Plusieurs enfants ayant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme (TSA) manifestent des comportements d’autostimulation. Ces comportements peuvent interférer avec l’apprentissage, la socialisation et les comportements adaptatifs. Même si les interventions comportementales sont reconnues efficaces pour réduire les comportements d’autostimulation, ces types d’intervention ne sont pas accessibles à toutes les familles. En réponse à ce problème, ce mémoire vise à évaluer les effets d’iSTIM, une application mobile conçue pour accompagner les parents dans la réduction des comportements d’autostimulation de leur enfant ayant un TSA. Une série de protocoles de recherche AB pour évaluer l’efficacité d’iSTIM sur les comportements d’autostimulation et les comportements appropriés auprès de sept familles. L’utilisation d’iSTIM par les parents a mené à une réduction des comportements d’autostimulation chez six des sept participants et une augmentation des comportements appropriés chez trois des participants. Les résultats indiquent que l’utilisation de la technologie peut être une méthode efficace, peu coûteuse et facilement accessible pour les parents dans le but de réduire les comportements d’autostimulation chez les enfants ayant un TSA. / Many children with ASD engage in stereotypy, which may interfere with learning, socialization as well as adaptive functioning. Although behavioral interventions have been known to effectively reduce stereotypy in children with ASD, these types of interventions are not accessible to all families. In response to this issue, the purpose of our study was to evaluate the effects of the iSTIM, an iOS application designed to support parents in the reduction of stereotypy in their child with ASD. We used a series of AB designs to determine the effectiveness of iSTIM on stereotypy and appropriate behavior in seven families. The use of iSTIM by the parents led to a reduction in stereotypy for six of our seven participants as well as an increase in an alternative appropriate behavior in their three children. Our results indicate that the use of technology may be a cost effective and easily accessible method for parents to reduce stereotypy in children with ASD.

Certain adolescents are restrained in their becoming owing to a variety of family, school and relational factors, such as inappropriate adult role models, repeated failure and poor communication skills. Restrained adolescents display inadequate identity formation, partly because they are still endeavouring to define an own identity, instead of having reached the point of refining and stabilising their identity. Through their behaviour in family, school and other relationships they plead for assistance in the formation of their identity, especially at school, where their plea is often misinterpreted as misbehaviour or attention-seeking, if not completely ignored. They consequently resort to their own ineffective efforts towards a meaningful existence. As an aid to defining adolescents' identity formation, a list of criteria has been compiled, using the essences distilled from the literature study. Four original questionnaires have been devised with a view to investigating restrained adolescents' identity formation from the perspective of adolescents, their parents, and teachers. By means of a qualitative investigation, it was found that: The identity formation of restrained adolescents is on the whole unsatisfactory in every respect. That is to say, they attribute inadequate meaning to life, themselves and their problems; they are not sufficiently involved in what they do, and they are bound by the infantile experiencing of their life-world in.that they are controlled by their feelings and moods. Parents of restrained adolescents tend to be inadequate, particularly their fathers, who are non-available, either literally or figuratively. Alcoholism, neglect and abuse are common. Teachers of restrained adolescents are generally unaware of the significant role they can play in their identity formation, and need sensitisation and assistance in this area. Adolescents restrained in their becoming demonstrate specific identity formation needs, which concern themselves in various personal modalities and relationships. Teachers are in the position to provide support, not by means of additional scholastic or guidance programmes, but through their approach to these adolescents, to their teaching and education in general. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed.

Certain adolescents are restrained in their becoming owing to a variety of family, school and relational factors, such as inappropriate adult role models, repeated failure and poor communication skills. Restrained adolescents display inadequate identity formation, partly because they are still endeavouring to define an own identity, instead of having reached the point of refining and stabilising their identity. Through their behaviour in family, school and other relationships they plead for assistance in the formation of their identity, especially at school, where their plea is often misinterpreted as misbehaviour or attention-seeking, if not completely ignored. They consequently resort to their own ineffective efforts towards a meaningful existence. As an aid to defining adolescents' identity formation, a list of criteria has been compiled, using the essences distilled from the literature study. Four original questionnaires have been devised with a view to investigating restrained adolescents' identity formation from the perspective of adolescents, their parents, and teachers. By means of a qualitative investigation, it was found that: The identity formation of restrained adolescents is on the whole unsatisfactory in every respect. That is to say, they attribute inadequate meaning to life, themselves and their problems; they are not sufficiently involved in what they do, and they are bound by the infantile experiencing of their life-world in.that they are controlled by their feelings and moods. Parents of restrained adolescents tend to be inadequate, particularly their fathers, who are non-available, either literally or figuratively. Alcoholism, neglect and abuse are common. Teachers of restrained adolescents are generally unaware of the significant role they can play in their identity formation, and need sensitisation and assistance in this area. Adolescents restrained in their becoming demonstrate specific identity formation needs, which concern themselves in various personal modalities and relationships. Teachers are in the position to provide support, not by means of additional scholastic or guidance programmes, but through their approach to these adolescents, to their teaching and education in general. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed.