ackground Previous research has shown that parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) and/ or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are more psychologically distressed than parents of neuro‐typical children. The literature suggests that there is significant variation in the rates of maladjustment within this population, and the research into factors that influence parental adjustment is developing. This study aims to add to the research into the factors influencing adjustment to parenting a child with LD/ ASD. In particular, relatively under‐researched concepts such as parental acceptance, time since diagnosis, and the influence of informational support to understand a child’s needs, will be explored. Method Two hundred and thirty five parents of children aged 4‐19 participated in a questionnaire study, conducted through local additional support needs (ASN) schools and bases. Measures of psychological adjustment were gathered alongside measures of acceptance, positive gains, level of child’s challenging behaviour and demographic information. Results Along with other variables, psychological acceptance and was found to account for significant variance in parental adjustment. There were no observed relationships between adjustment and time since diagnosis, or level of informational support. Conclusions The results have implications for the understanding of the role of acceptance in parent adjustment. Implications for intervention development and future research directions are discussed, in addition to the methodological limits of the study.

During the last decade, the number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has increased and more and more children with ASD are educated in inclusive classrooms. Although their inclusion can have several benefits, teachers face some challenges. The main reason is these students’ problem behavior or lack of a desirable behavior. The aim of this systematic literature review was to analyze interventions for behavior management of students with ASD, since the ratification of Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action (UNESCO, 1994), in inclusive preschool and primary school classrooms. The aim was also to examine the outcomes of these interventions. Four databases were searched and nine articles were included for data extraction. Results indicated the implementation of different interventions such as function-based interventions, peer support, visual cue cards, structured teaching with graduated guidance, social stories and social scripts. The target behavior was principally assessed through Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) or it was not assessed at all. Some interventions were provided by the researcher or the teacher only, some were provided by different people in different phases and some were provided by two or more people together. Interventions’ goals were to decrease problem behavior, to increase desirable behavior and both to decrease problem behavior and to increase desirable behavior. It was observed that all interventions reached their goals, even though at a low level in some cases. In conclusion, this literature review provided a summary of interventions and their outcomes for behavior management of students with ASD in inclusive classrooms with a further purpose to help the teachers identify the strategies most useful for their classroom.

Thesis (MOccTher)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Prior to the commencement of this study, an abundance of information on the topic of autism spectrum disorders and its symptoms, its prevalence and the effect on the family’s psychosocial- and emotional wellbeing were available. However, studies to describe the impact of a child with autism spectrum disorder on the occupations of families were limited, especially within the South-African context, and the researcher could find no information describing the impact of such a child specifically relating to the daily occupations of their mothers. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to explore how mothers with children on the spectrum of autism experience the impact of the child on their own daily occupations, and the meaning they derive from these experiences. Purposive sampling was used in selecting eleven mothers whose children attended therapeutic and medical follow up at one of the tertiary public hospitals in the Western Cape. In-depth semi-structured interviews following an interview guideline were conducted with each of the participants. The interviews were audio taped, and thereafter transcribed verbatim. A process of open coding was used to analyze the transcribed interviews. The findings emerging from the data-analysis process, uncovered three themes, namely ‘mothering as an identity’, mothering as an occupation’, and ‘making sense and moving forward’. These themes emphasized the immense changes the mothers had to face with regards to their occupational engagement, as well as on a personal level due their children’s diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. It also brought to light the factors influencing the experiences and actions of mothers, shaping their mothering identities, as well as their needs and barriers in terms of successful participation in their everyday occupations. The study reported on the occupational risk factors these mothers face, as well as the enabling elements with regards to successful and meaningful occupational engagement. Occupational therapists working with children should be especially conscious of the inseparable relationship between the occupations of the child they are treating, and the occupations of the primary caregiver when implementing therapy programs. Only through ensuring the successful and meaningful participation in occupations of both the mother and the child, the occupational therapist will be able to improve the health and well-being in the one or the other. Careful selection and collaborative goal setting when planning therapy programs are therefore essential. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verskeie studies het in die verlede rapporteer oor die diagnose, simptome en prevalensie van outisme spektrum steurnisse. Studies wat die impak van hierdie toestand op die emosionele en psigo-sosiale welstand van families ondersoek het, was ook volop. Beperkte inligting, veral binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, was egter beskikbaar om die impak van ‘n kind op die spektrum van outisme op families se deelname in alledaagse aktiwiteite te ondersoek. Met die aanvang van hierdie studie, kon die navorser geen inligting vind wat spesifiek na die impak van ‘n kind met outisme op hulle moeder se deelname in alledaagse aktiwiteite ondersoek ingestel het nie. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het gebruik gemaak van ‘n phenomelogiese benadering om die ervarings van moeders, met ‘n kind op die spektrum van outisme, te ondersoek rakende die impak van hierdie kind op die deelname van hulle eie alledaagse aktiwiteite, asook die betekenis wat die moeders aan hierdie ervarings kon heg. Doelgerigte steekproeftrekking is gebruik in die seleksie van elf moeders wie se kinders terapeuties en medies opgevolg word by ‘n tersiêre publieke hospital in die Wes-Kaap. In-diepte, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met elk van die deelnemers aan die hand van ‘n onderhoud riglyn. Die onderhoude is op band opgeneem, waarna dit verbatim getranskribeer is. ‘n Proses van oop kodering is gebruik om die getranskribeerde onderhoude te analiseer. Die resultate wat verkry is gedurende die data-analise proses, het die volgende temas uitgelig, naamlik ‘moederskap as indentiteit’, ‘moederskap as beroep’, en ‘om sin maak en aan te beweeg’. Hierdie temas het die geweldige veranderinge vir die moeders in terme van deelname aan hulle alledaagse aktiwiteite, sowel as op persoonlike vlak, beklemtoon. Die faktore wat die deelnemers se ervarings en aksies, en dus hulle identiteit as moeders beïnvloed het, was ook geïdentifiseer. Die resultate het ook die struikelblokke en behoeftes van hierdie moeders in terme van suksesvolle deelname aan hulle alledaagse aktiwiteite, aangedui. Die studie het die risiko faktore, sowel as die elemente wat benodig word vir suksesvolle deelname aan alledaagse aktiwiteite, uitgelig. Arbeidsterapeute werksaam in die veld van pediatrie, behoort bewus te wees van die onafskeidbare verhouding tussen die deelname aan alledaagse aktiwiteite van die kind wat hulle behandel, en dié van die primêre versorger. Slegs wanneer suksesvolle deelname aan aktiwiteite deur beide die kind én die moeder verseker word, kan die welstand en gesondheid in die een of die ander bevorder word. Die seleksie van terapie doelwitte in samewerking met die familie en primêre versorger, is dus kardinaal.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Movement plays an important role in a child’s life. Typically developing children develop motor skills as they explore their environment. Motor skills are important, as they contribute to a child’s overall wellbeing, assisting in play, academics, social development and physical activity. These motor milestones developed during childhood, and can be used as indicators of atypical development. Children with a complex neurodevelopmental disorder such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show signs of atypical development, as they are recognised as being clumsy and uncoordinated in their gross and fine motor skills. Besides motor delays, parents and caregivers report that children with ASD also exhibit delays in social communication, interaction and repetitive behaviours and interests, during the early stages of development. Research has suggested a possible relationship between motor and social development. For example, motor skills are important as they provide children with the necessary tools to successfully engage in physical activity, socially communicate and interact with peers. Children with ASD, however, participate in physical activity less often than typically developing children which hinders the mastery of motor skills, in turn causing social isolation and further social dysfunction. Interventions are, therefore, necessary to provide children with ASD opportunities to learn the essential gross motor skills, which could help them improve their self-esteem, leading to increased participation in physical activity and further social skill development. The purpose of the current study was to implement a 12-week specialised group intervention programme to improve the gross motor and social skills of selected children diagnosed with ASD between the ages of 8 and 13 years. In the Cape Town area, a governmental school for autistic learners was recruited to take part in this study, as the school divided learners into classes based on their level of autistic function. Therefore, the sample in the current study was a sample of convenience. Two classes (N=7) at the school participated; 1 formed the experimental group (n=4) and the other the control group (n=3). The children completed the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), and parents or legal guardians and teachers of participants filled out the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) questionnaire. This was done to provide an overview of the children’s fine and gross motor and social skill proficiency. A 12-week group intervention programme was designed and then implemented by the researcher, with the focus on improving overall gross motor proficiency and social skills of participants in the experimental group. The effect of the 12-week group intervention programme was determined by analysing and comparing the pre- to post-test results. The group-time interaction effect was examined to determine if the experimental group presented a different effect from the control group over time. The main findings of the current study showed that the 12-week group intervention programme made significant improvements in the total motor proficiency as well as in the balance subtest of the MABC-2 in children with ASD. Significance was also found within the experimental group in the aiming and catching subtest of the MABC-2. Unfortunately, the current study found no significant improvements after the 12-week group intervention programme in total social skill competency, as well as in all subtests of the SRS-2 in children with ASD. The current study shows the effectiveness of a 12-week group intervention programme on the gross motor skills of children with ASD. The findings also suggest that social skills should be taught alongside motor skills, in order to achieve positive outcomes in both aspects of development. Further investigation is needed with regards to the relationship between motor and social skills, as well as additional examinations as to whether improved motor skills, results in improved social development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beweging speel ʼn belangrike rol in ʼn kind se ontwikkeling tot ʼn volwaardige volwassene. Kinders sal tipiese motoriese vaardighede aanleer soos hulle hul omgewing verken. Motoriese vaardighede is belangrik omdat dit tot akademiese, sosiale, fisieke, speel aktiwiteite en ʼn kind se algehele welstand bydra. Die mylpale wat gedurende die kinderjare bereik word, is ʼn belangrike aanwyser van atipiese ontwikkeling. Kinders met ʼn komplekse neuro-ontwikkelingsversteuring soos Outisme Spektrum Versteuring (OSV), toon tipies tekens van atipiese ontwikkeling omdat hulle onbeholpe en ongekoördineerd in hul groot en fynmotoriese vaardighede voorkom. Afgesien van motoriese agterstande rapporteer ouers en versorgers dat kinders met OSV gedurende die vroeë kinderjare ook agterstande in sosiale kommunikasie, interaksie en herhalende gedrag en belangstellings toon. Navorsing toon ʼn moontlike verhouding tussen motoriese en sosiale ontwikkeling. Motoriese vaardighede is belangrik omdat dit kinders met die nodige vaardighede toerus om fisieke aktiwiteite suksesvol uit te voer, om te kan speel, om te sosialiseer en om met hulle eweknieë te kan verkeer. Kinders met OSV sal tipies aan minder fisieke aktiwiteite as kinders wat normaal op dié gebiede ontwikkel, deelneem en sodoende sal dit tot verdere sosiale isolasie en sosiale disfunksie aanleiding gee. Intervensies is daarom, belangrik om kinders met OSV geleenthede te bied om die noodsaaklike grootmotoriese vaardighede, wat hul selfagting kan verhoog, hul deelname aan fisieke aktiwiteite kan verhoog en verbetering in sosiale ontwikkeling kan aanmoedig, aan te leer. Die doel van die huidige studie was om met ʼn gespesialiseerde groep intervensieprogram die grootmotoriese en sosiale vaardighede van ʼn geselekteerde groep kinders, tussen die ouderdom van 8 en 13 jaar, wat met OSV, gediagnoseer is te implementeer. Een regeringskool vir Outistiese leerders in die Kaapstad omgewing is geselekteer om aan hierdie studie deel te neem. Omdat die skool die leerders in klasse op grond van hul graad vlak van Outisme verdeel, is daar van ʼn gerieflikheidsteekproef gebruik gemaak. Leerder in twee klasse (N=7) van die skool het deelgeneem; 1 groep was die eksperimentele groep (n=4) en die ander groep (n=3) die kontrolegroep. Die kinders het die Movement Assesment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), voltooi en die ouers of die wettige voogde en onderwysers het die Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS=2), vraelys voltooi. Die is gedoen om ʼn oorsig van die kinders se fyn- en grootmotoriese- sowel as sosiale vaardighede te bekom. Die 12-week groep intervensieprogram wat op die algehele verbetering van groot motoriese- en sosiale vaardighede van al die deelnemers in die eksperimentele groep gefokus het, is deur die navorser ontwikkel en geïmplementeer. Die effek van die 12-week groep intervensieprogram is deur die ontleding en vergelyking van die voor- en na-toets data bepaal. Die groep-tyd interaksie-effek is ondersoek om te bepaal of die eksperimentele groep 'n ander effek as die kontrole groep met verloop van tyd toon het. Die belangrikste bevindinge van die huidige studie het getoon dat die 12-week groep intervensieprogram aansienlike verbeteringe in die totale motoriese vaardigheid, sowel as in die balans sub-toets van die MABC-2, by kinders met OSV te weeg gebring het. Betekenis is ook binne die eksperimentele groep by die mik- en vang sub-toets van die MABC-2 gevind. Ongelukkig is geen betekenisvolle verbeteringe in sosiale vaardighede, sowel as in al die sub-toetse van die SRS-2 by die kinders met OSV gevind nie. Die huidige studie het die doeltreffendheid van 'n 12-week groep intervensieprogram op die grootmotoriese vaardighede van kinders met OSV getoon. Die bevindinge dui ook daarop dat sosiale vaardighede saam met motoriese vaardighede aangeleer moet word, om sodoende positiewe uitkomste in beide aspekte van ontwikkeling te kan bereik. Verdere navorsing met betrekking tot die verhouding tussen motoriese en sosiale vaardighede is nodig, sowel as verdere navorsing om te bepaal of verbeterde motoriese vaardighede ʼn verbetering in sosiale ontwikkeling sal toon.

Social Stories™ are one of the most commonly-used interventions for children with autism (Green et al., 2006; Hess, Morrier, Heflin, & Ivey, 2008; Stahmer, Collings, & Palinkas, 2005). While there is a rapidly-growing literature base of Social Stories research, much of the work has focused on student behavior in special education resource settings; the current study examines the use of Social Stories with students in inclusive general education settings. Six students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders participated and behaviors that occurred in the general education classroom were selected as targets. Pre-service teachers, autism resource teachers, and a paraprofessional were trained to implement the intervention. Social Stories were presented on a personal computer for 5 of 6 participants; the 6th participant’s Social Story was presented in a bound book. Participants were observed in their general education classrooms during 30 min data collection sessions. A multiple baseline across participants design was used. For 3 participants, an alternating treatments design was also used, which examined 2 viii conditions: an Immediate condition in which classroom probes were conducted immediately following Social Stories intervention sessions, and a Delay condition in which a time delay of at least 3.5 hrs was presented between intervention and observation sessions. Results of the Immediate vs. Delay conditions show no conclusive effects of one condition over the other. Overall, results indicate improvements in target behaviors for 5 of 6 participants. Peer comparison data indicate that participants who showed improvement in their behavior performed the target skills at levels comparable to classmates without disabilities. Treatment fidelity data indicate that pre-service teachers were able to accurately implement the intervention over the course of the study. Social validity questionnaires were distributed to in-service and pre-service teachers, who rated the intervention as acceptable and feasible within the classroom setting. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed. / text

Rationale: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset prior to the age of three years characterized by qualitative impairments in social interaction and communication skill, along with a restricted repetitive and stereotyped pattern of behavior, interests, and activities. In addition to these core diagnostic features, aberrant sensory responding has also been widely reported in the literature describing children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Aberrant sensory processing has, however, been infrequently studied compared to communication and cognition in autism and existing studies have had multiple methodological deficiencies, especially with sampling procedures. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to describe patterns of sensory processing found in children with an ASD to test the relationship(s) of these patterns to diagnostic and developmental variables. Method. Retrospective data collection was used to collect developmental and sensory processing variables of 400 children with an ASD. Sensory processing abilities were measured by the SSP. Results. The majority of the sample (80.5%) had a diagnosis of autism. The average age of the sample was 49.58 months. The adaptive, social, language, and motor developmental variables were consistent with diagnostic patterns in that the children with Asperger Disorder demonstrated higher developmental levels than the children with autism and PDD-NOS. Eighty-nine percent of the sample demonstrated some degree of sensory processing dysfunction on the SSP Total Score with the greatest difficulties reported on the Underresponsive/Seeks Sensation, Auditory Filtering, and Tactile Sensitivity sections. Exploratory factor analysis identified 6 parsimonious factors: Low Energy/Weak, Tactile and Movement Sensitivity, Taste/Smell Sensitivity, Auditory and Visual Sensitivity, Sensory Seeking/Distractibility, and Hypo-responsivity. These factor variables contributed to explaining the differences in five of six developmental variables of the sample that are associated with the diagnosis of autism. Receptive language, adaptive and expressive language performance were significantly correlated with sensory processing factor scores. Conclusions. Together, the sensory processing findings noted in this study describe a pattern of dysfunctional sensory modulation. These findings have significant implications for intervention programs involving individuals with an ASD, given the potential impact of these findings on a childs ability to maintain active engagement.

This dissertation is based on an ethnographic study of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and the racial, cultural and political considerations that shape the meaning of diagnosis for Alaska Native individuals and families in Anchorage, Alaska. During the period from August 6, 2010 to through August 5, 2011, I worked with foster families and extended natural families living with and supporting individuals diagnosed with FASD. Documenting the experiences of families in their interactions with clinical, state, tribal and non-profit institutions, I sought to understand how a diagnosis of FASD structures opportunities, outcomes and everyday life experiences across several critical life domains, including health, education, employment, kinship and identity. Family narratives and experiences are highlighted to illustrate the ways in which difference is reproduced in everyday public understanding and clinical practice.

This study investigated the effects of anaphoric cuing on the reading comprehension of 17 adolescent students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 19 typically developing (TD) students matched on age, intellectual ability and word decoding ability. In a within-subject design, participants read four Chinese passages of two types (narrative fictional vs. narrative nonfictional) under two conditions (control [reading only] vs. anaphoric cuing). The ASD group showed significantly poorer reading comprehension than the TD group in the control condition. Contrary to prediction, anaphoric cuing produced a hindrance effect rather than facilitation effect on the reading comprehension performance of both groups. Correlation analysis showed different patterns between ASD and TD groups in the relationship between the ability to resolve anaphora and comprehension of the two types of passages. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Previous research has been interested in studying parental emotion socialization practices in parents of typically developing (TD) children. The current study aimed to explore such practices among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Seventy-eight families participated in this study. Self-reported rating scales were adopted to measure the child's social competence, parenting stress and maternal emotional styles. As hypothesized, results showed significantly different patterns in maternal emotional styles between mothers of children with ASD and those with TD children. However, inconsistent to our hypothesis, the maternal emotional styles were found to be neither related to child's social competence nor parenting stress within the ASD group. Implications of findings on future research and practice are discussed. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Assessment of executive functioning in neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism) is a crucial aspect of neuropsychological evaluations. The executive functions are accomplished by the supervisory attentional system (SAS) and include such processes as inhibition, switching, and planning. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tends to present similarly to other neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., ADHD). For example, ASD and ADHD may share similar etiological underpinnings in the frontostriatal system of the frontal lobe. Research on executive functioning in ASD has been mixed, thus the precise nature of executive functioning deficits in ASD remains equivocal. In recent years, simulation technologies have emerged as an avenue to assess neurocognitive functioning in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders impacting frontostriatal function. Simulation technology enables neuropsychologists to assess neurocognitive functioning within a testing environment that replicates environments in which the subject is likely to be in everyday life, as well as present controlled, real-world distractions, which may be better able to tap “hot” executive functions. A Virtual Classroom Continuous Performance Test (CPT) has been used successfully to assess attention in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders impacting frontostriatal function. The current study aimed to investigate executive functioning in individuals with high functioning ASD using a new construct driven Stroop assessment embedded into the Virtual Classroom. Group differences were found in the Virtual Classroom with distractions condition, indicating individuals with ASD may be more vulnerable to external interference control than neurotypical individuals.