Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is pervasive neurodevelopment disorder characterized by a broad range of social abnormalities and deficit in motor skills, many times referred to as clumsiness. These abnormal social characteristics result in a restricted repertoire of activity and interests that also may affect the motor learning process. Therefore, fewer opportunities to practice motor skills can lead to a delay in achieving motor proficiency. It is well known that physical activity and motor proficiency are positively correlated and the amount of time spent in a physical activity is directly related to the level of expertise in neurotypical children. Hence, the specific aim of this study is to quantify the amount of physical activity in children with ASD and compare this value to that of non-diagnosed siblings (ASD siblings) and neurotypical controls (NT), as well as to compare the amount of physical activity between neurotypical controls and ASD siblings. In this study, it was hypothesized that: 1) children with ASD would have lower scores than their non-diagnosed sibling and also than the NT controls in the amount of physical activity; 2) non-diagnosed siblings and neurotypical children would not be different in the amount of physical activity; 3) children with ASD's general score on the motor skills assessments would be lower than the non-diagnosed siblings and lower than NT controls; 4) There would not be a difference in the general score on motor skills assessments between non-diagnosed siblings and neurotypical children and 5) the motor assessments scores would be positively correlated (p < 0.05) to the amount of physical activity. There were differences between ASD and NT groups regarding to the amount of physical activity and also regarding to the motor proficiency scores. Although those differences were not statistically significant, they definitely are clinically relevant as showed that the children on the autism spectrum presented a clear motor delay. Likewise, the correlation between amount of physical activity and motor proficiency was showed not to be significant. These results can be explained by the small sample size. Further studies with a larger sample size would be crucial to verify these hypotheses proposed in the present study. / text

The current research project examines the performance of a group of high functioning young adult males with autism spectrum disorders on standardized measures of neurocognitive functioning to determine whether distinct cognitive profiles of strengths and weaknesses emerge. Neuropsychological test data across various domains: general cognitive ability, visuospatial processing, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, working memory, reasoning, cognitive flexibility, attention, receptive language, expressive language, social and emotional processing, and fine motor skills was examined. Data were analyzed using cluster analysis to assess for the presence and nature of unique clusters/subgroups based on neuropsychological test performance. Three unique clusters were derived from the analyses. This study highlights the well-documented heterogeneity across the spectrum of autism and suggests a method for parsing a heterogeneous sample of ASD subjects into smaller and more meaningful homogeneous groups using standardized neuropsychological assessments. / text

The present study aims at pushing the identification process earlier to preschool age for children on the mild end of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by validating teachers’ use of the 13-item Classroom Social Behaviors Observation Scale (CSBOS) (Au, Cheung, Tse, & Au, In Prep) that focuses on children’s peer interaction in class. 　　Seven teachers and 149 children in an international kindergarten in Hong Kong participated in the study. The “At-risk” group for mild cases of ASD was identified by using one standard deviations below the mean as the cutoff for CSBOS scores independently given by research assistants and teachers; the control group was formed by random selection from the non-“At-risk” group. Based on the teachers’ input, the CSBOS was revised to clarify its wording and make it more user-friendly (CSBOS-R). These children were also rated by their class teachers again – this time using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and CSBOS-R (the revised CSBOS; based on overall impression). . They were assessed individually by a clinical psychologist using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and observed by a research assistant in the classroom with the revised CSBOS-R and time-sampling methodology. Result showed that teacher’s CSBOS-R impression rating was highly correlated with children’s calibrated ADOS severity score (r(37)= -.62), and total SRS-2 score (r(40)= -.86). Teacher’s CSBOS-R impression rating correlated well with CSBOS-R rated by the clinical psychologist (r(18)= .82) and the research assistant (r(35)= .74). The result, therefore, validated teacher’s use of CSBOS-R in identifying preschool children at risk for mild ASD. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have social-communication deficits and are often targets of bullying or ostracism. However, in the past, little has been done to examine these children’s response to negative social interactions. This study investigated how children with Autism Spectrum Disorder detect and respond to ostracism. Thirty 4-6 years old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder were either included or excluded via an online ball-tossing game. Participant’s detection, feelings, imitative behavior, joint attention, social initiations and reciprocal play were then measured. Relative to those in the inclusion condition, children in the exclusion condition reported higher levels of exclusion, more negative feelings, and showed more increase in motor imitation. Implications of these findings on early interventions were discussed. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Reading comprehension of students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) typically falls below their decoding skills. The present study explored the effectiveness of visual-cued facilitation, in forms of activation of prior knowledge and inducing comprehension monitoring behaviours, and inference bridging facilitation on reading comprehension. Twenty-eight primary students with HFASD and their typically-developing peers completed four comprehension exercises with a practical-writing text and three narrative passages with conditions: answering pre-reading questions with illustrations, within-text picture selection tasks, and control. Results indicated that challenges of students with HFASD in Chinese reading comprehension were similar to previous findings. Their performances were no longer statistically differentiable from their peers with visual-cued facilitations. Implication for practice and future direction were discussed. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Background: Regarding the research on individuals with autism, more focus was on the behavioral and social aspects, whereas relatively limited attention has received in the domain of learning of this population. As the development of assessments in assessing the needs of the population is getting more comprehensive and sophisticated in recent years, there is a trend of increase in the number of children being identified with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and were placed in general educational settings and engaged in mainstream academic curricula. 　　To survive in the mainstream education setting, proficiency in reading is essential. However, there are evidences suggested that people with ASD show difficulties in reading, especially in reading comprehension. Therefore, it would be valuable to investigate the potential factors that might hinder the reading performance of people with ASD and develops corresponding strategies to cater their needs. 　　In this paper, the role of executive functioning and metacognitive awareness towards reading performance of adolescents with ASD was examined and compared with their typically developing peers, so as to explore the potential factors affecting the reading performance of the group. 　　 Methods: Forty high functioning adolescents with ASD (HFA, aged 12 to 15) and forty matched typically developing (TD) counterparts (aged 12 to 15) participated in this research. There were one main study and one follow-up study. For the main study (Study One), there were three study focuses of investigation. Firstly, it was aimed at investigating the reading performance profile of the two groups (HFA vs TD) and to explore the pattern of reading deficits of students with HFA. Secondly, the EF profile of the two groups was compared to see whether distinct features of impairments were noted in the HFA group. Thirdly, from the results revealed in the profiles on reading performance and EF of the two groups, the association between the impairment of reading performance and the profile of executive dysfunctions was examined, so as to attest the proposition that deficits in EF skills played a role in reading difficulties of individuals with ASD. For the follow-up study (26 participants for the HFA group and 27 participants for the TD group), it was interested to explore the reading metacognitive awareness of the HFA and TD groups, to see whether there was a differentiated pattern on the aspect, and how it might explain the difference in reading performance of the two groups. Results: For the reading performance, the performance of the two groups was comparable in word reading, reading fluency, word knowledge as well as general knowledge, whereas participants with HFA performed significantly worse than TD peers in reading comprehension and distinct weakness was noted in the ability of inference making and generating novel ideas in the HFA group. For the ability in EF skills, participants with HFA were found to be performed poorer only in the Higher-order EF domain (i.e. self-monitoring and generativity) as compared to the TD group. In which, associations were found between reading comprehension performance and some of the EF skills, suggesting that reading comprehension performance was affected by the proficiency of specific EF skills. Moreover, the follow-up study also highlighted the difference in preferences on repair strategies and reading strategies adopted as well as perceived reading difficulties of the HFA and TD group, which further support the findings of Study One. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

Impairments in social interactions are considered core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Given recent findings demonstrating a relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and social outcomes, this research examined the EI of adolescents with ASD to generate novel information for addressing their social deficits. Twenty-five adolescents with ASD and 25 typical adolescents (13 -17 years) completed a battery of tests examining their intellect, EI, and social skills. Their parents also provided information regarding their social skills. The findings revealed that aspects of both trait and ability EI were significantly weaker in adolescents with ASD. In addition, while the ability EI model did not predict the social outcomes of this group, the trait EI model was able to predict 32% of self-reported interpersonal skills and 30% of parent-reported social skills. Implications for the development of social skill interventions for this group and future research are discussed. / October 2015

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited mental retardation, affecting approximately 1/4000 males and 1/6000 females worldwide. FXS is caused by loss of FMR1 gene expression, resulting in the lack of the protein product, Fragile X protein (FMRP). FMRP is an RNA-binding protein thought to regulate synaptic plasticity by controlling the localization and translation of specific mRNAs in neurons. To determine whether FMRP is also required in early brain development we examined the distribution of cell cycle markers in Drosophila FMR1 (dFmr1) mutant brains compared to wild-type brains. Our results indicate that the loss of dFmr1 leads to a significant increase in the number of mitotic neuroblasts and BrdU incorporation in the brain, consistent with the notion that FMRP controls proliferation in neural stem cells. To determine the role of FMRP in neuroblast division and differentiation, we used Mosaic Analysis with a Repressible Marker (MARCM) approaches in the developing larval brain and found that single dFmr1 neuroblasts generate significantly more neurons than controls. Developmental studies suggest that FMRP also inhibits neuroblast exit from quiescence, or reactivation, in early larval brains, as indicated by misexpression of the G1 to S phase transition marker Cyclin E. We have also identified a novel role for FMRP in the glia surrounding the neuroblasts, indicating that FMRP in these cells contributes to the regulation of neuroblast reactivation via signaling from the supporting glial cells. Our results demonstrate that FMRP is required during brain development to control the exit from quiescence and proliferative capacity of neuroblasts as well as neuron production, which may provide insights into Fragile X Syndrome and other Autism-Spectrum disorders.

Introduction: Children with a learning disability (LD) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to suffer from significantly more sleep problems, anxiety and challenging behaviour (CB) than typically developing children, yet little is known about the relationships between these factors in the child LD/ASD population. Aims and Hypotheses: The aim of the current study was to examine the relationships between sleep problems, anxiety and CB in children with LD and/or ASD. It was hypothesised that there would be differences between levels of sleep problems, anxiety and CB in children with LD alone, LD and ASD, and ASD alone. It was further hypothesised that there would be significant positive correlations between the three factors and that sleep problems and anxiety would predict a significant amount of the variance in levels of CB. Method: Postal questionnaires were returned by parents of one hundred and sixty seven parents of children with LD and/or ASD. Questionnaires consisted of parental report measures of sleep problems, anxiety and CB, in addition to general demographic variables. Results and Discussion: Statistical analysis revealed no difference between groups (LD, LD+ASD, ASD) in relation to sleep problems, however, some differences were found between the groups in relation to anxiety and CB. Correlational analysis revealed significant positive associations between the three factors. A hierarchical multiple regression showed that medication, sleep problems and anxiety accounted for 42% of the variance in CB, with a large effect size. These findings suggest that the relationships between sleep, anxiety and CB found in the TD child and adult LD/ASD populations are also evident in the child LD/ASD population and that these relationships should be considered during clinical practice, particularly in the case of CB interventions where sleep problems and/or anxiety are also present.

The purpose of this study was to understand professional development for paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD in Virginia. This understanding was reached through explanatory, sequential mixed methods design. Surveys and interviews provided insight into training practices, training needs, and training barriers. An interpretation of their professional development was developed through considering the perceptions of paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD, teachers of students with ASD, and directors of special education. Findings revealed a lack of supervision, training, and skills. The lack of training and supervision resulted in paraprofessionals learning through trial and error. Paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD felt qualified to complete their duties as a result of personal disposition and effective supervision. Paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD desired individualized training concerning behavior management. The results of this study provide several recommendations for training content and delivery format. It also provided a theoretical framework for explaining how paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD experience training.