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Asperger's syndrome (AS) is a pervasive developmental disorder that is associated with marked social dysfunction. Deficits in the perception of nonverbal cues of emotion may be related to this social impairment. Research has indicated that children with autism are limited in their emotion perception abilities, but studies that have addressed this issue with individuals with AS or high-functioning autism (HFA) have yielded inconsistent findings. These inconsistencies may be related to methodological differences across studies including diagnostic criteria and failure to consider the intensity of the emotion cues. It was hypothesized that children with AS and HFA would both have deficits in emotion perception compared to typically-developing children. However, children with HFA were expected to have an even greater emotion perception deficit than children with AS and this difference was hypothesized to be most pronounced for low intensity cues of emotion. It is important to clarify whether individuals with AS and HFA differ in emotion perception because most studies of this skill combine them into one group or use poorly defined diagnostic criteria. This study examined the ability of 30 8- to 15-year-old children with either AS or HFA to perceive emotion from high and low intensity cues. In order to address limitations with the differential validity of the DSM-IV criteria for AS, diagnoses were based on diagnostic criteria proposed by Klin et al. (in press). A researcher who was blind to diagnosis administered a test that presented low and high intensity cues of emotion in photographs of facial expression and audiotapes of tone of voice. Comparison of the emotion perception accuracy of children with AS to the normative means of this instrument for typically-developing children did not reveal any significant differences. In contrast, the children with HFA were significantly less accurate in their perception of facial expressions and tone of voice than the normative sample and the participants with AS. Contrary to expectations, IQ was significantly related to emotion perception accuracy. After controlling for IQ, the difference in perception of facial expressions between children with AS and HFA was not significant. On the other hand, cue intensity moderated the relation between diagnosis and emotion perception accuracy for tone of voice even after IQ was taken into account. Children with AS perceived high and low intensity tone of voice cues with similar accuracy, but children with HFA had significantly poorer performance on the low intensity tone of voice cues. Although emotion perception accuracy was related to better adjustment, it was not correlated with the most sensitive measure of current social functioning. This suggests that even when children with AS or HFA perceive cues correctly, they may not know how or be able to properly integrate them for adaptive responses in social interaction. The findings have important implications for understanding inconsistencies in past research and identifying future directions.

Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism is a form of pervasive developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and restricted and stereotyped interests. These children are often clumsy and motor uncoordinated. They also performed worse in standardized tests of motor function. In this diploma thesis we used Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (MABC-2) for assessment motor skills in children with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism aged 7-10 years in comparison with the group of children developing typically. Our study included 9 children with Asperger syndrome, 3 children with high-functioning autism and 64 children with typical development. Evident motor deficit (below 5. percentile) was found in 2 children with Asperger syndrome and 3 children with high-functioning autism. 1 child with Asperger syndrome was in a risk of motor deficit (6.-16. percentile). Children with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism performed significantly worse than children developing typically in a total score of this test. Significant difference was found in two components of MABC-2, in Aiming and catching (AC) and Balance (BAL). Better results reached children with typical development. Results of this study indicate that children with Asperger syndrome...

Le taux de prévalence des troubles anxieux est très élevé chez les adolescents avec un Trouble Envahissant du Développement Sans Déficience Intellectuelle (TED-SDI). Hypothèse : Les troubles anxieux sont liés à la reconnaissance des expressions faciales émotionnelles dans les TED-SDI. Objectifs : 1) Etudier les liens entre la présence de troubles anxieux et la reconnaissance des expressions faciales émotionnelles auprès d’adolescents avec TED-SDI, en comparant leurs performances de reconnaissance des expressions faciales émotionnelles selon qu’ils aient ou non des troubles anxieux. 2) Vérifier si ces liens sont spécifiques aux TED-SDI, en comparant les performances à un groupe contrôle anxieux sans TED. 3) Caractériser les troubles anxieux dans les TED-SDI. Méthode : Il s'agit d'une étude transversale, descriptive et comparative d'une population de 46 adolescents avec TED-SDI âgés de 11 à 18 ans dont 20 ont des troubles anxieux. Ces derniers ont été comparés à 20 sujets contrôle du même âge ayant des troubles anxieux sans TED. Résultats : Dans la population avec TED, des liens sont mis en évidence entre la présence de troubles anxieux et l'altération de la reconnaissance des expressions de Colère et Tristesse. Il existe une corrélation spécifique aux TED-SDI entre l'augmentation du niveau d’anxiété sociale et l'amélioration de la reconnaissance de la Peur. Conclusion : Cette étude confirme l’existence de liens entre les troubles anxieux et la reconnaissance des expressions faciales émotionnelles dans les TED-SDI. Des pistes de réflexion sur l’évaluation et le développement de nouvelles prises en charge des troubles anxieux dans cette population sont proposées. / Previous studies reported a high prevalence of anxiety in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) without intellectual disability. Hypothesis: There is an association between anxiety disorders and facial emotional expressionrecognition in this population. Objectives: 1) to explore the relationship between anxiety disorders and facial emotional expression recognition in adolescents with ASD without intellectual disability and in a control group of adolescents without ASD. 2) to examine the specificity of this relation to ASD in comparing their performance in facial emotion recognition to that of a control group with anxiety disorder without ASD. 3) to characterize anxiety disorders in ASD without intellectual disability.Methods: Our study is cross-sectional, descriptive and comparative. Forty-six adolescents with ASD without intellectual disability aged between 11 and 18 years participated in the study. Among them, 20 had an anxiety disorder and were compared with 20 controls of the same age, with anxiety disorder without ASD. Results: In adolescents with ASD, anxiety disorders were related to impairments in recognition of the emotions like Anger and Sadness. Moreover, we found a significant correlation between the level ofsocial anxiety and improvement in Fear recognition that was specific to ASD.Conclusion and future directions: This study supports the hypothesis that anxiety disorders are relatedto facial emotion recognition in adolescents with ASD without intellectual disability. Clinicalimplications concerning the assessment of anxiety comorbidities in this population and the lack ofadapted treatments are discussed.

The goal of this study was to examine the contributing factors to depression in young adult males with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) and controls. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between recalled relational peer victimization, self-perceived social competence, global self-worth, and symptoms of depression in individuals with HFASD compared to normal controls. Depression is one of the most prevalent comorbid conditions in the HFASD population. Individuals with autism are also subjected to high rates of peer victimization. Given that social abilities are impaired in individuals with autism, it was hypothesized that their experiences with victimization by peers, along with their self-perceived social competence and global self-worth, would help explain levels of depression. It was expected that higher levels of peer victimization, lower levels of self-perceived social competence, and lower levels of global self-worth would explain higher levels of depression. Additionally, it was expected that self-perceived social competence would mediate the effect of peer victimization on depression, global self-worth would mediate the effect of peer victimization on depression, and global self-worth would mediate the effect of self-perceived social competence on depression. Variables were measured with self-report questionnaires. Multiple regression and bootstrapping measures of indirect effects were used to examine the presumed effects. Participants included 40 males, ages 18-26; there were 21 control participants and 19 individuals with HFASDs. Individuals with HFASD had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms, lower levels of self-perceived social competence, lower levels of global self-worth, and a trend towards higher reports of peer victimization. Multiple regression analyses determined that peer victimization, global self-worth, and self-perceived social competence significantly predicted depressive symptoms in the total sample. Also, peer victimization significantly predicted self-perceived social competence and global self-worth. Additionally, self-perceived social competence significantly predicted global self-worth. Tests of indirect effects indicated that global self-worth mediated the effect of peer victimization on depression, self-perceived competence mediated the effect of peer victimization on depression, and global self-worth mediated the effect of self-perceived competence on depression. As a follow-up, this study also examined select HFASD participants' responses about how they defined bullying, as well as their perceived experiences with victimization. / text

This study is both quantitative and qualitative in nature. In order to support or discard the hypothesis that high-functioning, autistic upper secondary school students speak more freely in English than in their native language Swedish, an experiment with a narrative format was conducted with students both within and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Measurements of lexical density, hesitations and long pauses in the narrative were applied to assess the quality of produced speech. A questionnaire survey for teachers of this age category of students was also carried out. The analyses of the results are primarily quantitative, but a portion of the questionnaire is also thematically analysed. The study shows that there is initial support for the hypothesis. / Denna studie är båda kvantitativ och kvalitativ i sin natur. För att stödja eller förkasta hypotesen att högfungerande, autistiska gymnasieelever talar engelska mer obehindrat än deras modersmål svenska, genomfördes ett experiment med ett berättande format med studenter både inom och utanför Autismspektrumtillstånd (AST). Mått på lexikalisk täthet, tvekan och långa pauser i berättandet användes för att utvärdera kvalitén av producerat tal. En enkätundersökning för lärare av denna ålderskategori av elever genomfördes också. Analyserna av resultaten är primärt kvantitativa, men en del av enkäten är också tematiskt analyserad. Studien visar att det föreligger ett initialt stöd för hypotesen.

The aim of the present study was to investigate if individuals with high-functioning autism differ from typically developing (TD) individuals in judgments of social dimensions from faces. Thirty-two individuals with high functioning autism and sixty-seven TD individuals rated 196 synthetic faces representing 7 social dimensions. Overall, both groups performed similarly on the judgment tasks. However, some group differences emerged for ratings of Competence and Likeability in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) group. Furthermore, alexithymia, or emotion-blindness, was found to be a possible indicator of ability to judge social dimensions in the ASD group. Implications of present results in relation to prior and future research on social interaction on the autism spectrum are discussed.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka huruvida professionella med koppling till LSS-verksamheter inom Eskilstuna kommun upplever vuxna med högfungerande autism som socialt isolerade, vilka bakomliggande faktorer de professionella anser orsaka social isolering samt hur de arbetar för att bemöta detta. Omfattningen av forskning som finns om social isolering hos vuxna med högfungerande autism är liten. Den forskning som finns tyder på att personer inom autismspektrumet ofta upplever begränsningar i sina sociala förmågor, vilket bidrar till svårigheter i sociala interaktioner samt bibehållandet av relationer. Dessa svårigheter kan leda till ett undandragande beteende som kan resultera i social isolering. För att besvara syfte och frågeställningar har semistrukturerade intervjuer med professionella från olika LSS-verksamheter utförts. Analys av det insamlade materialet har skett utifrån Honneths teori om erkännande samt Saleebeys styrkefoukserade förhållningsätt till socialt arbete. Resultatet visar i huvudsak på att de professionella upplever att social isolering är ett förekommande fenomen inom målgruppen där de bakomliggande faktorerna anses vara erfarenhet av misslyckanden i sociala interaktioner, social ångest samt stigmatisering av personer med funktionsnedsättningar. Resultatet tyder på att de professionella arbetar med att individanpassa insatserna efter den enskildes behov för att kunna kompensera för dennes svårigheter. / The purpose of this study is to investigate whether professionals from Eskilstuna municipality who work with people with disabilities perceive adults with high-functioning autism as socially isolated, what underlying factors the professionals consider causing social isolation and how they work towards meeting the individuals need for support. The research available on social isolation in adults with high-functioning autism is limited. The available research indicates that people with autism often experience limitations in their social abilities, which contributes to difficulties in social interactions and relationships. These difficulties can contribute to evasive behavior that can result in social isolation. In order to answer the purpose, semi-structured interviews with professionals from various occupations within social work were conducted. Analysis of the collected material has been based on Honneth's theory of recognition and Saleebey's strengths perspective. The results mainly show that the professionals experience social isolation as a common phenomenon within the target group where the underlying factors are considered to beexperience of failures in social interactions, social anxiety and stigmatization of people with disabilities. The results indicate that professionals work to adapt the environment to support the individual's needs in order to be able to compensate for their difficulties.

Introduktion: Det finns en stor variation avseende behov av stöd och anpassning i skolan för barn med autism utan intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Begränsningar i social kommunikation, förmåga att se sammanhang, bristande exekutiv förmåga och känslighet för sensoriska intryck kan skilja sig mycket och är utmaningar skolan behöver ta hänsyn till. Tidigare forskning har visat brister i skolsituationen för dessa barn. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka föräldrars upplevelse av deras barns skolsituation, utifrån trivsel, skolfrånvaro samt stöd och anpassning i skolan. Metod: Studiens design är en kvantitativ empirisk tvärsnittsundersökning i form av en webbenkätundersökning riktad till ett bekvämlighetsurval av föräldrar till barn med autism utan intellektuell funktionsnedsättning i grundskoleålder med avseende att mäta föräldrars upplevelse av barnens skolsituation. Inalles 45 föräldrar deltog i enkäten. Resultat: Undersökningen visade att hälften av barnen ur ett föräldraperspektiv trivs dåligt eller mycket dåligt i skolan. Ungdomar på högstadiet upplevs ha sämre stöd än barn i andra skolstadier. Det finns en samvariation mellan stöd och anpassning gentemot frånvaro, där upplevd brist av stöd har ett samband med hög frånvaro. Över hälften av respondenterna uppgav att deras barn haft en frånvaro på 30 dagar eller mer senaste året utifrån upplevda brister i skolan. Individuell kartläggning, autismkompentens hos skolans personal, struktur och tydlighet samt stöd i socialt samspel är genomgående önskemål från föräldrarna. Slutsats: Särskilt föräldrar till barn på högstadiet upplever en bristande skolsituation. Kartläggning av barnets behov är betydelsefullt då detta kan skilja sig från att inte ha särskilt behov alls, till att behöva särskild undervisning vilket sambandet mellan bristande stöd och frånvaro synliggjorde. / Introduction: There is a great deal of variation in the need of support and adaptation in school for children with autism without intellectual disabilities. Limitations in social communication, ability to see context, lack of executive ability and sensitivity to sensory impressions can differ greatly and are challenges the school needs to consider. Previous research has shown shortcomings in the school situation for these children. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate parents' experience of their children's school situation, based on well-being, school absence and support and adaptation in school. Method: The design of the study is a quantitative empirical cross-sectional study web-based survey aimed at convenience sample of parents of children with autism without intellectual disability in elementary school age dealing with parents' experience of their children's school situation. Totally 45 parents participated in the survey. Results: The survey showed that half of the children from a parental perspective feel bad or very bad at school. Young people in lower secondary school are perceived to have less support than children in other school stages. There is a covariation between support and adaptation to absence, where the perceived lack of support is associated with high absenteeism. More than half of the respondents stated that their children had an absence of 30 days or more in the past year based on perceived shortcomings in school. Individual mapping, autism competence among the school staff, structure, and clarity as well as support in social interaction are continuously requested by the parents. Conclusion: Parents of children in lower secondary school in particular experience a lack of school situation. Mapping the child's needs is important as this can differ from not having a special need at all, to needing special education, which made the connection between lack of support and absence visible.

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