Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 1999. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-91). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ56219.

This dissertation investigates autism as a form of disability in the literary and filmic worlds. It closely examines the narrative and representation of autism in two popular fictions, Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I propose to employ a postmodern framework in reading Haddon’s and Foer’s works, and argue the texts manifest the influence of postmodernism in contemporary writings through exhibiting inter-disciplinary knowledge and transcending the boundary between textual and visual narrative. This dissertation demonstrates how the two novels, by constructing the imagined autistic narrators, and giving them the narrative voice, offer neurotypical readers new perspectives to perceive an alienated world in autistic lens, such that the autistic narrative contributes to a distinct reading experience. The two chosen novels are significant texts in constructing the popular perception about autism in view of their worldwide popularities. This dissertation investigates how the autistic subject is being constantly imagined, represented, misrepresented and fantasized as otherness in the two fictions, by drawing comparisons with the Hollywood cinema. I find that the characterization and plot formulation in the two novels largely conform to and further reinforce the conventional, stereotypical and monolithic representations of autism in the popular culture, in which people with autism are either victimized as tragic characters, or in contrast, spectacularized and romanticized as extraordinary savants. Through a critical review of autism in a broad cultural discourse, this dissertation further illustrates how autism emerges as a “transient disability” of the twenty-first century and functions as a cultural metaphor. People with autism are consistently portrayed as lonely aliens or emotionless computer cyborgs. Autism thus serves as a metaphorical and self-referential device to express the fear, anxiety and confusion towards the growing influence of computer technology and consumerism in postmodernity. / published_or_final_version / Literary and Cultural Studies / Master / Master of Arts

Relationship between executive functions (EF) and symptomatology of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) were examined. EF of 33 students with high-functioning autism (HFA) and 25 typically development (TD) students were compared. The parent-rated adolescent version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) was administered. The ASD group displayed an EF profile of intact verbal working memory, impaired nonverbal working memory and nonverbal generativity. Additionally, they showed a tendency of weakness among the mental flexibility, planning, verbal generativity, and inhibition domains. Findings supported AQ as an useful screening tool for ASD. Certain significant relationships were illustrated: weak nonverbal working memory to a lack of imagination; weak nonverbal generativity to weak communication skills and weak imagination but to more attention switching and less manifestation of attention to details; lastly, weak verbal generativity to less attention to details. Explanations were suggested and limitations were discussed. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Autism is a disorder characterised by impairments in social behaviour. Central to infant social development is the ability to follow the actions of others (facilitating joint attention, which is impaired in autism). Additionally, prominent neurodevelopmental theories of autism render it plausible that action perception may be impaired in autism. Previous studies have aimed to further understand action perception in autism by using biological motion stimuli (point light animations of human action). The aim of this thesis is to build upon previous research by quantitatively examining whether: i) there is an autistic deficit for perceiving biological motion and ii) whether the perceptual processes used to detect biological motion are different in the case of autism In Chapter 1 a rationale is provided for studying biological motion perception in autism. Chapter 2 reviews previous studies of biological motion in autism. On the basis of this review, a model is developed, encompassing the range of different perceptual factors which could contribute to human action perception in autism, including: i) spatial configuration, ii) limb perception iii) kinematics iv) inter-agent synchronicity, v) action discrimination and vi) attention. Concise methodological standards are then developed, including the use of: threshold measurement, error measurement, and closely matched control conditions. Chapters 3-8 are individually dedicated to the above-mentioned perceptual factors in the respective order mentioned above. Results demonstrate no differences in perceptual thresholds between autistic and typically developing groups. Crucially, differences are found between sensitivity to upright and inverted biological motion in both groups (chapters 3, 5, 6 and 7), demonstrating the specificity, validity and reliability of our perceptual measurements. The results of our study demonstrate that - in visual psychophysical tasks - participants with autism show no differences in sensitivity to biological motion and do not recruit alternative perceptual processes.

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), when delivered through small model programs, has been unequivocally established as an effective treatment for many children with autism. The next major research need is to evaluate the effectiveness of EIBI when delivered to large, community-based samples, since this is how the majority of children access treatment. The present study involved a retrospective analysis of archival data from children who have participated in the EIBI program at St.Amant, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Similar to findings reported by Perry and colleagues (2008), results showed that children (n = 100) achieved statistically and clinically significant reduction in autism symptom severity, as well as statistically and clinically significant improvement in language skills, adaptive behaviour skills, cognitive level, and rate of development after one year of intervention. Furthermore, when it came to achieving both statistically and clinically significant gains (including more “typical” or normative levels of functioning), children identified as “higher functioning” at intake outperformed “lower functioning” children on all standardized outcome measures. For the smaller subset of children (n = 50) with data available at Intake, Year 1, and Year 2, statistically and clinically significant reductions in autism symptom severity were observed after two years of intervention, as well as statistically and clinically significant improvement in language skills, adaptive behaviour skills, and rate of development. Moderate gains in IQ were also observed, but these gains did not reach statistical significance, perhaps owing to sample size restriction for this measure (n = 11). Across all outcome measures, children identified as “higher functioning” at intake were far more likely to achieve “typical” levels of functioning after two years of intervention. As for predictors of outcome at Year 1, language and cognitive functioning at intake offered the strongest predictive value after one year of intervention. Finally, 13 children (13%) had achieved Best Outcome at Year 1; these children achieved notable gains on all outcome measures, and tended to be less severe diagnostically and much higher functioning at intake. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

No description available.

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), when delivered through small model programs, has been unequivocally established as an effective treatment for many children with autism. The next major research need is to evaluate the effectiveness of EIBI when delivered to large, community-based samples, since this is how the majority of children access treatment. The present study involved a retrospective analysis of archival data from children who have participated in the EIBI program at St.Amant, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Similar to findings reported by Perry and colleagues (2008), results showed that children (n = 100) achieved statistically and clinically significant reduction in autism symptom severity, as well as statistically and clinically significant improvement in language skills, adaptive behaviour skills, cognitive level, and rate of development after one year of intervention. Furthermore, when it came to achieving both statistically and clinically significant gains (including more “typical” or normative levels of functioning), children identified as “higher functioning” at intake outperformed “lower functioning” children on all standardized outcome measures. For the smaller subset of children (n = 50) with data available at Intake, Year 1, and Year 2, statistically and clinically significant reductions in autism symptom severity were observed after two years of intervention, as well as statistically and clinically significant improvement in language skills, adaptive behaviour skills, and rate of development. Moderate gains in IQ were also observed, but these gains did not reach statistical significance, perhaps owing to sample size restriction for this measure (n = 11). Across all outcome measures, children identified as “higher functioning” at intake were far more likely to achieve “typical” levels of functioning after two years of intervention. As for predictors of outcome at Year 1, language and cognitive functioning at intake offered the strongest predictive value after one year of intervention. Finally, 13 children (13%) had achieved Best Outcome at Year 1; these children achieved notable gains on all outcome measures, and tended to be less severe diagnostically and much higher functioning at intake. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty “seeing the big picture” and tend to process objects by their parts. This study used a perceptual grouping task (Experiment 1) involving the Ponzo illusion to determine if individuals with ASD show a local processing bias due to difficulties grouping stimuli preattentively. Individuals with ASD were less likely than TD individuals to report an illusion-based response. The percentage of responses consistent with the illusion indicated at chance performance in the ASD group, suggesting that they experience deficits preattentively when grouping stimuli. This study also used a viewing window paradigm (Experiment 2) to evaluate the parts-based processing strategies used by individuals with ASD when allowed to either actively or passively view blurry objects using a restricted viewing aperture. For both conditions performance was similar across groups, suggesting that individuals with ASD use similar parts-based processing strategies as TD individuals to identify objects.

No description available.

The thesis focuses on the impact of specialist outreachladvisory services for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. An outreach service can be defined as one that has staff with specialist knowledge, skills and experience in a specific area. It offers support to a number of recipients, such as pupils, their families and school-based staff. A review of the literature gives a historical feel for the evolution of such support services, and also considers current influences such as recent government policy and legislation in relation to special educational needs. The specific nature of the special educational needs of those with autistic spectrum disorders is outlined. A national survey was carried out in England and Wales by sending a postal questionnaire to all principal educational psychologists. This aimed to determine the presence of autism outreach / advisory services. Based on a return rate of 81 questionnaires (53% of LEAs surveyed), this revealed that 24 (3 0%) of local education authorities (LEAs) had some form of structured outreach or advisory services specifically catering for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. A further 20 (24%) of returns indicated emerging or informal services were in existence. Approximately a third of the autism outreach / advisory services were based in a special school and only a very small number operated from a mainstream school base. Approximately half were based on an autonomous site. The autism services were found to vary considerably in terms of the total number of pupils supported and the staff involved. There was evidence of a strong LEA commitment to ensuring that there was a specialist EP responsible for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders n= 43(53% of sample). In order to achieve a richer picture of service delivery, two autism outreach services were evaluated in detail using a case study approach. The methods used included interviews, a focus group and questionnaires. The views of outreach teachers, and those staff in schools receiving outreach support were sought. This demonstrated a shared understanding of the aims of the services. The outreach support was received in a very positive way by schools and was seen to have a real impact directly on the pupil as well as on staff development. The author proposes that a specialist outreach service can effectively act as a bridge to inclusion for a group of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders. Such a model fits in with the latest government proposals to increase inclusion through partnerships between special and mainstream schools. A framework for practice is put forward for consideration which summarises processes and constraints of such support and other service delivery issues.