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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted developmental condition that manifests in early childhood, affecting various aspects of neurologic, biological, adaptive, social, linguistic, and cognitive functions. A timely and accurate diagnosis of ASD is crucial for effective intervention, promoting personal and social growth, and fostering independent adulthood. However, obtaining this diagnosis can pose challenges, particularly for people of color, who often encounter disparities in healthcare access compared to their White counterparts. This study aims to investigate the experiences of Filipina mothers raising children with ASD, specifically focusing on their journey to access appropriate autism services. As of 2019, there were 4.2 million Filipinos residing in the United States, making them a significant ethnic group (Budiman, 2022). Research indicates a heightened risk of severe ASD diagnoses among Filipino children (Becerra et al., 2014). Additionally, Filipina-American women have a notably high prevalence of moderate to severe postpartum depression, which can hinder their ability to identify developmental delays in their infants (Huang et al., 2007). Stereotypical assumptions about Filipina mothers as passive and quiet individuals often lead to their silencing within the predominantly White male medical community (Alvarez et al., 2010; Emerson et al., 2015; Kizildag et al., 2022). Given the higher prevalence of autism among minorities compared to White children (Maenner et al., 2023), addressing this issue and improving access to resources for people of color is imperative. This narrative study focuses on understanding how Filipina-American women navigate the complex landscape of autism services for their children. The researcher, a Filipina-American mother of children with ASD, initiates this exploration, seeking to shed light on the experiences of fellow Filipina-American mothers. The study will encompass their experience from the initial recognition of their children's developmental and behavioral symptoms to obtaining essential services. The study will gather qualitative data through surveys and interviews, which will be analyzed using thematic analysis. The research may reveal valuable insights into enhancing early detection of ASD in children of color. Presently, the average age of early ASD detection in the United States stands at five years old (Barbaro et al., 2020). However, existing studies underscore the critical importance of early intervention, ideally before age two, in improving the quality of life for affected individuals and their families (Bailey et al., 2005; Dawson et al., 2010; Harris et al., 2000). Consequently, addressing the experiences of Filipina women in accessing services for their autistic children can contribute to increased resource access and improved outcomes for these families.

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...

ABSTRACT Background: Previous criminal justice policies have been non-effective leading to overpopulated prisons and unsuccessful reintegration. There is a lack of effective supportive and/or rehabilitative services resulting in high rates of recidivism and mental health implications. Objective: This study investigated the perceived impact that incarceration and reintegration with little to no supportive and/or rehabilitative services has on the mental health status of an individual. The emphasis was on participant perception and not on professional reports because of underreporting and lack of attention to mental health in the criminal justice system. Methods: Focus groups in the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley were held to gather preliminary data used to develop the survey for this study. The survey was distributed to 88 male and female ex-offenders over the age of 18 who were no longer on probation or parole. Secondary data from United Way 211 and California State Reentry Initiative was collected to report current trends of supportive and/or rehabilitative services. Results: Incarceration was found to negatively impact perceived mental health status, but reintegration was not. Supportive and/or rehabilitative services continue to be rarely offered and accessed, but when accessed, perceived mental health status is better. Supportive and/or rehabilitative services are more readily available. People who are using these services are improving their quality of life, becoming productive members of society, and preventing recidivism. Conclusions: A paradigm shift is currently under way to reduce recidivism by improving supportive and/or rehabilitative services during incarceration and reintegration. Many offenders are receiving services as an alternative to incarceration, recidivism rates are being reduced, and ex-offenders are becoming productive members of society. The field of social work is an integral part of reentry services and should continue advocating for policies and services that support reintegration efforts at the micro and macro level.

The study examined minority persons’ views and experiences with Child Protective Services (CPS) in the community. This study used a qualitative design with face‑to‑face interviews with 12 participants in the community. This study used the “Post‑Positivist” data analysis, which is qualitative in evaluation and explained each participant’s subjective reality. The study found that most participants were satisfied with the results and were dissatisfied with the process in and of itself. Overall the study found that most participants felt that there was some sort of a disconnect with social workers in reference to cultural competency. Miscommunication between the social workers at agencies and parents could have played a significant role in why participants had these experiences. However, most participants felt that the agency helped with services that ultimately left the participants feeling a sense of awareness about the purpose of the agency. The study suggests that implementing a program that would allow the community to be informed of all the programs that Child Protective Services can provide be critical in aiding and empowering the members of the community and in helping reduce CPS caseloads significantly.

Through the evolution of the field of social work, a divide in its ideologies has emerged and certain political and ideological groups such as the religious and conservatives have become underrepresented. As a result, over the years the liberal philosophies have emerged as the dominant group. This has led to a decrease in diversity within the field. Recognition of biases in the field of social work is difficult. Through a qualitative analysis method, this study was meant to explore if social work students feel they are free to share openly in the classroom, and if they are accepting of all ideologies or are there biases towards any ideologies or beliefs by the students. This study used a qualitative method data collection approach, which consisted of a six-member focus group with a demographics questionnaire. The findings of this research has brought to the surface that there are more liberal ideologies and less moderate or conservative viewpoints being shared in the classrooms because of self-censorship. The potential impact of this study is to increase awareness that there are underrepresented groups within the MSW population, which decreases the diversity in the field of social work.

A wide range of research fields have studied how emotions and behavior are affected by the physical environment. This gestalt theorist approach of experimental research as well seeks to measure emotion (using the valence-arousal scale) and micro-scale community development interactions when weighted physical environment factors are adjusted. Community development (CD) interactions at the micro-scale have received but slight attention from scholars in the CD research field and this study aims partially to investigate developing objective measures from social observations. CD interactions from recordings along with self-reported emotion through surveys in four quasi-experimental groups (where the environments were constructed based on peer-reviewed literature to cause emotional reactions) and one control group made up the data collected for this experiment. While the results of this experiment displayed apparent convincing quantitative differences in both CD interactions and emotion when the physical environment was manipulated, the results of a one-way ANOVA indicated no statistical significance to either dependent variable. The conclusions suggest limiting the physical factors of the environment to produce more precise changes as a result of the manipulated quasi environments.

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