The purpose of this study was to experiment with the possibility of using ludonarrative techniques present in games to communicate the socio-communicative impairments common in individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through extensive research, there is a pronounced lack of Autism representation in the form of diagnosed characters and their behaviors in games that there is little research made in this area. To explore this hypothetical quandary, an experiment was performed to test the effectiveness of how games may be used to convey concepts of Autism Spectrum Disorder to neurotypical individuals to enrich their understanding of the disorder and towards those who have it, through the creation and usage of a language based puzzle game prototype. The results concluded that disguising ASD symptoms and concepts as ludonarrative gameplay metaphors was effective in increasing awareness and interest towards the disorder.

Personer med autismspektrumtillstånd kan uppleva olika funktionshinder. Funktionshindren kan resultera i att mänskliga rättigheter för personer med autismspektrumtillstånd inte tillgodoses som alla andra. Varje individ utvecklas och bygger sin identitet baserad på olika faktorer som har påverkat denne under livets gång. Det kan vara viktigt att förstå hur olika faktorer kan påverka upplevelsen av identitet för personer med autismspektrumtillstånd, för att sedan skapa ett inkluderande samhälle som upprätthåller mänskliga rättigheter. Syftet med litteraturöversikten är att undersöka befintlig forskning som belyser olika faktorer som kan påverka upplevelsen av identitet för vuxna personer med autismspektrumtillstånd. Denna studie utgår från en strukturerad kartläggande litteraturöversikt med inspiration av en systematisk litteraturöversikt. Alla 18 slutgiltiga studier som inkluderades i denna litteraturöversikt tematiseras enligt Braun och Clarke (2006). Fyra huvudteman identifierades: makt och balans, stigma och stereotyper, diagnosens betydelse och acceptans av diagnosen. Resultaten visar att stigma är en betydande faktor som påverkar upplevelsen av identitet för personer med autismspektrumtillstånd. Stigma påverkade upplevelsen av identitet för personer med autismspektrumtillstånd genom att denne utgjorde bland annat utanförskap, negativ självuppfattning och känsla av att vara annorlunda. Inför framtida forskning hade det varit relevant att bland annat forska om olika insatser som samhället hade kunnat tillämpa för att minska stigmatiseringen för personer med autismspektrumtillstånd. / Individuals with autism spectrum disorder can experience various disabilities. These disabilities may result in the human rights for individuals with autism spectrum disorder not being met like everyone else. Each individual develops and builds their identity based on various factors that have influenced them throughout their lives. It can be important to understand how different factors can affect the experience of identity for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, in order to create an inclusive society that upholds human rights. The purpose of this literature review is to examine existing research that highlights various factors that can affect the experiences of identity for adults with autism spectrum disorder. This study is based on a structured mapping literature review inspired by a systematic literature review. All 18 final studies included in this literature review were thematized according to Braun and Clarke (2006). Four main themes were identified: Power and Balance, Stigma and Stereotypes, Significaticance of Diagnosis and Acceptance of Diagnosis. The results show that stigma is a significant factor that affects the experiences of identity for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Stigma impacted the experience of identity by causing, among other things, exclusion, negative self-perception and a feeling of being different. For future research, it would be relevant to investigate various interventions that society could implement to reduce the stigmatization of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Parenting is a demanding role that encompasses many responsibilities and challenges. When a child is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, there are additional demands on the parent's time, energy, and financial resources, which likely leads to increased levels of chronic stress for parents. This dissertation examines the differences in chronic stress levels between parents who have children with autism and parents who do not, using hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a benchmark. This dissertation also explores reducing parental stress by introducing a mindfulness intervention. Participants (n = 68) were recruited and divided into two groups: Parents of children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and parents of neurotypical (NT) children. It was hypothesized that parents of ASD children would have higher stress levels than parents of NT children, that parents who participate in the intervention would have a reduction in stress, and that parents of ASD children would benefit more from the intervention compared to parents of NT children. The intervention consisted of an online, self-compassion-based mindfulness course that was introduced to parents. To examine the course's effectiveness in reducing stress for parents who completed (or at least began) the course, baseline, pre-, and post-mindfulness data were collected using self-report questionnaires and hair cortisol concentration levels. Questionnaire data demonstrated higher levels of stress in parents of children with autism as compared to parents of neurotypical children. However, the mindfulness course did not demonstrate effective stress reduction for parents in every self-report measure, though cortisol levels did decrease for both groups following the intervention. Evidence suggests that the course was effective in increasing feelings of self-compassion and increasing perception of flourishing, Additionally, cortisol levels decreased significantly in parents after participating in the mindfulness course. By investigating stress in parents of children with autism and exploring mindfulness as a possible resource for stress reduction, this dissertation contributes to the broader discourse on family well-being and mental health. It is my hope that insights garnered from this research will inform the development of supportive frameworks that empower families, foster resilience, and ultimately enhance the quality of life for children with autism and their parents.

Self-monitoring involves teaching students to be aware of their own behavior, and be able to record whether the behavior happened or not. The present study uses meta-analysis of single case design (SCD) studies to evaluate the effectiveness of self-monitoring interventions that use electronic devices during implementation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Eligible studies were accessed to determine design quality, and examine the use of self-monitoring for individuals diagnosed with ASD. Studies were evaluated against inclusion-exclusion criteria. The studies that met inclusion criteria (n = 15) were assessed with the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for methodological rigor. The WWC standards were applied to baseline and intervention phases. There were a total of 12 studies with 32 students diagnosed with ASD that met SCD standards without, and with reservations. The 12 studies were evaluated using the Tau-U effect size metric to quantify the percentage of change that was attributed to the self-monitoring intervention. Overall, omnibus Tau-U was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.89, 1.0]). Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Despite a large body of research has investigated child attachment during middle childhood, only a limited number of studies has focused on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Additionally. The few studies available on this topic have exclusively used self-reported measures to assess quality of attachment, overlooking the role of internal representations, which are considered to play a fundamental role since attachment is internalized. Therefore, no studies examined the way in which child attachment representations are associated with child diagnosis, parenting and caregiving environment in ASD. In the first study, we assessed attachment representations in children with ASD, Learning Disabilities (LD) and Typical development (TD). In particular, we investigated possible group differences on perceived attachment to parents, self-protective strategies and quality of attachment implicit representations using the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM). The Study 2 focused on the caregiving environment and its influence on child attachment implicit representations. To this aim, we assessed parenting stress and parental style in mothers and fathers of children with ASD and TD, examining whether parents of children with ASD differ from those of matched TD group. Secondly, we examined which caregiving environment dimensions contribute significantly in predicting at-risk attachment representations, assessing separately the contribution of maternal and paternal parenting stress and parental interactive social style. In the third study maternal and paternal attachment style were assessed to test the hypothesis of attachment continuity across generations. Firstly, we investigated whether parents of children of ASD reported higher level of attachment-related avoidance/anxiety compared to their TD counterpart. Next, the associations between attachment style of both mothers and fathers and quality of child attachment representations was tested, by examining the moderation effect of child ASD diagnosis. The Study 4 investigated the role of other potential child attachment predictors. Due higher co-occurrence of ASD and difficulties in identifying, describing and distinguishing one’s own feelings, the predictive effect of alexithymia on child explicit attachment representations was tested. Moreover, we also examined whether children with ASD reported higher level of alexithymia compared to controls. The Study 1 showed that children with ASD are able to develop secure and coherent attachment implicit representations, albeit with a lesser extent compared to typically developing children. They were able to engage the attachment interview, confirming the suitability of this method in this clinical sample. Importantly, children with ASD showed high-risk attachment implicit representations and greater presence of unresolved trauma and modifiers, despite no differences emerged on perceived attachment to parents. The lack of group difference on perceived attachment suggested that implicit and explicit attachment representations of children with ASD originate from different sources of information. It is plausible that low reflective functioning, impaired metacognition as well as altered psychobiological processes of children with ASD contributed to attachment maladaptive information processing. Secondly, we replicated the well-established finding of higher parenting distress in parents of children with ASD compared to controls also in fathers. Moreover, the Study 2 documented less didactic and limit/setting style in parents of children with ASD. In accordance to a bidirectional perspective, these parenting behaviors were interpreted as parental functional responses to adapt to child unusual social-communication. Interestingly, data revealed a significant effect of maternal parenting stress and social exchange style on child attachment implicit representations. Thus, the study supports the coexistence of both child-driven and parent-driven effects in the context of parent-child relationship in ASD. Similarly, the Study 3 documented that children with ASD who have an insecurely attached primary caregiver showed at-risk attachment implicit representations. In other words, the continuity of attachment security across generations revealed a clear effect in ASD, suggesting that these children may be more susceptible to this mechanism compared to controls. In addition, parents of children with ASD reported higher attachment-related avoidance in comparison to their TD counterpart. This difference could be associated to the significant couple adjustment associated to the impact of rear a child with ASD. In addition, the Study 4 showed that alexithymia, but not ASD predicts perceived attachment to parents highlighting the different nature of attachment explicit and implicit representation. Moreover, our results confirmed higher co-occurrence of alexithymia and ASD also in school-age, extending literature on adulthood. Our findings pointed out that children with ASD (without intellectual disability) showed higher rates of at-risk self-protective strategies (attachment pattern). These results may be related to several factors associated with ASD symptoms, such as the more frequent disruptions of interpersonal exchanges with the caregiver across development, the difficulties in social information processing and reflective functioning. The higher exposure to adverse childhood experience (e.g. bullying), may explained the higher occurrence of unresolved trauma in these children. Up to date, to the best of our knowledge, these are the first studies on group differences and parental predictors of attachment implicit representations in school-age children with ASD. Therefore, these studies brought initial data to ASD literature on attachment representations, suggesting that these children are at increased risk of developing maladaptive information processing. Limitations of the studies and clinical implications are discussed.

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder often experience difficulty during speech-in-noise (SIN) processing tasks. However, it remains unclear how behavioral and cortical mechanisms of auditory processing explain variability in SIN performance in adults with ASD and their neurotypical counterparts. The proposed research explored variability in SIN as it relates to behavioral, perceptual, and objective measures of auditory processing. Results showed significant differences between groups in SIN thresholds. In addition, neurotypicals outperformed the ASD group on measures of sustained auditory attention characterized by reduced impulsivity, increased inhibition, and increased selective auditory attention. Individuals with ASD showed decreased acceptance of noise as compared to neurotypical peers. Overall, results highlighted auditory processing deficits in individuals with ASD that contribute to SIN performance.

Introduction: Developmental dysphasia (DD) is a developmental language disorder with high prevalence, but also with low publication index and confusion of the terminology (including the Czech version of ICD - "speech" disorder instead of "language" disorder). The scientific view has passed the development from a symptom, through the specific nozologic unit to the current term Developmental language disorder (DLD) and its classification among a new category of diseases in ICD-11 (existing in DSM-5) called Neurodevelopmental disorders. Another disorder with the characteristic pathology in communication is the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which is classified as a disease of the same category as DD. Compared to DD, it has a higher publication index, lower prevalence, and even more serious consequences. Three different domains that cause confusion, both in ASD and DD, are "speech", "language", and "communication". The same confusion applies to the current subtypes in ICD-11 with the term "functional language". In the Czech Republic there are very few studies dealing with the patients with DD, their profile of a clinic picture has not been processed so far. In spite of the increase of Czech research of ASD there is a missing speech, language, and communication profile of these individuals. This has...

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a low-incidence disorder with high impacts on individuals, families, and society. School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have tremendous responsibilities toward individuals with ASD, but pre-service SLPs are not adequately trained to fulfill these expectations. In order to reduce the widespread financial and social impact of ASD, school-based SLPs need to complete effective training to prepare them for the selection of established social-communication practices. One framework for the selection of individualized intervention is the Ziggurat Model (Aspy & Grossman, 2008). The following study used mixed methods to investigate the research question: “Does the ASD knowledge base of ASHA-certified school-based SLPs change when they complete an online training module based upon Aspy and Grossman’s Ziggurat Model? If so, what are those changes?” A pre-test post-test control group design demonstrated a significant difference in the experimental group’s and the control group’s pre-test post-test change scores, as demonstrated by an independent samples t-test (p=.039, 18df). Qualitative data analysis resulted in six themes. While the online training of Aspy and Grossman’s Ziggurat Model used in this study was an effective method with which to train school-based SLPs in using a comprehensive framework, more rigorous research is needed on this model relative to the selection of intervention.

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this research voyage of discovery, we story the voices of me (the research inquirer), my family and a teacher about our experience with a young woman with Autism Spectrum Disorder – my youngest sister Leyna.1 This is our attempt to give Leyna and (dis)ability a voice. Their voices have been silenced from research for too long. I try to explain a narrative research lens as a foundation for this document – one that views autism not as a disorder, but as a difference that needs to be embraced. People often live their lives according to the problem stories they tell themselves, and do not see the alternative stories that surround them every day. On this voyage I therefore tell our story to document the inspirational experiences that people with autism bring about in the lives of those supporting them. Little research that focuses on alternative stories about autism has been done on a global scale. Moreover, little research has been done on autism specifically in the South African context. This thesis relates the stories of the people involved in caring for my sister with autism. It brings a message of hope and suggests possibilities for future research voyages about autism. 1 Pseudonym / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie navorsingsontdekkingsreis vertel ons 'n storie deur verskeie stemme te laat hoor: ek, die navorsingsondersoeker, my gesin en 'n onderwyseres vertel 'n storie oor ons ervaringe met 'n jong vrou met Outisme Spektrum Versteuring – my jongste suster Leyna.2 Hierdie is ons onderneming om vir Leyna en gestremdheid 'n stem te gee. Te veel stemme is al te lank deur navorsing stilgemaak. Ek probeer die narratiewe navorsingslens te verduidelik as 'n grondslag vir hierdie dokument – een wat outisme nie as 'n versteuring sien nie, maar eerder as 'n verskil wat aangegryp en gerespekteer moet word. Mense leef dikwels hul lewens uit op grond van die probleemgesentreerde stories wat hulle aan hulself vertel, en sien nie die alternatiewe stories raak wat hulle daagliks omsluit nie. In hierdie reis vertel ek dus ons storie om die inspirerende ervarings wat mense met outisme in die mense wat hulle ondersteun teweeg bring, te dokumenteer. Min navorsing wat op die alternatiewe stories oor outisme fokus is tot op hede op 'n globale skaal gedoen. Verder is daar nog min navorsing oor outisme spesifiek in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks gedoen. Hierdie studie vertel die stories van die mense wat betrokke is in die versorging van my suster met outisme. Hiermee word 'n boodskap van hoop gebring en moontlikhede voorgestel vir toekomstige navorsingsreise oor outisme. 2 Skuilnaam is gebruik

Les enfants atteints d’un trouble du spectre de l’autisme (TSA) présentent souvent des difficultés à généraliser leurs apprentissages à des nouveaux stimuli, contextes et individus (Brown & Bebko, 2012; Happé & Frith, 2006; Lovaas, Koegel, Simmons, & Long, 1973; Plaisted, O'Riordan, & Baron-Cohen, 1998). Pour cette raison, il est important d’utiliser des techniques promouvant la généralisation au sein des programmes d’intervention leur étant destinés. Cette recherche visait à évaluer l’efficacité de deux des techniques les plus fréquemment utilisées dans les programmes d’intervention comportementale intensive (ICI), soit l’enseignement séquentiel et l’enseignement simultané, afin de déterminer si l’une d’elles était systématiquement plus efficace que l’autre pour promouvoir la généralisation des concepts chez les enfants ayant un TSA. Des devis expérimentaux à cas unique ont été utilisés pour évaluer les effets des deux techniques sur la généralisation de quatre enfants ayant un diagnostic de TSA et recevant des services d’ICI en clinique privée. Pour deux participants, la méthode enseignement simultané a démontré une plus grande efficacité quant à la généralisation des concepts enseignés. Pour les deux autres, les deux techniques se sont avérées aussi efficaces. Bien que préliminaires, les résultats suggèrent qu’il serait préférable d’appliquer la méthode enseignement simultané lors de l’enseignement de concepts chez les enfants ayant un TSA en contexte d’ICI. / Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show difficulties in generalizing what they have learned to new stimuli, contexts or persons (Brown & Bebko, 2012; Happé & Frith, 2006; Lovaas, Koegel, Simmons, & Long, 1973; Plaisted, O'Riordan, & Baron-Cohen, 1998). For this reason, it is important to implement strategies to promote generalization within programs intended for this population. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two of the most commonly used strategies in intensive behavioral intervention (IBI), serial training and concurrent teaching, to determine whether one was systematically more effective than the other at promoting generalization in children with ASD? Single-case experimental designs were used to assess the effects of the two strategies with four children with an ASD diagnosis receiving services in a private clinic. For two participants, concurrent teaching was more effective to promote generalisation of the learned concepts. For the remaining two participants, the two strategies were equally effective. Albeit preliminary, the results suggest that it may be preferable to introduce exemplars concurrently when teaching concepts to children with ASD within IBI programs.