Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) is one of the most widely used treatments for children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While IBI has been recognized as the treatment of choice for very young children with an ASD, its sensible use among school age children is a matter of dispute. The aim of this thesis was to determine the clinical effectiveness of IBI, as compared with no treatment or treatment-as-usual, for the management of cognitive functioning and adaptive skills in preschool and school age children with an ASD, as well as to examine predictors of treatment response. Peer-reviewed, English language publications were identified using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and ERIC from 1995 to September 1, 2014. Grey literature and reference lists of published papers were also searched for relevant records. Retrieved citations were screened by two independent reviewers, and data extraction was performed by a single reviewer with verification by a second reviewer. The methodological quality and procedural fidelity of included studies was assessed by one reviewer, and a subset of included studies were pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis using the standardized mean difference (SMD) effect size. A total of 24 unique studies were selected for inclusion in this review, comprising a total of 1,816 participants. Findings revealed that IBI improves full-scale IQ (SMD ES = 0.66, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.85, p<0.00001; 13 studies) and adaptive skills (SMD ES = 0.57, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.82, p<0.00001; 12 studies) in preschool and school age children with an ASD, with seemingly higher clinical benefits in children aged under 4 years at intake. Better outcomes with IBI are predicted by children’s relatively younger age, increased cognitive and adaptive ability, as well as a milder severity of symptoms at treatment entry. Results warrant careful interpretation in light of several methodological limitations and inadequate monitoring of procedural fidelity.

Teaching children how to swim provides them with the necessary skills to maintain a physically active lifestyle. Many children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis have shown interest in participating in swimming lessons. Studies have demonstrated that teaching students with ASD how to swim has aided in their motor performance (Yanardag, Nurgil, & Akmanoglu, 2013), their ability to initiate social interactions with peers (Chu & Pan, 2012) and a reduction in stereotypical behaviours associated with ASD (Vonder Hulls, Walker, & Powell, 2006). In order to meet the needs of this unique group of students, swim instructors take part in a variety of training programs amongst other experiences to effectively prepare themselves to teach their students with ASD. This study consists of three individual case studies designed to examine the journeys that swim instructors have taken in order to effectively coach students with ASD how to swim, along with encouraging motor skill development, social interactions and reducing stereotypical behaviours. Two research questions guide this study: What are the experiences of swim instructors who work with children with ASD? What are the practical teaching strategies in swimming lessons that are effective for social skill development, reducing stereotypical behaviours and motor skill development in children with ASD? The findings of this study which focus on strategies of effective practice include: gestural communication, positive practice, contact communication, complexities of choice, and encouraging independence and confidence. Along with these findings, the instructors credit the following sources for their construction of knowledge: peer learning and mentorship, parental/caregiver support, and the value of certification and training. It is clear that instructors access a number of sources for their coaching development, but current swim instructor certification programs require revisions to increase instructor preparedness. This study contributes to current literature which focuses on coaching individuals with developmental disabilities. The findings may provide coaches with insight into strategies of effective practice for a more inclusive and equitable community.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(社会健康医学) / 甲第22009号 / 社医博第95号 / 新制||社医||10(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科社会健康医学系専攻 / (主査)教授 中山 健夫, 教授 村井 俊哉, 教授 川村 孝 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Public Health / Kyoto University / DFAM

Cultural views are known to play a critical role in the identification, diagnosis and intervention of developmental disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Indigenous views regarding the nature and causes of ASD have often been overlooked. Based on the paucity of research on indigenous perspectives on ASD in South Africa, as well as the alarming rise in the incidence of ASD, the purpose of the study is to investigate the views held by members of the Sepedi group in South Africa regarding ASD. Research relating to ASD has mostly been conducted in other countries or according to Western or conventional scientifically proven positions. The study attempts to answer the following primary research question: “What are Sepedi cultural views regarding the nature, cause/s as well as intervention of Autism Spectrum Disorder?” The theoretical framework that was utilised during the study was that of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). Furthermore, the study was approached from a phenomenological paradigm. A qualitative approach as well as case study design were followed, and purposive sampling was used. The first method of data collection was a focus group and subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis to pinpoint recurring themes. These five themes are (1) Indigenous African Views, (2) Participants’ views of causes, (3) Circumstances surrounding diagnosis, (4) Personally coping with ASD, and (5) Intervention with a child with ASD. Results obtained from the study could be utilised within a diagnostic, intervention and educational approach that is uniquely South African. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience a variety of symptoms that vary dramatically across individuals and can range from severe impairments to minor issues with social interactions and communication. The underlying cause of ASD is still unknown, and the level of influence that genetic and environmental factors have on the severity and occurrence of ASD is still a topic of great debate. Since the theories concerning cause or causes of ASD are multifactorial, the treatment options available are extremely limited and are based on behavioral testing. Alternatively, genetic testing might be considered in a diagnosis protocol. This study is designed to investigate ASD by assessing the variability of three genes associated with neuronal inhibition. Based on previous studies this experiment hypothesized that GAD1, GAD2, and PAVLB expression is decreased in Broca’s area in individuals with ASD when compared to controls, with the premise that this alteration could contribute to the symptoms involving language and communication. In situ hybridization was used to quantify the expression of the GAD1, GAD2, and PVALB genes in Broca’s area in postmortem human tissue. The variability of these three genes was quantified by measuring the amount of radioactively tagged mRNA in fifty cell bodies in each brain sample. This study used twenty-two brains of individuals with ASD and twenty-one control brains, including age matched males and females. The variables of age and sex are analyzed and discussed as well as the emulsion and film analyses. A decrease in parvalbumin expression was found between the ASD and control groups in Broca’s area. These finding were discussed in the context of symptoms and neuropathological features of ASD.

The World Health Organization has recognised Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a public health concern and have recommended access to appropriate assessment and interventions. Psychoeducation and parent support soon after diagnosis are considered global best practice. Parent Education &amp; Training (PET) programmes provide education, skills and support to parents. Despite the high need for PET there has been limited research in this field and few programmes are available, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This project aimed to 1) evaluate the evidence-base for a UK-developed PET (EarlyBird/EarlyBird Plus); 2) evaluate the evidence-base for a broader range of PET; 3) generate a framework for evaluating global PET programmes; 4) conduct a comparative feasibility study of two PET programmes in South Africa. The EarlyBIrd/EarlyBird Plus scoping review identified a low level of evidence for the efficacy of the PET, and showed that relatively little implementation science examination of the programmes had been performed to date. Review of a broader range of PET showed very similar findings, suggesting that the field of PET (rather than any specific intervention) was still relatively immature. We proceeded to use an implementation science and participatory approach to generate a multi-stakeholder evaluation framework for PET in future studies. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was then used for a comparative feasibility study of two PET in a low-resource South African setting. In the feasibility study parents/carers found both programmes to be acceptable and adaptable for a South African context. Limited efficacy-testing showed positive outcomes for parents, children and families. Application of the Evaluation Framework proved to be a useful structural technique to identify the strengths and weaknesses of PET across the implementation themes of outcomes, processes &amp; procedures, and implementation landscape. Taken together, our results highlighted the relative infancy of this important field of ASD research and identified the need for multi-site, randomized controlled trials of PET, particularly in low-resource settings. In addition, results underlined the importance not only of efficacy of programmes, but of a range of implementation-related factors, that are crucial to ensure sustainable and scalable PET in real-life settings around the globe.

No description available.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has continued to rise each year. This fact has significance in the area of education. The rise in prevalence of autism means an increase of students with autism in schools. Educators have the need to be prepared to provide an appropriate education for these students but may not have training or resources to be effective. Rural communities may have even more concerns about education for students with ASD due to geographic isolation and the lack of available educators in their area trained to support the specific needs of these students. To determine the best use of available resources and identify critical needs, a study of stakeholder perceptions of the needs of students with ASD was conducted in a rural Utah community of approximately 15,000 people. Key stakeholders were provided an opportunity to respond to an online needs assessment questionnaire regarding the educational interventions and services available in the rural school district, as well as rate the effectiveness of the above-mentioned services. Key stakeholders included: parents and caregivers of children with ASD, the rural school district’s educators, community care providers, and individuals 12 years and older who have been classified as having an ASD in the rural school district. Further, upon completion of the online needs assessment, the participants were invited, if they wished to elaborate further, to meet by phone or in person in an interview format with the researcher to discuss their perceptions in more detail than was possible in the online needs assessment questionnaire. Mixed methods were used to analyze the data. Quantitative data were first analyzed using descriptive statistics to characterize patterns in responses between groups. The qualitative data from open-ended questions in the survey and the in-person interviews were analyzed using consensual qualitative research methods. Results showed that all stakeholders believe that better communication from the school district and more training are needed for educators and related professionals. These results have implications for the school district as they plan their use of available resources to better meet the needs of students with ASD. Pursuit of targeted training options for educators may be one of the most effective use of available resources to meet these needs.

Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS) / Having good educational policies that are in-line with international inclusive standards is a positive step in addressing previous educational inequalities in South Africa. The Department of Education’s White Paper 6 policy document of 2001 states that by 2021 most mainstream (primary) schools, would operate as Full-Service schools, that will be equipped and supported to meet the diverse needs of all learners. In addition, great emphasis is placed on the pivotal role the mainstream classroom teacher will play in the inclusion process.The purpose of this study was to explore school strategies that will enable teachers to support learners with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) as prior to the completion of this thesis it was unclear which strategies were used in order to support these learners.

The demand for effective social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders is a pertinent issue for school-based professionals. One approach to increase appropriate social skills is to involve peer support by training a few socially competent children to positively interact with a student with an ASD. Potentially, training larger groups of children could result in increasing the number of different peers who would actively support positive interactions with their classmates with ASD. Thus, the present study investigated the effect of a class-wide peer-training strategy on the percentage of positive social interaction and number of peer contacts for three elementary students with autism spectrum disorders. All peers in the three different classrooms received a brief lesson on respecting differences in others and how to support all classmates during classroom and recess activities. Next, each class was taught how to support other students in the class by modeling, role playing, and didactic instruction. This training specifically targeted preferred recess activities and social skills goals of the student with an ASD. After training, peers received a verbal prompt to use skills before a recess period, implemented the procedures in the absence of direct supervision during recess, and participated for a chance to earn points towards a class-wide reward for participating in positive interactions with the student with an ASD. A multiple baseline across the three classrooms showed replicated positive effects of the intervention relative to a prior baseline condition. Results showed that the class-wide respect and social support skills training paired with a contingent reward contingency increased the level of positive social interactions as well as the number of peer contacts for all three students with autism spectrum disorders.