published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is pervasive neurodevelopment disorder characterized by a broad range of social abnormalities and deficit in motor skills, many times referred to as clumsiness. These abnormal social characteristics result in a restricted repertoire of activity and interests that also may affect the motor learning process. Therefore, fewer opportunities to practice motor skills can lead to a delay in achieving motor proficiency. It is well known that physical activity and motor proficiency are positively correlated and the amount of time spent in a physical activity is directly related to the level of expertise in neurotypical children. Hence, the specific aim of this study is to quantify the amount of physical activity in children with ASD and compare this value to that of non-diagnosed siblings (ASD siblings) and neurotypical controls (NT), as well as to compare the amount of physical activity between neurotypical controls and ASD siblings. In this study, it was hypothesized that: 1) children with ASD would have lower scores than their non-diagnosed sibling and also than the NT controls in the amount of physical activity; 2) non-diagnosed siblings and neurotypical children would not be different in the amount of physical activity; 3) children with ASD's general score on the motor skills assessments would be lower than the non-diagnosed siblings and lower than NT controls; 4) There would not be a difference in the general score on motor skills assessments between non-diagnosed siblings and neurotypical children and 5) the motor assessments scores would be positively correlated (p < 0.05) to the amount of physical activity. There were differences between ASD and NT groups regarding to the amount of physical activity and also regarding to the motor proficiency scores. Although those differences were not statistically significant, they definitely are clinically relevant as showed that the children on the autism spectrum presented a clear motor delay. Likewise, the correlation between amount of physical activity and motor proficiency was showed not to be significant. These results can be explained by the small sample size. Further studies with a larger sample size would be crucial to verify these hypotheses proposed in the present study. / text

Bakgrund: Autism spectrum disorder avser funktionsnedsättningar som påverkar det sociala samspelet hos personerna det drabbar. En förälder till ett sådant barn kan uppleva ett ökat behov av stöd, delaktighet och förståelse för att lindra det lidande som uppstår. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva upplevelserna av att vara förälder till ett barn med ASD. Metod: De nio bloggar som låg till grund för arbetet analyserades med en narrativ analys. Resultat:  Genom analys av materialet framträdde fem teman. Att ständigt kämpa för sina barns rätt, En känsla av skuld sorg och maktlöshet, Ett behov av förståelse och stöd från omgivningen, Att ha en unik kunskap om sina barn och Att ständigt vara förberedd. Diskussion: Föräldrarnas upplevelser diskuterades i relation till bakgrund och artiklar relaterade till vården av dessa familjer. Vilka svårigheter som uppstått och vägar att minska dessa problem. Konklusion:  Föräldrarna till dessa barn upplever att de är den som har störst kunskap om sina barn. Genom att möta och ta del av föräldrarnas erfarenheter kan avsevärt underlätta för vårdpersonal att stötta och lindra lidande för familjerna. En önskan om ytterligare stöd och hjälp finns hos dessa familjer.

The purpose of this study was to understand professional development for paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD in Virginia. This understanding was reached through explanatory, sequential mixed methods design. Surveys and interviews provided insight into training practices, training needs, and training barriers. An interpretation of their professional development was developed through considering the perceptions of paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD, teachers of students with ASD, and directors of special education. Findings revealed a lack of supervision, training, and skills. The lack of training and supervision resulted in paraprofessionals learning through trial and error. Paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD felt qualified to complete their duties as a result of personal disposition and effective supervision. Paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD desired individualized training concerning behavior management. The results of this study provide several recommendations for training content and delivery format. It also provided a theoretical framework for explaining how paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD experience training.

<p>The purpose with this essay is to find out how active teachers think about integrate children with the diagnosis autism into the regular school. The method I have used to find out is a qualitative interview, where I have interviewed three teachers of various age and sex.</p><p>A person with the diagnosis autism has problems with communication, social interaction and the ability to form a conception. Today, we do not know what causes autism, but we do know that it has to do with a neurological disorder. The word integrate means unite or join together as a wholeness. Many children who have a handicap may feel good to participate in a school where the other pupils do not have a handicap. Especially for children with autism who need role models to develop their social skills. Pupils with autism need a structured schooling with rutines and an organisation that is intended to help them get through their school day.</p><p>Keywords: integration, autism, school, children</p> / <p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att ta reda på hur verksamma pedagoger ställer sig i frågan om att integrera elever med autism i den vanliga skolan. För att få reda på det har jag använt mig av en kvalitativ intervju, där jag har intervjuat tre pedagoger i varierande ålder och olika kön.</p><p>En person som har diagnosen autism har i stora drag problem med kommunikation, social interaktion och föreställningsförmågan. Man vet idag inte vad det är som orsakar autism, men man vet att det har att göra med en neurologisk störning. Ordet integrera betyder förena eller sammanföra till en helhet. Många barn som har något sorts handikapp sägs må bra av att gå i den vanliga skolan tillsammans med andra elever som inte har något handikapp. Just för barnen med autism är det extra viktigt då de behöver förebilder för att utveckla sina sociala färdigheter. Elever med autism kräver en strukturerad skolgång med bestämda rutiner och en organisation som hjälper dem att komma igenom sin skoldag.</p><p>Nyckelord: integrering, autism, skola, barn</p>

The purpose with this essay is to find out how active teachers think about integrate children with the diagnosis autism into the regular school. The method I have used to find out is a qualitative interview, where I have interviewed three teachers of various age and sex. A person with the diagnosis autism has problems with communication, social interaction and the ability to form a conception. Today, we do not know what causes autism, but we do know that it has to do with a neurological disorder. The word integrate means unite or join together as a wholeness. Many children who have a handicap may feel good to participate in a school where the other pupils do not have a handicap. Especially for children with autism who need role models to develop their social skills. Pupils with autism need a structured schooling with rutines and an organisation that is intended to help them get through their school day. Keywords: integration, autism, school, children / Syftet med denna uppsats är att ta reda på hur verksamma pedagoger ställer sig i frågan om att integrera elever med autism i den vanliga skolan. För att få reda på det har jag använt mig av en kvalitativ intervju, där jag har intervjuat tre pedagoger i varierande ålder och olika kön. En person som har diagnosen autism har i stora drag problem med kommunikation, social interaktion och föreställningsförmågan. Man vet idag inte vad det är som orsakar autism, men man vet att det har att göra med en neurologisk störning. Ordet integrera betyder förena eller sammanföra till en helhet. Många barn som har något sorts handikapp sägs må bra av att gå i den vanliga skolan tillsammans med andra elever som inte har något handikapp. Just för barnen med autism är det extra viktigt då de behöver förebilder för att utveckla sina sociala färdigheter. Elever med autism kräver en strukturerad skolgång med bestämda rutiner och en organisation som hjälper dem att komma igenom sin skoldag. Nyckelord: integrering, autism, skola, barn

This essay is about how working with children with autism works with the laws and regulations that fall under the Compulsory School Ordinance and Lgr11 (Compulsory for primary school, preschool classes and kindergarten). The aim of this work was to examine various educators thoughts, experiences and practices related to children with autism in primary school. The study is based on three questions: what kind of rights regarding support do children with autism have in the Swedish primary school, according to the primary regulation and Lgr11? How do the selected primary schools work with the support of children with the diagnosis of autism? And how well does the affected educator’s think that the support works? To answer these questions, four qualitative interviews with various educators, were made. My results show that all four educators believe that inclusive labor of children with autism is a good thing for everyone, as long as it is done properly and with the right order, so that the child with autism gets the opportunity to be part of a social group. To achieve this, the work must be structured, square and clarified.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that affect social, communication, and behavioral development. Social impairments have been implicated as primary symptoms of ASD and communication impairments are often cited as initial concerns among parents. Yet there is an inconsistency in the literature regarding the existence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (RR) in very young children (i.e., those younger than 4 years) with ASD and the association between RR and sensory dysfunction. The purpose of the current project was to identify social deficits that most distinguish very young children with ASD, assess whether RR are present in very young children diagnosed with ASD, and explore the relationship between RR and sensory dysfunction. Results support the hypothesis that social impairments are primary symptoms of ASD. Stereotyped patterns of thought and behavior were present in this sample and were correlated with sensory dysfunction. Implications for theory, diagnosis, and research are discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2009. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-98).

Direct observation of the child remains an essential part of the gold standard clinical practice in the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment planning for children with Autism and related developmental conditions. Clinical professionals acknowledge that observing behavior in the natural environment is crucial to obtain an accurate and comprehensive assessment of child behavior. However, direct observation in the natural environment is not feasible for wide-scale implementation into clinical practice. Another key challenge with respect to autism diagnosis is that there is significant time lag (about 20-60 months) between age at which parents first get concerned and the age at which the child finally gets diagnosed. Delay in diagnosis can lead to delay in invaluable early interventions which could impact a child’s future developmental outcomes. A capture and access solution can play a role to fill these gaps. This thesis presents the design, development, and evaluation of a Clinician-directed Capture and Access System that can enable parents to easily collect in-home behavior specimens that have clinical utility and clinicians to use this data to complete a diagnostic assessment for autism. Analogous to a traditional lab specimen collection and assessment procedure, this approach involves three steps: 1) the clinician’s prescription of behavior specimens to be collected; 2) in-home collection and remote sharing of prescribed behavior specimens by parents; and 3) diagnostic assessment of behavior specimens by a remote and qualified clinician. The contributions of this thesis are as follows: a) identified potential opportunities and challenges specific to the design and adoption of a technology solution that enables in-home behavior specimen collection and diagnostic assessment for autism; b) identified key features and functionalities of a smart-phone based Capture System that can enable parents to easy collect in-home behavior specimens that have clinical utility; c) identified key features and functionalities of the web-based Access System that facilitate clinicians to complete remote diagnostic assessment based on in-home behavior specimens.; d) demonstrated through an end-to-end study with parents and clinicians that parents can easily capture behavior specimens through the Capture System and clinicians can complete remote autism diagnostic assessment based on in-home behavior specimens via the Access System.