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Diss. Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2007.

This phenomenological research study explores the lived experience of an Asperger syndrome (AS) diagnosis, particularly focusing on the impacts of diagnosis. The proposed sample included seven co-researchers, four women, three men, with lived experiences of an AS diagnosis. Asperger syndrome is a lifelong developmental disability (APA, 1994). Using Colaizzi's phenomenological methodology (1978), a total of twelve themes emerged from the data. These themes are produced in an exhaustive description, this displays the lived experiences of an AS diagnosis. The analysis displayed a total of 12 themes: Impact of diagnosis leading to changes in social and family relationships; Feelings arising from diagnosis; Personal changes through diagnosis; Impact of a diagnosis an inhibiting factor; Personal changes in identity and similarity with others; Feeling arising before diagnosis; Accessibility to Autism services; Feelings arising from child's diagnosis; Impact of child's diagnosis leading to changes in family, social and intimate relationships; Personal changes in identity through a mother and carer role; Uncertainty about future; Lack of psychological & emotional support. The co-researchers reported a change in identity and relationship(s) with others. Coresearchers reported a lack of psychological support provided after the AS diagnosis. This shows an urgent need for psychological therapy among this client group. I propose Counselling Psychologists can fulfil this need and offer a range of support through different means including post-diagnostic follow-ups, counselling (postdiagnosis) and ongoing group support. These findings will be discussed in detail.

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the components required to build a therapeutic relationship with children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Through this study therapists and other professionals working with these children could be guided to form functioning and healthy therapeutic relationships with children diagnosed with AS. An inductive, qualitative method was used to gain insight into the components required to build a therapeutic relationship with children diagnosed with AS by exploring the opinions and experiences of a selection of therapists from different therapeutic contexts that work with children diagnosed with AS. Six participants working with children diagnosed with AS at schools for children with learning difficulties, Autism and AS or therapists who form part of the referral teams of these schools in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan took part in the study. Participants consisted of Occupational therapists, Speech therapists, Counselling Psychologists and Clinical Psychologists. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to explore and describe the opinions of the participants on the components required to build a therapeutic relationship with children diagnosed with AS. The results of this study indicated that building a therapeutic relationship with a child diagnosed with AS requires multiple components and a holistic outlook. Preparation in the form of research and being knowledgeable on the AS diagnosis, as well as obtaining thorough background information on the specific child was found to be fundamental. An awareness on the part of therapists and other professionals regarding child-related aspects such as co-morbid disorders; sensory considerations; therapeutic environment; coping with change; obsessions and dependence on the therapist was found to be of value. Other fundamental components that seem to be a requirement for building a therapeutic relationship with children diagnosed with AS were the therapist characteristics: body language and attitude. Therapeutic considerations, such as the importance of setting boundaries and remaining consistent, as well as the teaching aspect involved in building a therapeutic relationship became evident. Furthermore, the education of parents, siblings and other family members, as well as the importance of having fun while building a therapeutic relationship were recognized as important components. Teamwork was another crucial component identified which included parental and / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the components required to build a therapeutic relationship with children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Through this study therapists and other professionals working with these children could be guided to form functioning and healthy therapeutic relationships with children diagnosed with AS. An inductive, qualitative method was used to gain insight into the components required to build a therapeutic relationship with children diagnosed with AS by exploring the opinions and experiences of a selection of therapists from different therapeutic contexts that work with children diagnosed with AS. Six participants working with children diagnosed with AS at schools for children with learning difficulties, Autism and AS or therapists who form part of the referral teams of these schools in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan took part in the study. Participants consisted of Occupational therapists, Speech therapists, Counselling Psychologists and Clinical Psychologists. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to explore and describe the opinions of the participants on the components required to build a therapeutic relationship with children diagnosed with AS. The results of this study indicated that building a therapeutic relationship with a child diagnosed with AS requires multiple components and a holistic outlook. Preparation in the form of research and being knowledgeable on the AS diagnosis, as well as obtaining thorough background information on the specific child was found to be fundamental. An awareness on the part of therapists and other professionals regarding child-related aspects such as co-morbid disorders; sensory considerations; therapeutic environment; coping with change; obsessions and dependence on the therapist was found to be of value. Other fundamental components that seem to be a requirement for building a therapeutic relationship with children diagnosed with AS were the therapist characteristics: body language and attitude. Therapeutic considerations, such as the importance of setting boundaries and remaining consistent, as well as the teaching aspect involved in building a therapeutic relationship became evident. Furthermore, the education of parents, siblings and other family members, as well as the importance of having fun while building a therapeutic relationship were recognized as important components. Teamwork was another crucial component identified which included parental and / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This study is about people with Asperger syndrome and their difficulties in all kinds of communication in society. Through the language we code objects and events to remember and observe the environment. The aim is to compare research with the actual experiences of people with Asperger syndrome, in relation to their difficulties in society / communication. Three questions have been given extra attention. The first is what similarities and differences there are between people with Asperger syndrome. How do they hemselves experience their communication with others? The second question is how the actual experiences of people with Asperger syndrome seem to equal to the research. The third and final question is if there are any communication problems in the autobiographies that they might not experience themselves. In the analysis qualitative data is collected through autobiographies and research. As method Gadamer's hermeneutik is used during adaptation. The research and the autobiographies often walk hand in hand, but one result of the study is that the genus perspective was lost in the research. The females act differently than males in the autobiographies. Another result is that the research can't keep up with it's time, so when the time changes the research doesn't change with it.

The effective encoding and interpretation of facial expressions is critical to inferring the intentions, motivation, and emotional state of others. Asperger syndrome (AS) is a pervasive, neurodevelopmental condition characterized by significant deficits in social interaction, impaired use of language, and stereotyped interests and activities. Deficient encoding and interpretation of facial expressions is likely related to the social difficulties experienced by those with AS. A video-based intervention administered via Internet is proposed for young children with AS. This research hopes to clarify the questions (1) are young children with AS able to interpret simple emotions and (2) can they learn the skills necessary to interpret complex emotions. Data will be analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. / text

Diss. (sammanfattning) Göteborg : Göteborgs universitet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a behaviourally defined disorder characterised by impairments in three domains of social interaction, communication, and repetitive/restricted interests and behaviours (DSM-IV-TR; APA, 2000; ICD-10; WHO, 1992). Recent research suggests that this diagnostic triad may no longer fit as the best way to conceptualise ASD. Although not due for publication until 2013, a proposed revision of autistic disorder for DSM-V has merged three domains into two; i) Social/communication deficits and ii) Fixated interests and repetitive behaviours (APA, 2010). The aim of this study was to examine the structure of ASD symptom domains within the Adult Asperger Assessment (AAA; Baron-Cohen et al., 2005). Method: Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine data from a clinical population of adults diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA). Results: Analysis suggested that none of the theoretically-driven models were supported by the AAA data. However, it did highlight high correlations between social and communication factors (r > 0.9) within unmodified models. Discussion: The results of the analysis did not provide support for the move towards considering ASD as a dyad of ‘social-communication’ impairments and repetitive/restricted interests and behaviours, as none of the models were supported by the AAA data. The validity of the AAA as a diagnostic tool is discussed, as well as limitations and suggestions for future research. Conclusion: This study did not provide the evidence required to endorse a move towards the proposed DSM-V dyad. Further research to understanding the structure of autism symptoms could improve diagnostic and classification systems, and further studies of the genetic and neurobiological bases of ASD.

No description available.