The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the social competence, empathy, and self-regulation of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The constructs of social competence, empathy, and self-regulation were measured using the Social-Emotional Assets Rating Scale (SEARS). This study utilized a single-case design; the researcher collected data throughout the duration of the study, including baseline, treatment, and follow-up phases. The sample included 5 children ranging from ages 6 to 8 years old: 3 Caucasian males, 1 African-American female, and 1 Latin-American female. Mothers of the participants completed the parent form of the SEARS once per week throughout all phases of the study. During the treatment phase of the study, the children participated in CCPT approximately 2 times per week for 30 minutes each time. Visual analysis of the data indicated play therapy was beneficial for three participants, as they demonstrated improvements in social competence, empathy, and self-regulation. Two participants responded to the intervention with mixed results. Discussion includes implications for clinical practice and future research as well as limitations of the study.

Title: Specifics of motor development in children with autism spectrum disorder Objectives: The aim of this thesis is to summarize the accessible literary sources about possibilities of early diagnostic of autism spectrum disorders, characteristic features of motor development and presence of movement and other abnormalities during early development in children who were later diagnosed with some disorder of autism spectrum. Methods: The study is divided into two main parts. In the first part, general information about autism spectrum disorders is presented. The ethiopatogenesis, characteristic features and different types of autism spectrum disorders are described. The second, descriptively analitical part, contains a brief description and resume of many studies, which deal with early identification of autism spectrum disorder, with examination of features of autism spectrum disorder in early development and motor abnormalities in individuals with autism spectrum disorder or high risk infants. Results: The results of this study indicate, that there are differences in social behaviour, motor development and specific autistic features already in the early development of children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Among motor abnormalities in early development in this children there are...

In this study the effectiveness of WatchMinderTM, a vibrating prompt watch, was examined as a component of a self-monitoring intervention package to help students with autism increase on-task behavior during independent seatwork. A multitude of literature since the 1970s has suggested that self-monitoring interventions are integral in increasing task engagement. Tactile prompting devices are a new aspect of self-monitoring interventions, and the limited research has shown that these unobtrusive devices are effective for providing feedback to monitor their behavior. Self-graphing is another component of self-monitoring interventions that has received little attention in the literature. However, many studies recognize the importance for individuals to be active participants in their educational programs by analyzing progress and being a part of the decision making process. This study assessed the use of WatchMinder and self-graphing on the on-task behavior of four elementary students with autism in the special education setting. / Lisa Finn. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Introduction This present research was a cross-sectional study examining the outcome and adjustment of 64 individuals at their early adulthood (18 to 28 years old).They all had normal intelligence but were diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as children. / Method The participants of this study were recruited from a child psychiatric clinic or from the community. All were Chinese living in Hong Kong. All except five were males, aged from 18 to 28, with mean age at 21.7 years (SD=2.5). All had a full IQ score of 75 or above (mean full IQ was 96.4 (SD=13.1, range 75-129), verbal IQ 96.3 (SD=13.7, range 73-128) and performance IQ 97.3 (SD=14.7, range 72-139). They and/or their parents were administered a range of tests or interviews to assess their current outcome and adjustment at early adulthood. / Results and Discussion The participants of this study were under-achieved both in educational attainment and employment when compared to population age peers. 32% (21 out of 64) were found no longer meeting a diagnosis of autism in adulthood, but only seven participants out of the 32% fell below the clinical range in all three domains of autistic deficits. The majority still had impairment in at least one aspect of the triad of autistic deficits. Their intellectual functioning had been stable with a small increase in mean verbal IQ. The overall outcome in terms of a composite score consisting of work, friendship, independence, autistic-type stereotyped repetitive behaviours, and language use was relatively better than those of past studies in Western countries in that 42% had a 'good' outcome. It was argued however that the relatively positive outcome was attributed in part to the results of supportive and facilitative environmental factors such as a large labour market, a buoyant economy, and technological advances, including the mass availability of computers. The participants of this study also experienced more general psychological disturbances other than autism than the general population. Finally, as in previous Western studies, childhood IQ, especially verbal IQ, proved to be a robust predictor of adult outcome in most areas. Results of the present study confirm the findings of Western studies that despite improvement in some individuals at early adulthood, significant impairment still persisted for the majority, reconfirming that ASD as largely a chronic disorder. The need for services tailored to adult problems of autism was called for. / Poon Mak, Sui Man. / Adviser: Patrick Leung. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-11, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 249-258). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; some appendices in Chinese.

Background Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been reported to show socio-communicative impairments which are associated with impaired face perception and atypical gaze behaviour. Attending to faces and interpreting the important socio-communicative cues presented allows us to understand other’s cognitive states, emotions, wants and desires. This information enables successful social encounters and interactions to take place. Children with ASD not attending to these important social cues on the face may cause some of the socio-communicative impairments observed within this population. Examining how children with ASD attend to faces will enhance our understanding of their communicative impairments. Aim The present thesis therefore aimed to use eye-tracking methodology to examine attention allocation to faces for communicative cues in children with ASD. Method The first line of enquiry examined how children with ASD (n = 21; age = 13y7m) attended to faces presented within their picture communication systems compared to typically developing children matched on chronological age, verbal ability age and visuo-spatial ability age. The next investigation was conducted on the same group of children and examined how children with ASD attended to faces of different familiarity including, familiar, unfamiliar and the child’s own face. These faces were also presented with direct gaze or averted gaze to investigate how this would impact on the children’s allocation of attention. The final exploration highlighted how children with ASD (n = 20; age = 12y3m) attended to socially salient information (faces) and non-socially salient information (objects) presented within social scenes of varying complexity, compared to typically developing controls. Again groups were matched based on chronological age, verbal ability age, and visuo-spatial ability age. Results Children with ASD were shown to allocate attention to faces presented within their picture communication symbols similarly compared to their typically developing counterparts. All children were shown to fixate significantly longer on the face images compared to the object images. The children with ASD fixated for similar amounts of time to the eye and mouth regions regardless of familiarity and gaze direction compared to their controlled matches. All groups looked significantly longer at the eye areas compared to the mouth areas of the faces across all familiarity types. The children also fixated longer on the eye and mouth regions of direct gazing faces compared to the regions presented on the averted gazing faces. The children with ASD fixated on the faces and objects presented within social scenes similar to their typically developing counterparts across all complexity conditions. The children were shown to fixate significantly longer on the objects compared to the faces. Conclusions Children with ASD showed typical allocation of attention to faces. This suggests that faces are not aversive to them and they are able to attend to the relevant areas such as eye and mouth regions. This may have been influenced by the inclusion of high functioning children with ASD. However these results may also suggest that attention allocation and gaze behaviour are not the only factors which contribute to the socio-communicative impairments observed in ASD.

Introduction: Young people with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) are particularly vulnerable to developing comorbid depression. It has been suggested that young people with HFASD and comorbid mental health difficulties are likely to experience difficulties during the transition to adulthood. This transition involves significant changes in both services and daily routine, something which people with HFASD often find difficult. Aims: This thesis includes two distinct pieces of work. A systematic review aiming to understand the prevalence of depression in children and young people with HFASD. A qualitative study aiming to explore transition to adulthood from the perspectives of young people with HFASD, who currently attend child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and their families. Methods: For the systematic review, literature reporting the prevalence of depression in children and young people with HFASD was systematically searched and reviewed. For the qualitative study, data collection and analysis followed the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four dyads of a young person with HFASD and a parent were interviewed. Results: The systematic review identified 18 studies which described results from 17 independent samples. The prevalence reported varied from 0% to 83%. This variation is most likely explained by methodological differences between studies. In the qualitative study, transition to adulthood was described as a process during which the young person is developing independence, while parents continue to have a role in providing support. Current and future support needs were perceived differently by the young people with HFASD than their parents, with the young people reporting less need for support. Conclusions: Further research is needed to better understand how to assess depression in this population, as well as the impact of age, gender, setting, medication use and other comorbidities. Transition is a time of uncertainty and change for young people, during which they become more independent of their families. Services need to consider the impact of these processes and young people’s perceptions about what it means to receive support.

abstract: Over the past two decades, substantial research has documented the increase of students with disabilities enrolling in post-secondary education. The purpose of the study was to examine factors identified as significant in preparing individuals who fall on the autism spectrum for post-secondary experiences. The study was exploratory in nature and designed to identify perceived critical program elements needed to design successful post-secondary transition programs for students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study used archival research and grounded theory to look at expectations of parents with young adults with an ASD and young adults with an ASD on post-secondary transition and to discern whether expectations impact the successful post transition of young adults. More than likely, due to an overall increase in the prevalence of ASDs, many more students with an ASD will be attending a post-secondary educational setting in the near future. Understanding expectations and particular challenges faced by students with an ASD will be necessary for colleges to meet the unique needs of this population. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurological syndrome observed even in childhood stages. Children with autism have a certain range of deficits on social interaction, communication and coordination. Exercise program has been commonly adopted as an intervention for ASD children on developing both of their motor and social skills, as well as maintaining a certain fitness level. This project is a systematic review and meta-analysis study which summarizes the recent fifteen years (2000-2015) of control-trial exercise-based interventions for ASD children and evaluates their effectiveness from three aspects (according to the outcome measures): 1) Exercise Performance & Sport/Skill-related Fitness (EXE); 2) Physiological & Biometric Indicator (PHY); and 3) Social Cognition & Psychological Well-being (SOC). The results showed a positive effect in all three aspects: .763, .412, and .505 respectively. Further studies were recommended on investigating the mechanism explaining the psycho-social and physiological effects of exercise programs on ASD children.

Self-monitoring involves teaching students to be aware of their own behavior, and be able to record whether the behavior happened or not. The present study uses meta-analysis of single case design (SCD) studies to evaluate the effectiveness of self-monitoring interventions that use electronic devices during implementation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Eligible studies were accessed to determine design quality, and examine the use of self-monitoring for individuals diagnosed with ASD. Studies were evaluated against inclusion-exclusion criteria. The studies that met inclusion criteria (n = 15) were assessed with the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for methodological rigor. The WWC standards were applied to baseline and intervention phases. There were a total of 12 studies with 32 students diagnosed with ASD that met SCD standards without, and with reservations. The 12 studies were evaluated using the Tau-U effect size metric to quantify the percentage of change that was attributed to the self-monitoring intervention. Overall, omnibus Tau-U was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.89, 1.0]). Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

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