Existing research has started to explore the experiences of the people around children and adults diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA). However, there are very few studies looking at the experiences of fathers, and there are less studies in relation to adults rather than children. This study aims to take an in depth look at the experiences of these fathers in order to start building our knowledge of the experiences of being the father of someone with a diagnosis of AS or HFA. Four fathers of sons and three fathers of daughters with a diagnosis of AS or HFA were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The experiences of the fathers were explored qualitatively, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Analysis of the transcripts brought out four superordinate themes for the seven fathers. The first theme: 'The changing role but constant responsibility of being a "Father"' described the fathers' perceptions of their roles and responsibilities towards their child as they have grown up and into the future. The second theme: 'The importance of knowledge and understanding' described the importance the fathers placed on developing their understanding of their child and the need for other people to understand them and their child. The third theme: 'The intense emotional impact' came from the fathers' descriptions of the positive and negative emotional reactions to the challenges their children and families have faced. The final theme: 'The importance of good support' includes the fathers' good and bad experiences of support services and support from family and friends. The results of the analysis are discussed in relation to the existing literature and in terms of what they mean for the clinical practice of people working with fathers of children and adults with AS or HFA. The strengths and limitations of the study are also discussed.

M.Ed. / The difficulties experienced by children with Asperger syndrome are complex and pervasive and the resultant impact on the successful accommodation of such children in classes of mixed abilities is considerable. Teachers who teach children with Asperger syndrome within a specialised school require formal training and ongoing support so that they can provide the specific and often individualized interventions to cater for the diverse needs of these learners. This study was informed by a critical theory perspective and used a qualitative research design that focused on the emic or insider’s point of view. A participatory action research approach was chosen as it suited small-scale research conducted within a school setting where teachers experienced specific problems. The aim of this enquiry was to identify the support required for teachers to effectively teach children with Asperger syndrome within classes of mixed abilities from Grade R to Grade 3 at a specialised school. The study incorporated qualitative methods of data collection that gave voice to the participants. These inductive methods included open-ended interviews, observations and written documents in the form of a researcher’s and a teacher’s journal.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a complex array of neurological disorders with a diverse presentation, multiple etiologies, and long-term ramifications. Prevalence of ASD in the United States is about 1 in 50 children as of 2013, making it a significant public health problem. The etiology is not understood, and it is widely accepted that it is multicausal, with genetic and environmental influences. Prior research suggests an association between water source and ASD. Contaminants such as lead, arsenic, mercury, pharmaceuticals and pesticides found in water are associated with developmental disorders suggesting that a systematic review focused on water source was warranted. Following the integrative model of environmental health (IMEH), this study explored the relationship of water source and ASD prevalence among children in Lane County, Oregon. This cross-sectional study utilized retrospective data of 91 open cases in April 2014. The study used chi square and geographical information systems (GIS) aided by cluster analysis to generate risk maps. Investigation of sociodemographic variables allowed comparisons to national data by zip code. Findings indicated no significant relationships or clusters of ASD populations by zip code, and no significant relationships to comorbidities between private or municipal water supplies. The IMEH framework enabled an in-depth data characterization of ASD and underscored the need for additional environmental data and universally standardized comorbidity definitions. Implication for positive social change include recognizing the importance of using social services data in the search for ASD risk factors.

Mothers who have children with a previous Asperger's syndrome diagnosis had to go through a process to maintain or obtain services for their child when the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5) removed the diagnosis. Prior to and since the release of the DSM-5 in 2013, there has been an expression of concern in the literature about how this diagnostic change would affect services for children with a previous Asperger's syndrome diagnosis. Current research has not sufficiently explored the experiences mothers have had with this process. The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of mothers since this diagnostic change. Data were collected and saturation was reached at 6 participants using semistructured interviews. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to interpret the experiences of these mothers which produced 3 main themes related to the process of obtaining a new diagnosis, insurance-funded services, and educationally-funded services. The results included both subthemes and superordinate themes that highlighted the need for more stakeholder education, difficulty navigating systems, the need for advocacy, concerns about new diagnoses and loss of services, and the public's perception and the stigma associated with the Asperger's syndrome diagnosis both before and after this diagnostic change. Study results may assist with improving counselors and other stakeholder's knowledge about the importance of the mothers' experiences when there is a diagnostic change of this nature. Also, counselor educators can instill the importance of diagnostic accuracy and supporting all stakeholders when teaching new counselors.

We investigated whether a child with Asperger?s Syndrome would demonstrate deficits in awareness of cognitive processing similar to those demonstrated for awareness of social interactions. The cognitive processes examined were memory and metamemory, or knowing about knowing. With regard to procedural metamemory, the child was unable to accurately predict his own memory, particularly which items he would not be able to recall. Declarative metamemory also was impaired. Tasks requiring imitation of the researcher or that were largely nonverbal resulted in particularly poor performance. The findings indicate that the child?s social deficits related to Asperger?s Syndrome extended to the cognitive domain. Overall, a deficit in cognitive awareness was observed.

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Visual-spatial skills deficits are one of the primary neuropsychological deficits among children with Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD; Rourke, 1989) and Asperger's Syndrome (AS; Ellis, & Gunter, 1999; Klin, Volkmar, Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Rourke, 1995). In addition to affecting written tasks, visual-spatial deficits also have implications for the social functioning of children. Children who are not able to accurately process visual-spatial information will have difficulty processing the visual, nonverbal cues present in social situations including facial expressions, hand movements, and body posture (Nowicki & Duke, 1992). These social perception deficits make social interactions difficult for these children. As a result of their social differences, they are likely to get negative reactions from others, have social skills deficits (Petti, Voelker, Shore, and Hayman-Abello, 2003), and have much difficulty fitting in with same-aged peers. These social skills deficits will likely lead to internalized adjustment problems in which these children feel isolated, withdrawn, and depressed around their peers. This sequence of events, visual-spatial deficits, followed by social perception deficits, followed by social skills deficits, which ultimately lead to internalized emotional problems, is implied, but not empirically proven, in a study by Petti and colleagues (2003). In addition to experiencing greater socioemotional problems than other LD subtypes, visual-spatial and social deficits of children with NVLD have been shown to worsen with age (Casey, Rourke and Picard, 1991). This dissertation study investigated the relation between these four constructs (i.e., visual-spatial skills, social perception, social skills, and internalized emotional functioning). It was hypothesized that social perception and social skills mediate the relationship between visual-spatial skills and internalized emotional functioning. In addition, these deficits were expected to increase as these children get older. As NVLD and AS are commonly co-morbid with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderPredominantly Inattentive Type (ADHD: PI; Gross-Tsur & Shalev, 1995; Voeller, 1996), this diagnostic group was compared to children diagnosed with ADHD: PI. An additional aim of this study was to differentiate the classification of Learning Disability (LD) by demonstrating the socioemotional functioning differences between individuals with NVLD/ADHD: PI and their counterparts -- individuals with a Verbal Learning Disability (VLD/ADHD: PI). Seventy-one children, ranging in age from 8-14 participated in the study and were assigned to one of three groups (e.g., NVLD/AS with ADHD: PI, VLD with ADHD: PI, or ADHD: PI) based on pre-determined criteria. The NVLD/AS group, as expected, showed impairments in all areas (i.e., visual-spatial skills, social perception, social skills, and internalized socioemotional functioning) and significantly differed from one or both of the other groups on each of the four domains. Support was not found for the age effects for the NVLD/AS group. That is, visual-spatial and internalized socioemotional scores did not worsen with increasing age as expected. Also, visual-spatial skills were not significantly related to internalizing socioemotional functioning, and the hypothesized mediation variables were not statistically significant. The current study contributes to the understanding of individuals with NVLD, an under-studied population. The proposed visual-spatial skills deficits and social perception deficits in Rourke's (1989) theoretical model were supported. This study also offers some insight into the internalizing socioemotional functioning of children with NVLD. It clarifies the heterogeneity of socioemotional functioning among LD children, suggesting that it is children with the LD subtype, namely NVLD, who are at greater risk for social problems. / text

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory states that individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) can be identified by a deficit in empathy (social skills, communication skills, and theory of mind) and a propensity for systemizing (islets of ability, obsessions with systems, and repetitive behavior). This theory has been tested in various contexts, but never with adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16. The EQ-A (Empathizing Quotient for Adolescents) and the SQ-A (Systemizing Quotient for Adolescents) were administered to 47 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16 who had been diagnosed with ASC and 97 adolescents with no reported physical or mental disorders to discover differences in empathizing and systemizing. To test the specific elements and predictions of the E-S theory, the EQ-A was divided into a set of three subscales derived by conceptually mapping items to factors corresponding to the concepts theoretically underlying the scale. The SQ-A was divided into subscales using factor analysis. It was found that all four subscales resulting from the factor analysis on the SQ-A were associated with obsessions with systems. A weak positive correlation was found between the SQ-A and the EQ-A. Although the EQ-A was able to differentiate significantly between individuals with an ASC and those without, the SQ-A was not. In addition, although the EQ-A and EQ-A subscales scores correlated with similar subscales scores of the GARS-2 (a well-validated existing autism screening test), the SQ-A and its subscales did not. Implications for the E-S Theory are discussed.