewed studies are discussed, clinical implications of the findings are considered and suggestions are made regarding future research directions. The empirical paper investigates the relationship between perceived parenting styles, personality traits and adult attachment style. Data was collected from a non-clinical opportunity sample using a number of self-report measures. Using moderation analysis, explanatory models were created to represent the relationship between perceived parenting, adult attachment style and personality traits. Neuroticism, conscientiousness and agreeableness were the most prominent personality traits, while the relative contribution of these personality traits varied according to gender and adult attachment style. Adult attachment style was also found to be influenced by the perceived type of parenting received from opposite sex parents. The results are discussed in relation to the existing evidence base, as are clinical implications and future research directions. Finally, the reflective paper comprises an overview of personal and professional development whilst undertaking my thesis. This involves a reflective discussion of my attachment style in relation to the research process and how this changed and developed over the course of writing my thesis.

Research suggests that individuals with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and learning disabilities (LD) experience difficulties in developing meaningful intimate relationships, and mainstream sex education is not adapted to meet their needs. However, ASD and LD frequently co-occur (ASD-LD), and findings suggest this population have unique needs, compared to those with ASD and LD. There is a paucity of research on how sex education should be adapted for individuals with ASD-LD. This study aimed to explore the views of 21 health and social care professionals, experienced in delivering sex education for adults with ASD-LD, on which characteristics of adults with ASD-LD should be considered when providing sex education, and what adaptations to sex education are thus required. To seek whether a group consensus between professionals could be gained, an electronic, three round, Delphi method was used. Findings showed that professionals agreed on the unique characteristics of adults with ASD-LD, and the various adaptations to sex education required, which differed for adults with ASD and LD. The most important characteristics and adaptations primarily related to; communication needs, cognitive and executive functions, social impairments, and sensory needs. The clinical and research implications of the findings are presented.

A dominant social cognition model has construed the central socio-communicative impairments in Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) as deficits in understanding others’ minds- what other people know, intend, believe and feel. Difficulties for individuals with ASD have been well documented on “Theory of Mind” (TOM) tasks designed to tap these skills (Boucher, 2012). Recently however, research has shifted toward exploring how individuals with ASD understand their own minds, and to look at the cognitive mechanisms involved in thinking about “the self”. The present thesis is situated in the context of this emerging self-referential cognition (SRC) research, including its close connection to social cognition. This thesis explored the quantitative and qualitative differences in neurotypical (NT) adolescents and those with ASD in generating self-images (e.g. concepts such as I am a female, I am a footballer, I am kind) through use of novel fluency tasks (the ‘I Am’ and ‘(s)he is’ tasks) based on the Twenty Statements Test (TST; Kuhn and McPartland, 1954). Relationships between these tasks and social cognition (TOM measures) were also explored. The results indicated that both NT adolescents and those with ASD exhibited a self-reference effect (SRE), generating more statements about themselves than other people. The magnitude of the SREs was found to be significantly related to several TOM measures such as performance on the Mind in the Eyes task of emotion recognition. Moreover, the ASD group produced significantly less personal attributions across all fluency tasks, but a similar number of social and physical attributions, compared to the NT group. This mirrored emerging findings that indicate a specific deficit in psychological but not physical self awareness in ASD (e.g. Williams, 2010). Additionally, the ASD group were found to make significantly fewer spontaneous social stereotypes on the (s)he is tasks, such as the “Beauty is Good” stereotype, a finding which contrasts with previous research showing preserved social stereotyping in children with ASD (Fonesca et al, 2011). The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings for individuals with ASD are discussed with reference to the “absent-self hypothesis” (e.g. Frith, 2003). Additionally, the promising utility of fluency measures in capturing important aspects of SRC are also noted, including suggestions for further research.

Offending in people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) though rare requires specialist knowledge of the risk factors involved, to adapt interventions effectively. A review of the somewhat sparse literature suggests that empathy impairments and social skills deficits are frequently cited risk factors, indicating that attachment security may be a mediating factor. Due to ‘common’ impairments in empathising abilities, offenders with ASD and Psychopathic Disorder are sometimes thought of similarly, but evidence suggests they show differing cognitive and affective empathy deficits (Blair, 2010). The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI: Davis, 1983) was used to measure cognitive and affective empathy in this study. A secure website was designed and created to access participants and collect data over the Internet. Regression analyses were carried out to investigate how the empathy levels and attachment styles varied with psychopathic and autistic traits in a community sample of 46 male and 34 female participants, of whom 13 had a diagnosis of an ASD and 17 had committed offences. These results are discussed with regard to implications for risk and risk management in offenders with ASD.

The present study examined inter-rater agreement on the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule DSM-IV Child and Parent Interview (ADIS-IV-C/P) in youth with autism spectrum disorder and if age and ASD diagnosis moderated agreement. Diagnoses established for 70 7-16-year-old youth with ASD during a live administration of the ADIS-IV-C/P were compared to diagnoses identified by a second rater after listening to audiotaped recordings of the interviews. Inter-rater agreement on parent and child reports was excellent (k=1.00). Inter-rater agreement on principal diagnoses (k=0.91), individual anxiety diagnoses (k=0.85-0.97), and other comorbid diagnoses (i.e., major depressive disorder, dysthymia, oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-Inattention/Hyperactivity/Combined Type) (0.89-1.00) were excellent; agreement did not differ as a function of ASD diagnosis or age. Results suggest that the anxiety disorders and comorbid disorders assessed by the ADIS-IV-C/P can be diagnosed by pairs of clinicians with good reliability.

Thesis (M.S.)--East Carolina University, 2009.<br>Advisor: John Heilmann. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed July 1, 2010). Presented to the faculty of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Includes bibliographical references.

The thesis presents a series of papers exploring catatonic symptoms and circadian rest-activity levels in autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). The thesis is presented in paper-based format and encompasses a literature review, an empirical paper and a critical appraisal. Paper 1 is a systematic review of available treatments for autistic catatonia. Catatonic symptoms are thought to occur in around 8% of young people with ASD, and it has been suggested that biological timing abnormalities may play a key role in the development of these difficulties. Twenty two papers were included in the final review, detailing treatment of a total of 28 cases of autistic catatonia. Both adult and paediatric cases were included. The range of treatments described encompassed electroconvulsive therapy, various psychotropic medications, behavioural and sensory therapies. The review highlights limitations in the available literature and suggests avenues for future research. Paper 2 explores circadian patterns in activity using actigraphy. A case series of 8 young people with an ASD diagnosis were recruited from specialist schools and asked to wear an actigraph for one week. Parents completed questionnaire measures of ASD traits and symptoms of autistic catatonia. Findings indicated a high degree of variability in circadian rest-activity cycles, both between participants and across the week. The study findings have implications for future research into circadian rest-activity levels in this population, as well as possible therapeutic applications. The final paper in the thesis presents a critical appraisal of the research, including discussion of strengths and limitations of the work, theoretical and clinical implications and directions for future research. Some personal reflections on the process of conducting the research are also included.

Impairment in social interaction is one of the defining characteristics of autistic-spectrum disorders. Three factors that may influence the pattern of social skills deficits in autistic individuals are explored in the present study. 1. Can the autistic individual pass theory of mind tasks? Baron-Cohen, Leslie and Frith (1985) suggested that the core impairments of autism could be explained by an inability to attribute mental states to oneself and others. The term 'theory of mind' is used to refer to this ability to represent mental states. 2. Does the autistic individual use logical/factual or mentalist strategies to solve theory of mind tasks? Happe (1994) suggested that if success on theory of mind tasks was due to the use of a logical strategy, this would explain why these individuals were still socially impaired. The underlying reasoning strategy about social situations may have an influence on everyday social interactions. 3. Is general social reasoning influencing theory of mind task performance and achievement of everyday social skills? Several suggestions have been made as to possible reasoning strategies that may be used by children with autistic spectrum disorders to solve theory of mind tasks or to circumvent a lack of theory of mind ability in everyday life. Children with high-functioning autism/Asperger's Syndrome were tested with a battery of theory of mind tasks (1st and 2nd order) and social reasoning tasks. Their performance on these tasks was compared to their everyday social skills as assessed by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Sparrow et al, 1984) and other parentrated questionnaires. Results were reported and discussed in the context of the relevant literature. The effects of theory of mind ability, social reasoning skills and the central drive for coherence on the everyday social skills of autistic children were discussed. Implications for clinical interventions for social skills deficits in children with autistic-spectrum disorders were discussed.

Recognising people’s emotions is a promising research area in human-computer interaction as emotional communication plays a crucial role in humans’ lives. One of the main reasons for ineffective emotional communication is a deficit in understanding emotional signals such as facial expressions and body posture. There is a bidirectional challenge between autistic and non-autistic individuals since they display their emotional signals differently. This thesis discovers differences in emotional signals, in particular facial expressions, body posture, and physiological signals. Based on the interviews and questionnaires conducted in this thesis, the need to design an aid tool to assist autistic and non-autistic participants during their emotional communication is identified. Therefore, Emognition, a smartwatch, and its mobile application is designed to blur these differences and enhance the emotional communication between them. Furthermore, Emognition’s user evaluation indicates that the smartwatch could successfully detect nonautistic participants’ sadness and happiness. Also, they found the mobile application useful and aesthetically motivating to interact with. Even though we could not evaluate how well the Emognition recognises autistic participants’ sadness and happiness, it is promising to measure their emotions successfully by accurate sensors and, more importantly, by finding their autonomic response patterns to different emotions and enhance emotional communication between autistic and nonautistic people by Emognition.

Studying humour and laughter in children with ASDs can provide unique insights into their socio-communicative impairments, and aid in the development of effective interventions. The current study investigated humour and laughter in 16 school-aged children with autism and Asperger Syndrome (AS).<br>Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experiences of four children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and anxiety (aged 10-13 years) who took part in a mindfulness-based intervention. The research was conducted within a local authority in times of reform in both education and mental health. A systematic literature review indicated that the majority of children with ASD experience difficulties with attention, anxiety, empathy, comprehension and communication within the social world. The research into mindfulness revealed it to have many applications in social and emotional development, attention and general well-being for children and adults. However, there was limited literature regarding mindfulness-based interventions with children on the autistic spectrum. The central research question was ‘what do children with ASD say about their experiences of being part of the mindfulness programme?’ Additional research questions were ‘what do children with ASD say about their life experiences?’ and ‘does anything change in children’s lived experiences during the course of the mindfulness programme?’ The data was collected using semi-structured interviews pre and post intervention and via audio- diaries. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The themes that emerged were ‘worries’, ‘perceptions of the self’, ‘relationships’, ‘connecting to the environment’, ‘views of autism’ and ‘perceptions and experiences of mindfulness’. The themes appear to indicate that mindfulness-based approaches may be useful in promoting the psychological well-being of children with ASD. Children reported enjoyment of mindfulness, engagement with the practical and concrete teaching of the intervention, positive changes to their experiences of having autism and worries, feelings of empowerment and resiliency, enjoyment of new experiences and abilities in noticing and accepting change. Therefore, the research identifies positive opportunities for children with ASD to engage with mindfulness-based approaches and it also highlights the role that can be undertaken by the educational psychologist in such interventions.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2003.<br>Title from title page screen, viewed November 1, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Stacey Jones Bock, James R. Thompson (co-chairs), Maureen E. Angell, E. Paula Crowley, Barbara S. Heyl. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-183) and abstract. Also available in print.