Certaines recherches ont investigué le traitement visuel de bas et de plus hauts niveaux chez des personnes neurotypiques et chez des personnes ayant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme (TSA). Cependant, l’interaction développementale entre chacun de ces niveaux du traitement visuel n’est toujours pas bien comprise. La présente thèse a donc deux objectifs principaux. Le premier objectif (Étude 1) est d’évaluer l’interaction développementale entre l’analyse visuelle de bas niveaux et de niveaux intermédiaires à travers différentes périodes développementales (âge scolaire, adolescence et âge adulte). Le second objectif (Étude 2) est d’évaluer la relation fonctionnelle entre le traitement visuel de bas niveaux et de niveaux intermédiaires chez des adolescents et des adultes ayant un TSA. Ces deux objectifs ont été évalué en utilisant les mêmes stimuli et procédures. Plus précisément, la sensibilité de formes circulaires complexes (Formes de Fréquences Radiales ou FFR), définies par de la luminance ou par de la texture, a été mesurée avec une procédure à choix forcés à deux alternatives. Les résultats de la première étude ont illustré que l’information locale des FFR sous-jacents aux processus visuels de niveaux intermédiaires, affecte différemment la sensibilité à travers des périodes développementales distinctes. Plus précisément, lorsque le contour est défini par de la luminance, la performance des enfants est plus faible comparativement à celle des adolescents et des adultes pour les FFR sollicitant la perception globale. Lorsque les FFR sont définies par la texture, la sensibilité des enfants est plus faible comparativement à celle des adolescents et des adultes pour les conditions locales et globales. Par conséquent, le type d’information locale, qui définit les éléments locaux de la forme globale, influence la période à laquelle la sensibilité visuelle atteint un niveau développemental similaire à celle identifiée chez les adultes. Il est possible qu’une faible intégration visuelle entre les mécanismes de bas et de niveaux intermédiaires explique la sensibilité réduite des FFR chez les enfants. Ceci peut être attribué à des connexions descendantes et horizontales immatures ainsi qu’au sous-développement de certaines aires cérébrales du système visuel. Les résultats de la deuxième étude ont démontré que la sensibilité visuelle en autisme est influencée par la manipulation de l’information locale. Plus précisément, en présence de luminance, la sensibilité est seulement affectée pour les conditions sollicitant un traitement local chez les personnes avec un TSA. Cependant, en présence de texture, la sensibilité est réduite pour le traitement visuel global et local. Ces résultats suggèrent que la perception de formes en autisme est reliée à l’efficacité à laquelle les éléments locaux (luminance versus texture) sont traités. Les connexions latérales et ascendantes / descendantes des aires visuelles primaires sont possiblement tributaires d’un déséquilibre entre les signaux excitateurs et inhibiteurs, influençant ainsi l’efficacité à laquelle l’information visuelle de luminance et de texture est traitée en autisme. Ces résultats supportent l’hypothèse selon laquelle les altérations de la perception visuelle de bas niveaux (local) sont à l’origine des atypies de plus hauts niveaux chez les personnes avec un TSA. / Most studies investigating visual perception in typically developing populations and in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have assessed lower- (local) and higher-levels (global) of processing in isolation. However, much less is known about the developmental interactions between mechanisms mediating early- and intermediate-level vision in both typically developing populations and in ASD. Based on such premise, the present thesis had two main objectives. The first objective (Study 1) was to evaluate the developmental interplay between low- and intermediate-levels of visual analysis at different periods of typical development (school-age, adolescence and adulthood). The second objective (Study 2) was to evaluate the functional relationship between low- and intermediate-levels of visual analysis in adolescents and adults diagnosed with ASD. Common methodologies were used to assess both objectives. Specifically, sensitivity to slightly curved circles (Radial Frequency Patterns or RFP), defined by luminance or texture information, was measured using a two alternative temporal forced choice procedure. Results obtained in Study 1 demonstrated that local information defining a RFP (mediated by intermediate visual mechanisms) differentially affected sensitivity at different periods of development. Specifically, when the contour was luminance-defined, children performed worse when compared to adolescents and adults only when RFPs targeted a global processing style (few deformations along the RFP’s contour). When RFPs were texture-defined, children’s sensitivity was worse compared to that of adolescents and adults for both local and global conditions. Therefore, timing of adult-like sensitivity to RFPs is dependent on the type of local physical elements defining its global shape. Poor visual integration between low and intermediate visual mechanisms, which could be attributed to immature feedback and horizontal connections as well as under-developed visual cortical areas, may account for such reduced sensitivity in children. Results obtained from Study 2 demonstrated that manipulating the local physical elements of RFPs impacts visual sensitivity in ASD. Specifically, sensitivity to RFPs is unaffected in ASD only when visual analysis is dependent on local deformations of luminance-defined contours. However, sensitivity is reduced for both local and global visual analysis when shapes are texture-defined. Such results suggest that intermediate-level, shape perception in ASD is functionally related to the efficacy with which local physical elements (luminance versus texture) are processed. It is possible that abnormal lateral or feed-forward / feedback connectivity within primary visual areas in ASD, which possibly arise from excitatory / inhibitory signalling imbalance, accounts for differential efficacy with which luminance and texture information is processed in ASD. These results support the hypothesis that atypical higher-level perception in ASD, when present, may have early (local) visual origins.

TITLE: Developing Communication Skills in Children with Autism Using Verbal Behavior - Applied Behavior Analysis AUTHOR: Bc. Kateřina Chrapková DEPARTMENT: The Department of Special Education SUPERVISOR: doc. PaedDr. Jiřina Klenková, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: This thesis deals with the development of communication skills in children with autism using Verbal Behavior - Applied Behavioral Analysis (VB-ABA). The aim of this work is to introduce VB-ABA approach as an effective intervention for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It is a monographic work with emphasis on a theory. The empirical part consist evaluative single-case study. The thesis is devided into six theoretical and one empirical chapter. The first theoretical chapter presents the issue of communication in a view of behaviorism and compares this approach with classical linguistics. The second chapter describes theories of language acquisition and language development from behavioral and linguistic perspective. The third chapter discusses the development of children's speech in the context of ontogeny and its functions. The fourth chapter deals with the issue of communication skills in the context of ASD. The fifth chapter introduces evidence based practice and provides information on current international research of interventions for persons...

De senaste decennierna har förutsättningarna på arbetsmarknaden förändrats till följd av bland annat den tekniska utvecklingen och ökade krav på stresstolerans och social kompetens. Vi har upptäckt ett forskningsgap gällande möjligheter för individer med autismspektrumtillstånd att delta på den svenska arbetsmarknaden genom anställning. Studiens syfte var att undersöka Stockholms stads styrdokuments beskrivning av krav och ideal på medarbetare samt vilka insatser som bedrivs. Detta för att undersöka möjligheterna för individer med neuropsykiatrisk funktionsnedsättning i allmänhet och autismspektrumtillstånd i synnerhet att delta genom arbete i kommunens verksamheter. Vi har genomfört en dokumentstudie och använt induktiv tematisk analys för att söka förståelse. Vår slutsats är att kraven på medarbetarna tenderar hindra deltagande i arbete för studiens fokusgrupp särskilt gällande krav på social kompetens och utveckling av kommunens verksamheter. Kravet på individanpassning kan tyda på ökade möjligheter till deltagande. Då insatserna på daglig verksamhet har bristande incitament att nå reguljär arbetsmarknad kan fokus på insatser i verksamheterna hindra möjligheterna till deltagande i arbete för fokusgruppen / The last decades, prerequisites on the labour market have changed due to technical development and elevated demands on stress-resistance and social skills. We have distinguished a research gap in terms of examining the possibilities to attend the competitive labour market for adults with autism spectrum disorder in Sweden. The aim of this study is to examine regulatory documents from Stockholm municipality and how they describe requirements and ideals on their employees and which efforts they conduct. This to examine the possibilities for individuals with neuropsychiatric disabilities in general and autism spectrum disorder specifically to participate through employment within the municipality’s various functions. Our conclusion is that the demands on the employees tend to hinder participation in work for the focus group because of demands on social competencies and constant development of the organisations various functions. The demand on personal adaption could contribute to increase participation. Since the efforts within daily activities tend to lack incentives to reach the competitive labour market, a large focus on these efforts might hinder further participation in work for the focus group.

The work is concerning forms of persecution to members of Seventh-Day Adventist Church in communist Czechoslovakia. Theoretical part describes possible forms of persecution from communist party to this Church and its members. Research part contains testimonies of interviews with addressed respondents with the author, including their experiences of such a persecution in that time. Most respondents were imprisoned during their military service, part of them lost the decree for chaplain work at certain region. Two respondents also experienced persecution in special military units.

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This study examined the validity of the South African Police Service (SAPS) multiple stressor intervention. The multiple stressor was developed for members of their specialised units to address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, the SAPS multiple stressor intervention lacks scientific evidence to support its possible effectiveness in addressing PTSD. In the current study a deployment and intervention group was compared which employed a pre- test post-test design. The Davidson Trauma Scale and the Revised Impact of Event Scale measured PTSD globally, but also the PTSD dimensions of Intrusion, Avoidance/Numbing, and Hyperarousal. The Wilcoxon signed rank test results indicated that the intervention and deployment was both effective in addressing PTSD although the intervention group revealed the greatest improvement in their overall PTSD scores. The intervention group made significant progress in dealing with all three PTSD symptoms while the deployment group made less progress with their Intrusion and Avoidance/Numbing symptoms, but made significant progress with their Hyperarousal symptoms. The Mann-Whitney u test revealed no significant differences between the post intervention test scores of the two groups, either globally or on the three PTSD dimensions. It appears that deployment was just as effective as the multiple stressor intervention in addressing PTSD. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face many challenges which lead to low levels of psychological well-being, partly caused by inability to parent in accordance with one’s values. Child-directed play, a moment of being fully attentive and responsive to one’s child, has the potential to increase parental values. A non-concurrent multiple-baseline experimental design investigated whether daily exercises of child-directed play improved valued parenting and parental perspective-taking. Eight parents of children with diagnosed or suspected ASD were followed daily for six weeks. The intervention comprehended daily practice of child-directed play and video supervision. Child-directed play increased ratings of parental values for all but one participant (Hedges’ g* = 1.67) with effect maintained at follow-up, and increased ratings of parental perspective-taking. A gradual effect indicates the need for greater difference in baseline length between participants. No effects on children, nor on parental well-being were investigated in the present study.

This study examined the validity of the South African Police Service (SAPS) multiple stressor intervention. The multiple stressor was developed for members of their specialised units to address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, the SAPS multiple stressor intervention lacks scientific evidence to support its possible effectiveness in addressing PTSD. In the current study a deployment and intervention group was compared which employed a pre- test post-test design. The Davidson Trauma Scale and the Revised Impact of Event Scale measured PTSD globally, but also the PTSD dimensions of Intrusion, Avoidance/Numbing, and Hyperarousal. The Wilcoxon signed rank test results indicated that the intervention and deployment was both effective in addressing PTSD although the intervention group revealed the greatest improvement in their overall PTSD scores. The intervention group made significant progress in dealing with all three PTSD symptoms while the deployment group made less progress with their Intrusion and Avoidance/Numbing symptoms, but made significant progress with their Hyperarousal symptoms. The Mann-Whitney u test revealed no significant differences between the post intervention test scores of the two groups, either globally or on the three PTSD dimensions. It appears that deployment was just as effective as the multiple stressor intervention in addressing PTSD. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

1. Einführung in die Theorie dynamischer Analysen mit Creo Simulate 2. Modalanalysen (Standard und mit Vorspannung) 3. Dynamische Analysen einschließlich Klassifizierung der Analysen; einige einfache Beispiele für eigene Studien (eine Welle unter Unwuchtanregung und ein Ein-Massen-Schwinger) sowie etliche Beispiele größerer dynamischer Systemmodelle aus unterschiedlichsten Anwendungsbereichen 4. Feedback an den Softwareentwickler PTC (Verbesserungsvorschläge und Softwarefehler) 5. Referenzen / 1. Introduction to dynamic analysis theory in Creo Simulate 2. Modal analysis (standard and with prestress) 3. Dynamic analysis, including analysis classification, some simple examples for own self-studies (shaft under unbalance excitation and a one-mass-oscillator) and several real-world examples of bigger dynamic systems 4. Feedback to the software developer PTC (enhancement requests and code issues) 5. References

1. Einführung in die Theorie dynamischer Analysen mit Creo Simulate 2. Modalanalysen (Standard und mit Vorspannung) 3. Dynamische Analysen einschließlich Klassifizierung der Analysen; einige einfache Beispiele für eigene Studien (eine Welle unter Unwuchtanregung und ein Ein-Massen-Schwinger) sowie etliche Beispiele größerer dynamischer Systemmodelle aus unterschiedlichsten Anwendungsbereichen 4. Feedback an den Softwareentwickler PTC (Verbesserungsvorschläge und Softwarefehler) 5. Referenzen / 1. Introduction to dynamic analysis theory in Creo Simulate 2. Modal analysis (standard and with prestress) 3. Dynamic analysis, including analysis classification, some simple examples for own self-studies (shaft under unbalance excitation and a one-mass-oscillator) and several real-world examples of bigger dynamic systems 4. Feedback to the software developer PTC (enhancement requests and code issues) 5. References