Orientadores: Maria de Lurdes Zanolli, Ivone Panhoca / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T01:24:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Monticelli_GlendaSaccomanoCastro_D.pdf: 866349 bytes, checksum: a79cfb64201f5f254d61636df5dcda16 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Na literatura sobre o autismo, frequentemente as diferenças atribuídas às crianças com este diagnóstico estão relacionadas aos prejuízos nas áreas de interação social, linguagem, comportamento e jogo simbólico, bem como aos graus de severidade do quadro clínico. Ressalta-se nesta pesquisa, a importância de se considerar não somente as dificuldades que tais sujeitos apresentam, mas também as diferenças e as possibilidades no que se refere aos interesses, habilidades, necessidades, desejos e experiências sociais singulares. Não se pretendeu, neste estudo, somente identificar as dificuldades de linguagem (comunicação não-verbal e verbal) e de interação social, bem como as relativas ao brincar, mas, principalmente, evidenciar as possibilidades de desenvolvimento em um ambiente terapêutico incentivador, que considere as peculiaridades de crianças com autismo e proporcione experiências interacionais e comunicativas significativas. Esta pesquisa qualitativa participante, então, teve como objetivo analisar os processos do brincar e de aquisição de linguagem de três crianças com autismo, a partir da mediação da terapeuta, em contexto lúdico. As crianças, duas do sexo feminino e uma do sexo masculino, com idades entre 3 e 4 anos, foram atendidas em grupo, em uma associação especializada no atendimento de pessoas com transtorno do espectro autista. A coleta de dados foi feita com a vídeo-gravação de sessões realizadas semanalmente pela pesquisadora-fonoaudióloga, a partir de uma abordagem nteracionista, com duração de quarenta e cinco minutos cada, durante o período de um ano. Os dados foram transcritos e, posteriormente, analisados de acordo com as premissas da análise microgenética. Foram apresentados em forma de episódios e os resultados mostraram que, a partir da mediação da terapeuta, as crianças passaram a atribuir funções aos brinquedos e a apresentar desenvolvimento de intenção comunicativa. Durante o processo de desenvolvimento do brincar apresentaram indícios de linguagem não-verbal e verbal para solicitar ou mostrar brinquedos, solucionar problemas ou, ainda, demonstrar necessidades e desejos. Observou-se, também, que, juntamente com a intenção comunicativa das crianças em contexto lúdico, foram surgindo indícios de experiências vivenciadas em seus meios sociais e adquiridas durante o processo terapêutico. Assim, pode-se concluir que as situações lúdicas mediadas pela terapeuta possibilitaram a construção de significados neste contexto, ampliando as oportunidades de vivências comunicativas destas crianças. / Abstract: In the literature about autism, the differences attributed to children with this diagnosis are frequently related to losses in the areas of social interaction, language, behavior, and symbolic games, as well as to the degrees of severity of the clinical picture. In this research it's been highlighted the importance of considering not only the difficulties that these subjects show but also the differences and the possibilities regarding their interests, abilities, needs, desires, and singular social experiences. In this study it was intended only to identify the language difficulties (non-verbal and verbal communication) and social interaction, as well as the difficulties related to playing, but mainly to point out the possibilities of development in an encouraging therapeutic environment that takes into account peculiarities of autistic children and provide meaningful communicative and interactive experiences. So, this participative quality research had as objective to analyze the playing and language acquisition processes of three children, under therapeutic mediation, in a ludic context. The children, two girls and a boy, ages between 3 and 4 years old, were received in group in an association specialized in treating people with autistic spectrum disorder. Data collection was done videotaping the sessions done weekly by the speech therapist-researcher, starting with an interactionist approach, each session lasting forty-five minutes, during a year. Data have been transcripted and afterwards they have been analyzed according to the premises of micro genetics analyzis. They have been presented in an episode way and the results showed that from the therapist's mediation the children started to attribute functions to the toys and to present a development in the communicative intention. During the development process of playing they showed evidences of verbal and non-verbal language in order to request or show toys, to solve problems or even demonstrate needs and wants. It has been observed well that, together with the children's communicative intention in a ludic context, there have been arisen evidences of experiences lived in their social environment and acquired during the therapeutic process.Thus, it can be concluded that the ludic situations mediated by the therapist enabled them to build meanings in this context, enlarging the opportunities of communicative experiences of these children. / Doutorado / Saude da Criança e do Adolescente / Doutora em Ciências

Introduction This present research was a cross-sectional study examining the outcome and adjustment of 64 individuals at their early adulthood (18 to 28 years old).They all had normal intelligence but were diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as children. / Method The participants of this study were recruited from a child psychiatric clinic or from the community. All were Chinese living in Hong Kong. All except five were males, aged from 18 to 28, with mean age at 21.7 years (SD=2.5). All had a full IQ score of 75 or above (mean full IQ was 96.4 (SD=13.1, range 75-129), verbal IQ 96.3 (SD=13.7, range 73-128) and performance IQ 97.3 (SD=14.7, range 72-139). They and/or their parents were administered a range of tests or interviews to assess their current outcome and adjustment at early adulthood. / Results and Discussion The participants of this study were under-achieved both in educational attainment and employment when compared to population age peers. 32% (21 out of 64) were found no longer meeting a diagnosis of autism in adulthood, but only seven participants out of the 32% fell below the clinical range in all three domains of autistic deficits. The majority still had impairment in at least one aspect of the triad of autistic deficits. Their intellectual functioning had been stable with a small increase in mean verbal IQ. The overall outcome in terms of a composite score consisting of work, friendship, independence, autistic-type stereotyped repetitive behaviours, and language use was relatively better than those of past studies in Western countries in that 42% had a 'good' outcome. It was argued however that the relatively positive outcome was attributed in part to the results of supportive and facilitative environmental factors such as a large labour market, a buoyant economy, and technological advances, including the mass availability of computers. The participants of this study also experienced more general psychological disturbances other than autism than the general population. Finally, as in previous Western studies, childhood IQ, especially verbal IQ, proved to be a robust predictor of adult outcome in most areas. Results of the present study confirm the findings of Western studies that despite improvement in some individuals at early adulthood, significant impairment still persisted for the majority, reconfirming that ASD as largely a chronic disorder. The need for services tailored to adult problems of autism was called for. / Poon Mak, Sui Man. / Adviser: Patrick Leung. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-11, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 249-258). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; some appendices in Chinese.

Introdução: O autismo, classificado como Transtorno Global do Desenvolvimento, é descrito pela American Psychiatric Association como um complexo conjunto de inabilidades, as quais afetam a comunicação, o comportamento e a interação social dos indivíduos. As evidências sugeridas, de que os pais das crianças autistas tenham um risco consideravelmente aumentado de experimentar dificuldades psicológicas, estão totalmente relacionadas à ajuda que estes recebem. Outro fato importante que se dá com a associação entre o comportamento da criança e a aflição materna é a situação econômica enfrentada pelas famílias e pelos níveis baixos de suporte recebido que, quando adequado, pode proporcionar melhor adaptação e aceitação. Objetivos: verificar o suporte social formal e informal disponibilizado para as famílias com crianças e adolescentes com diagnósticos inseridos no espectro autístico nas situações de atendimento ambulatorial e institucional e a qualidade de vida informada/percebida por elas. Método: Foram sujeitos, 150 cuidadores de crianças/adolescentes incluídos no espectro autístico, com idade entre 24 e 65 anos, os quais responderam a um questionário referente ao suporte social recebido por eles e às questões feitas através do instrumento de avaliação da qualidade de vida WHOQOL-brief, proposto pelo Programa de Saúde Mental da Organização Mundial de Saúde. Resultados: A categoria de participantes mais satisfeitos em relação ao suporte social recebido não se difere por questões econômicas ou sociais, mas sim pelo que referem em relação à qualidade de vida. / Introduction: The autism, classified as a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, is described by the American Psychiatric Association as a complex set of inabilities that include communication, behavior and social interaction of the affected individuals. Evidence suggest that the parents of autistic individuals are at considerably more risk of experiencing psychological impairments that are completely related to the assistance they receive. Another important issue to the association between the child’s behavior and mother discomfort is the economic stress faced by the families and the low amount of support provided. This support, when adequate, may allow better adaptation and acceptance. Purposes: to assess the formal and informal support provided to families with children and adolescents of the autism spectrum that are receiving institutional or clinical services and verify the reposted Quality of Life. Method: subjects were 150 caretakers of children and adolescents of the autism spectrum, with ages between 24 and 65 years. They answered a questionnaire about the social support available to them and to the World Health Organization Quality of Life – Brief questionnaire. Results: The group of participants that report the better social support is also the group with better Quality of Life.

by Leung Hiu-shan. / Thesis submitted in: June 1999. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-58). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iv / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.v / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vii / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.viii / INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Weak Central Coherence of Autism --- p.1 / Cognitive Style of Field Dependence/Independence --- p.4 / Visual Illusions --- p.5 / Summary of Previous research & Objectives and Hypotheses of Present Study --- p.8 / METHOD --- p.12 / Participants --- p.12 / Stimuli --- p.13 / Procedure --- p.19 / RESULTS --- p.24 / EFT --- p.24 / RFT --- p.26 / Correlation between EFT and RFT --- p.26 / Visual illusions --- p.30 / "Relationship between EFT, RFT and Visual Illusions" --- p.34 / Percentage of Subjects Succumbed/Not succumbed to Geometric Illusions --- p.44 / DISCUSSION --- p.44 / REFERENCES --- p.55 / APPENDICES --- p.59

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T18:12:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ligia Tunes Ribas.pdf: 934047 bytes, checksum: 01ebac61c8ef45a5875626522cc5100b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Diseases followed by children‟s hospitalization generate psychological effects both in patients and in family dynamics. Clinical and scientific interest on the impact of early hospitalization on the patient and his family is significant and grows in different areas of health. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) studies indicate a considerable variety of behavioral changes, in which language is deeply related to social dynamics and repetitive behaviors. In these cases, children have severe impaired comprehension of verbal and non-verbal. Aim: describe and analyze the relationship between communication problems and early occurrence of hospitalization in a group of children with ASD. Method: Quantitative and qualitative research. This study included 32 subjects with ASD diagnoses, of both genders, majority male (78.1%, n = 25). Children age average was 52,6 months (4 years and 2 months). Data were collected at private practice and Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo. To collect data, a questionnaire was completed by parents or guardians, followed by authorization of free and consent term. Data analysis was performed through absolute and relative frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion. Quadratic term was applied to comparison between groups (hospitalization presence / absence) of children diagnosed with ASD, respecting independent variables. In variables whose expected values less or equal to five, the Test of Fisher was used. Clinical history, language functions and symbolic maturity datas were collected. This study was approved by PUCSP research ethics committee (Comittee Number. 446 233). Results: There is no statistically significant language differences between hospitalized and not hospitalized children. Conclusion: It is necessary to realize new studies through case studies and larger number of patients in order to explore the issue of illness in children and affective/social deprivation caused by hospitalization in early stages of life of children with ASD. Although statistically significant inferential data not found is possible to observe relevant data in descriptive analysis, related to functioning of language in hospitalized and non-hospitalized subjects. It is possible to realize that more elaborate functions were more frequent in non-hospitalized subjects / A doença, seguida de hospitalização da criança, geram efeitos psíquicos indesejáveis tanto nos pacientes quanto na dinâmica familiar. O interesse clínico/científico sobre o impacto das hospitalizações precoces em pacientes e familiares é crescente e significativo nas diversas áreas da saúde. Estudos dos quadros de TEA apontam uma grande variedade de alterações comportamentais em que a linguagem está profundamente relacionada às dinâmicas sociais e aos comportamentos repetitivos. Nesses casos, as crianças apresentam severo prejuízo de compreensão da linguagem verbal e não verbal. Objetivo: descrever e analisar as relações entre problemas de comunicação e ocorrência de hospitalizações precoces em um grupo de crianças com TEA. Método: Pesquisa de caráter quantitativo-descritivo. Participaram desta pesquisa 32 sujeitos diagnosticados com TEA, de ambos os gêneros, sendo a maioria do gênero masculino (78,1%; n=25). A média de idade foi de 52,6 meses (4 anos e 2 meses). Os dados foram coletados no Ambulatório de Autismo do Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo e em consultório particular. Para a coleta de dados, foi aplicado um questionário respondido pelos pais ou responsáveis, seguido da autorização por meio do termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de frequências absolutas e relativas, medidas de tendência central e dispersão. Para comparação entre os grupos (presença/ ausência de hospitalização) de crianças diagnosticadas com TEA em relação às variáveis independentes, foi aplicado o teste de associação pelo Qui-quadrado. As variáveis cujos valores esperados foram menores ou iguais a cinco, aplicou-se o teste Exato de Fisher. Foram coletados dados referentes ao histórico clínico, funções de linguagem e maturidade simbólica. Este trabalho foi submetido e aprovado pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa da PUCSP (Parecer nº 446.233). Resultados: Não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre crianças hospitalizadas e não hospitalizadas quanto ao funcionamento da linguagem. Conclusão: Faz- se necessário a realização de novas pesquisas, com estudos de casos e maior número de sujeitos, a fim de explorar a questão do adoecer na criança e a privação afetiva e/ou social provocada pela hospitalização nas fases iniciais de vida da criança com TEA. Embora não tenhamos encontrados dados inferenciais estatisticamente significativos, na análise descritiva foi possível observar dados relevantes, relacionados ao funcionamento da linguagem dos sujeitos não hospitalizados quanto aos hospitalizados, uma vez que o desempenho nas funções mais elaboradas, foram mais frequentes nos sujeitos não hospitalizados

Conclusion. The present study revealed specific memory deficits profile of ASD children associated with ineffective use of organization strategies. Together with their deviated EEG coherence pattern, it has implicated that the memory deficits associated with ASD was possibly subserved by dysfunctional cooperation in frontal and frontal-posterior cortical regions. The potential benefits of explicit cueing and subtle effect of implicit cue on memory performance and neural functional cooperation in ASD were discussed. / Method. Twenty-three children with high-functioning ASD and 39 normal children (NC) aged 5 to 14 years were recruited. In experiment 1, their memory was assessed with the Hong Kong List Learning Test (HKLLT), a memory test of disorganized (DIS) and semantically organized (ORG) words. In experiment 2, their memory of abstract geometric figure (Rey-O) and nameable object (Object Recognition Test, ORT) was tested. The objects in the ORT were presented in DIS or ORG manner. While semantic cue was given explicitly in the HKLLT, it was delivered implicitly in the ORT. In experiment 3, EEG theta coherences connecting anterior, temporal and posterior brain regions were recorded before and during the ORT. / Objective. Some studies found that autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) associated memory deficits were related to frontal lobe dysfunctions, e.g., ineffective organization strategy for memory. Yet, the memory profile of ASD remains inconclusive. The present study aims to examine the memory profile of ASD children based on the information processing model and its association with their organization strategies adopted, and to explore the effect of 'voiced' (with explicit instruction) and 'unvoiced' (without instruction) experimenter-provided organization cueing on memory retrieval. The neuro-physiological basis underlying their memory process was also explored using electroencephalographic (EEG) coherence. / Results. ASD children showed frontal-lobe-related memory problems, with encoding and retrieval deficits, and vulnerability to interference. Their memory deficits were associated with ineffective use of organization strategies. Hyper-coherence at inter-hemispheric anterior-posterior connections and lesser reduction in intra-left anterior coherence correlated with their poorer recognition. Explicit cueing has enhanced semantic clustering and delayed recall of words. Yet, the effect of 'unvoiced' cueing was subtle, with a trend of improving severer memory impairment and suppressing excessive coherence. / Sze, Lai Man. / Adviser: Agnes Sui Yin Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 71-01, Section: B, page: 0674. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-85). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Zhang Jie. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-74). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ABSTRACT (Chinese) --- p.iv / ABBREVIATION --- p.vi / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Overview of the study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Secretin --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Discovery / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Molecular biology / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Biosynthesis and localization / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Function / Chapter 1.3 --- Secretin receptor --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Molecular biology / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Localization / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Signal transduction pathway / Chapter 1.4 --- Secretin and autism --- p.13 / Chapter 1.5 --- AMPA receptor --- p.15 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- Molecular biology / Chapter 1.5.2 --- Localization / Chapter 1.5.3 --- Pharmacological property / Chapter 1.5.4 --- Function / Chapter 1.6 --- Cerebellum --- p.20 / Chapter 1.6.1 --- Structure of the cerebellar cortex / Chapter 1.6.2 --- Neurons of the cerebellar cortex / Chapter 1.6.2.1 --- Granule cells / Chapter 1.6.2.2 --- Purkinje cells / Chapter 1.6.2.3 --- Basket and stellate cells / Chapter 1.6.2.4 --- Golgi cells / Chapter 1.6.3 --- Intrinsic circuitry of the cerebellar cortex / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- METHODS AND MATERIALS --- p.25 / Chapter 2.1 --- Brain slice preparation and maintenance --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2 --- Experimental set-up --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Visualization of neurons / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Electrophysiological recordings / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Evoked stimulation / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Drug preparation and administration / Chapter 2.3 --- Data analysis --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Construction of dose-response curve / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Analysis of synaptic currents / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Statistics / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- RESULTS --- p.31 / Chapter 3.1 --- Basic characteristics of IPSCs recorded from PCs --- p.31 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Spontaneous IPSCs / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Miniature IPSCs / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Evoked IPSCs / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Rundown of IPSCs / Chapter 3.2 --- Electrophysiological effects of secretin --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Effects of secretin on evoked IPSCs and EPSCs / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Effects of secretin on spontaneous IPSCs / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Effects of secretin on miniature IPSCs / Chapter 3.3 --- Mechanisms of secretin as a neuropeptide --- p.37 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Non-involvement of a postsynaptic site of action / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Non-involvement of calcium influx / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Involvement of cAMP second messenger / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Involvement of presynaptic AMP A receptors / Chapter 3.3.4.1 --- Glutamate-mediated action of secretin / Chapter 3.3.4.2 --- Effects of AMPA on miniature IPSCs / Chapter 3.3.4.3 --- Pharmacological evidence / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- DISCUSSION --- p.45 / Chapter 4.1 --- Secretin as a novel neuropeptide --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2 --- Mechanisms of secretin --- p.46 / Chapter 4.3 --- Physiological role of secretin in the cerebellum --- p.52 / Chapter 4.4 --- Secretin and autism --- p.52 / REFERENCES --- p.54

Dificuldades pragmáticas podem ocorrer em diferentes transtornos da comunicação, desde aqueles em que a dificuldade vai além da comunicação social e afeta habilidades para manter relacionamentos e interesses variados, como no Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA), até alterações que afetam a compreensão e expressão linguística sem prejuízo intelectual ou sensorial, como no Distúrbio Específico de Linguagem (DEL). O estudo teve como objetivo investigar a eficácia de questionário sobre habilidades pragmáticas e comunicação social APLSC - na identificação de alterações pragmáticas de crianças com transtornos de comunicação. Foram selecionadas 40 crianças entre 3;0 e 6;11 anos, 10 com TEA, 10 com DEL e 20 com desenvolvimento típico de linguagem DTL (grupo comparativo). Os sujeitos foram seus pais e professores. Foi aplicado o questionário APLS (Assessment of Pragmatic Language and Social Communication: Parent and Professional Report Beta Research Version) sobre comunicação social e linguagem pragmática em pais e professores. Os 80 questionários foram submetidos à análise estatística descritiva, também foi utilizado o teste t paramétrico e os testes não-paramétricos de Kruskal-Wallis e de Mann-Whitney U, além da aplicação do One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test para verificar se os dados obedeciam à distribuição normal. Ainda. Os resultados indicaram pior desempenho das crianças com TEA em relação ao grupo comparativo, com diferença significante tanto na percepção dos pais como dos professores. Não houve diferença significante entre os grupos DEL e DTL, mas o grupo com DEL teve pior desempenho em relação aso seus pares comparativos. As respostas dos pais das crianças com TEA e DEL foram comparadas, havendo diferença significante. Quanto às respostas dos professores, o grupo DEL apresentou maior pontuação em relação ao grupo TEA. A comparação das respostas dos pais e dos professores das crianças com TEA, DEL e DTL não indicou diferença significante. Concluindo, crianças com TEA apresentaram prejuízos mais significativos nas habilidades pragmáticas e sociais em relação às crianças DEL, e tanto as com TEA como as com DEL apresentaram maiores limitações nestas habilidades em relação aquelas com desenvolvimento típico de linguagem. Desta forma, o questionário APLSC mostrou-se sensível à investigação pragmática de acordo com o esperado para cada grupo de sujeitos. Considerando as perguntas feitas para pais e professores do questionário, a percepção de ambos se mostrou semelhante. / Pragmatic language impairments may occur in different communication disorders. They include from those cases as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in which the difficulty extrapolates the social communication and affects skills concerning maintaining relationships and various interests to cases which alterations affect the understanding and linguistic expression without intellectual disability or sensory impairments as Specific Language Impairment (SLI).The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of questionnaires about pragmatic language and social communication skills, known as APLSC, concerning the identification of pragmatic alterations in children with communication disorders. In this benchmarking research, 40 children between the ages of three to six years and 11 months old were selected comprising 10 cases with ASD, 10 cases with SLI and, 20 cases with Typically Developing Language (TDL) as reference group. There was the application of APLS questionnaire (Assessment of Pragmatic Language and Social Communication: Parent and Professional Report Beta Research Version) to parents and teachers as investigations subjects. The 80 questionnaires were submitted to the analysis based on descriptive statistics. Besides, the parametric t-test, the non-parametric tests developed by Kruskal-Wallis and by Mann-Whitney U and the application of One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test were used to verify whether the data followed the normal distribution. The results indicated that children with ASD presented worse performance in relation to the reference group showing significant difference both in terms of the parents and teachers perception. There was no significant difference between SLI and TDL groups. However, the group with SLI presented worse performance in relation to their pairwise comparison. The answer of parents of children with ASD and those parents of children with SLI were compared and showed significant difference. Concerning the answers from teachers, the SLI group presented higher score compared to the ASD group. There was no significant difference regarding the comparison of answers elaborated by parents and by teachers of children with ASD, SLI and TDL. In conclusion, children with ASD presented disorders more significant in pragmatic and social skills in relation to the children with SLI. Besides, both the ASD and the SLI group presented more limitations concerning these skills than the results presented by the group with Typically Developing Language. Therefore, the APLSC questionnaire proved its responsiveness to the pragmatic investigation according to the results expected to each groups of subjects. Regarding the questions asked to the investigations subjects of this questionnaire, there were similarities of perception between parents and teachers.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Human Medical Genetics) -- University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-143). Free to UCDHSC affiliates. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2005. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.