Facial motion provides an abundance of information necessary for mediating social communication. Emotional expressions, head rotations and eye-gaze patterns allow us to extract categorical and qualitative information from others (Blake & Shiffrar, 2007). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by a severe impairment in social cognition. One of the causes may be related to a fundamental deficit in perceiving human movement (Herrington et al., 2007). This hypothesis was investigated more closely within the current thesis. In neurotypical controls, the visual processing of facial motion was analysed via EEG alpha waves. Participants were tested on their ability to discriminate between successive animations (exhibiting rigid and nonrigid motion). The appearance of the stimuli remained constant over trials, meaning decisions were based solely on differential movement patterns. The parieto-occipital region was specifically selective to upright facial motion while the occipital cortex responded similarly to natural and manipulated faces. Over both regions, a distinct pattern of activity in response to upright faces was characterised by a transient decrease and subsequent increase in neural processing (Girges et al., 2014). These results were further supported by an fMRI study which showed sensitivity of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) to perceived facial movements relative to inanimate and animate stimuli. The ability to process information from dynamic faces was assessed in ASD. Participants were asked to recognise different sequences, unfamiliar identities and genders from facial motion captures. Stimuli were presented upright and inverted in order to assess configural processing. Relative to the controls, participants with ASD were significantly impaired on all three tasks and failed to show an inversion effect (O'Brien et al., 2014). Functional neuroimaging revealed atypical activities in the visual cortex, STS and fronto-parietal regions thought to contain mirror neurons in participants with ASD. These results point to a deficit in the visual processing of facial motion, which in turn may partly cause social communicative impairments in ASD.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of parents who manage the health needs of an adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Qualitative interviews were conducted with parents from 10 families of adolescents with ASD residing in Virginia. Data were analyzed using Clark Moustakas’ method of analysis of data in which the phenomenologist asks the following questions: What are the individual’s experiences, and in what context did they experience them? This study maximized credibility by using three strategies: prolonged engagement, peer debriefing, and member checking. “Parents needing help” emerged as the essence of the parents’ experiences. Four themes representing the essential challenging elements of the parents’ experiences included concern with medications, frustrations with healthcare services, recognizing secondary health issues, and the need for resources and services. Findings of the current study revealed key factors to be considered in the development and delivery of help in managing the adolescent with ASD healthcare needs. These included providing guidelines for primary care providers, increasing the healthcare provider’s awareness and understanding of ASD, and increasing the number of resources for parents of adolescents with ASD. The results of the study confirmed that managing the adolescent’s healthcare needs was frustrating and challenging and that parents had a need for help in managing these needs. Nurses can be integral in helping parents to overcome frustrations and challenges by becoming more aware of the ASD spectrum of neurobiological disorders, by creating and planning interventions for parents, by sharing information regarding resources and services, and by collaborating with others in the healthcare field to provide services for adolescents and their families. Additional research, both qualitative and quantitative is needed to understand how both parents and adolescents with ASD experience this transitional period.

ABSTRACT PREPARING TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES AND TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY By Jane E. Strong A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Major Director: Evelyn Reed, Ph.D., Associate Professor Department of Special Education and Disability Policy School of Education There is a need for intensified, rapid, and special emphasis on training of teachers for students on the autism spectrum (NRC, 2001). The current movement in the field emphasizing the use of evidence-based practices in designing instructional methods should be emphasized during teacher preparation and professional development activities to increase teacher effectiveness. Further, it has been established that a teacher’s sense of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1979; Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, 1998) impacts his/her performance and that of his/her students. The purpose of this study was to discern and describe teachers’ perceptions of their self-efficacy following professional development that includes training in the use of evidence-based practices. This was accomplished through analysis of survey data, field based observations and interviews from teachers completing their Post-baccalaureate Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders at a large, urban university in a mid-Atlantic state. To add to the literature base about the influence of ASD-focused professional development, this study examined teacher perceptions of the professional training and the relationships between teachers’ knowledge and skill acquisition and self-efficacy.

in English: This diploma thesis is focused on parents coping with the burden of having children with autism spectrum disorder. It's goal is to analyze parent's strategy to cope with such burden in relation to taking care of a child with autistic spectrum disorder. Thesis is constructed as an emprical qualitativeresearch which also involves quantitative data. Data were acquired via half - structured interviews with parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.Furthermore, a questionnaire SVF 78 "Strategy of stress management" was used and filled out by the parents. The data were subsequently qualitatively analyzed and interpreted using content analysis. Finally, a comparison to specialized literature was performed. The text of the thesis itself is composed of three parts. First part includes theoretical solutions that are based on both Czech and foreign literature concerned with autism theory and coping with stress of parents bringing up an autistic child. Second part is focusing on the methodology and data analysis procedure. The final third part is dedicated to the interpretation of interviews and discussion results, combined with results of available literature research. The benefit of this diploma thesis is discovery of what helps to parents of autistic children to cope with the stress...

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term for disorders involving deficits in social interaction, stereotyped behaviours and communication dificulties. A growing area of research has recently focused on motor deficits in ASD, which have been noted in clinical observations and diagnostic criteria since autism was first described. However, motor deficits have traditionally carried little weight in the diagnostic procedure. Until recent changes to diagnostic criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th edition: DSM-5), a comorbid diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD: a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting motor development) was not possible for those with ASD and motor deficits. This exclusion criterion prompted an investigation of the nature of motor deficits in ASD, questioning whether they are characteristically different from motor deficits in DCD. Previous literature suggested a possible double dissociation in the use of vision and proprioception to guide movement and perception in ASD and DCD, with a reliance on proprioception in ASD, and an over-reliance on vision in DCD. Motor deficits were first investigated by looking at high-level motor skills, and then more basic sensory processing associated with movement to investigate this possible dissociation. There was no significant difference between ASD and DCD on a standardised motor battery (Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition: MABC-2), with 70% of children with ASD showing motor difficulties within the clinical range on tasks such as timed manual dexterity tasks and balance. Similarly, children with ASD and poor motor skills were indistinguishable from children with DCD on a number of basic motor tasks manipulating visual and proprioceptive cues. These tests included spatial location matching, reaching, goal-directed movements towards proprioceptively-defined targets, and the rubber hand illusion. Children with poor motor skills with a diagnosis of either ASD or DCD seemed to either rely more heavily on visual cues, or behaved in a similar way to typically developing (TD) children. In the spatial location matching task, children with ASD and spared motor skills showed a tendency to give more weight to proprioceptive cues, however too few children with ASD and spared motor skills took part in other tasks to fully investigate cue weighting in this subgroup. Mirroring the overlap in social and motor skills in the clinical groups, a study of the relationship between perceived social and motor ability in a large sample of TD children highlighted the related nature of these developmental domains in typical development. It is concluded that motor deficits in ASD are not ASD-specific but are instead indicative of an additional diagnosis of DCD. This is supported by the recent change to diagnostic criteria.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Parental knowledge and experiences regarding autism spectrum disorder have a huge effect on the life of the caregiver. Once a child has been diagnosed and needs treatment, parents/caregivers have to adjust in many ways. The adjustment will vary depending on the needs of the child at that particular point. Caregivers to an autistic child have to acquire comprehensive knowledge regarding autism spectrum disorder. A support system plays a pivotal role in the raising of an autistic child. The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge, experiences and coping mechanisms of single mothers raising an autistic child in a low-income community in Western Cape Province. A qualitative research approach was employed to gain access to the experiences of single mothers raising an autistic child, and in-depth interviews were conducted with six single mothers from a low-income community. Transcriptions were analysed in accordance with the approach of thematic analysis. Results indicated that participants experience many challenges: lack of knowledge, inexperience, personal challenges, and society’s perceptions of autism were highlighted. Participant’s social support given by family, community and organisations they allowed for coping and resilience to outweigh the challenges. The single mother’s experiences varied however the resilience has allowed them to cope and gain the needed inner strength to embrace the experience each day. Further research is needed to highlight fathers’ experiences and their coping mechanisms in raising an autistic child.

The aim of the current study was to bring greater clarity to our understanding of the relation between theory of mind (ToM) and executive function (EF), specifically working memory (WM) and inhibitory control (IC), during typical adolescent development and of the specific nature of impairments in ToM and EF in the cognitive profile of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome and High Functioning Autism (AS/HFA). In total, 80 participants, half typically developing (TD) and half with AS/HFA, participated in the study. TD participants were matched to the participants with AS/HFA on chronological age and gender. Participants were tested across two test sessions, approximately one year apart. For Session 1, the TD participants ranged in age from 10.1 to 17.9 years (M = 14.68, SD = 2.05), and the participants with AS/HFA ranged in age from 10.2 to 17.9 years (M = 14.64, SD = 2.19). I tested the participants on a ToM battery, consisting of an emotional perspective taking measure, the Mind in the Eyes Test, and two cognitive perspective taking measures, the Advanced ToM Vignettes, designed by the researcher, and Happé's Strange Stories. In addition, an EF battery was administered, containing a Reading Span Task, Change Detection Task, and Flanker Task, which assessed verbal WM, visual WM, and IC, respectively. Firstly, I found that older children and adolescents with AS/HFA, especially the girls with AS/HFA, performed worse on ToM measures tapping cognitive perspective taking relative to TD peers. Secondly, I observed that ToM and EF continue to develop during later childhood and adolescence as part of both typical and atypical development. Thirdly, I found that verbal WM and IC were more strongly associated with ToM in the AS/HFA group, indicating that individuals with AS/HFA may require more executive resources for ToM reasoning. Based on my results, I suggest that ToM and EF are still developing during later childhood and adolescence in both TD individuals and individuals with AS/HFA, indicating that the brain regions supporting ToM and EF processing are still plastic and can therefore be targeted for intervention.

Orientador: Vera Lucia Messias Fialho Capellini / Banca: Rosângela Gavioli Prieto / Banca: Neusa Maria Dal Ri / Resumo: O presente estudo refere-se à formação do aluno com deficiência visando à sua participação no grêmio estudantil, o que representa um desafio à escola, quando se pensa uma educação na perspectiva Inclusiva e de Gestão Democrática. Nesse sentido os objetivos deste estudo foram: analisar o efeito de um programa de formação com atividades didático-pedagógicas no desenvolvimento da autonomia e da participação no grêmio estudantil e, de forma específica, mapear a participação de alunos com deficiência nos grêmios estudantis das escolas de uma Secretaria Municipal de Educação, em uma cidade do interior de São Paulo; identificar esses alunos em turmas de quarto ano do ensino fundamental I; analisar a participação deles nas atividades didático-pedagógicas sobre grêmios; descrever sua participação no grêmio estudantil, verificar os indicativos de participação nas atividades, na concepção dos alunos com deficiência; e elaborar uma cartilha digital com atividades didático-pedagógicas para estimular a participação desses alunos no grêmio estudantil. O percurso metodológico foi realizado por meio de uma pesquisa de cunho qualitativo e delineamento a partir da pesquisa-intervenção, que contou com seis fases para sua construção. A primeira fase caracterizou-se pelo mapeamento nas escolas, por meio de análise de materiais e com questionários sobre a existência de alunos público-alvo da educação especial (PAEE) no grêmio estudantil, entre 2013 e 2017. A segunda pautou-se em identificar em quai... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The present study refers to deals with the education of students with disabilities, aiming at their participation in the student council, which represents a challenge to the school, when one thinks an education in a perspective of Inclusive Education and Democratic management. In this sense the objectives of this study were: analyze the effect of a training program with didactic-pedagogical activities in the development of autonomy and participation in the student council and in a specific; to map the participation of students with disabilities in the school student council of a Municipal Education System in a country town of São Paulo; to identify these students in fourth year classes of elementary school I; to analyze their participation in didactic-pedagogical activities; to describe their participation in the student council; to verify the indicatives of participation in the activities, in the conception of students with disabilities and to elaborate a digital booklet with didactic-pedagogical activities to stimulate the participation of these students in the student council.The methodological course was carried out through a qualitative research and design from the intervention research, which had 6 phases for its construction. The first phase was characterized by mapping in schools, through material analysis and questionnaires on the existence of target public students of special education (PAEE) in the student council, between 2013 and 2017. The second phase was to ide... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

La césarienne est un mode d’accouchement alternatif recommandé lorsque la vie de la mère ou du fœtus pourrait être mise en danger par l’accouchement naturel. Ces dernières années, de nombreuses études ont rapporté que la césarienne augmentait le risque de développer des troubles tels que l’autisme. Pourtant, ces études sont controversées à cause des nombreux facteurs impliqués dans la naissance par césarienne à prendre en compte. Pour résoudre ce problème, nous avons utilisé des souris nées par césarienne et évalué des paramètres liés à l’autisme. En évaluant leur sociabilité, communication verbale et comportements répétitifs, nous avons trouvé que la césarienne n’induit qu’une modification précoce et transitoire de la communication. La césarienne n’affecte pas non plus l’activité cérébrale même si de petites altérations morphologiques éphémères sont observées à la naissance. Par conséquent, la césarienne conduit à des modifications à court terme non suffisantes pour induire l’autisme. / Cesarean section (C-section) is an alternative mode of delivery which is recommended when the mother or the fetus’ life might be endangered by natural childbirth. In recent years, epidemiological studies have reported that C-section delivery might increase the probability to develop disorders such as autism. However, these reports remain controversial due to the numerous factors involved in birth by C-section. To tackle this issue, we used mice delivered by C-section and looked at parameters associated with autism. We evaluated sociability, communication and repetitive behaviors in our mice and found that C-section only induces transient and early modifications in their communication. Also, we did not find changes in brain activity, even if small temporal morphological alterations were present after C-section. Therefore, C-section delivery leads to short-term modifications that are not sufficient to induce autism.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by deficits involving social interaction, communication, and perception. Although there is much research that has examined functional neural connectivity in individuals with autism, few have conducted these studies in very young children while awake across EEG power and coherence measures. Anomalies in EEG coherence and power have been associated with deficits in executive function and mental activity. The present study examined neural activation and functional connectivity with an EEG, in children ages 3 -5, during an eyesclosed baseline period. Discrete Fourier Transform was performed on artifact-free segments of EEG data to produce power density values. In addition, coherence measurements were examined to assess functional connectivity in the alpha bandwidth during the baseline recording. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrated reduced alpha coherence in fronto-temporal regions and between right temporal sites when compared to typically developing (TD) children. In addition, the reduction in coherence was based on ASD severity, such that high-functioning children with ASD showed greater coherence than low-functioning children with ASD. Children with ASD also displayed reduced power in the alpha, beta, and theta frequency bandwidths in frontal, temporal, central, and occipital regions compared to TD children. Interestingly, delta power differentiated children based on developmental status such that high-functioning children with ASD demonstrated the greatest delta power, followed by TD children, and then low-functioning children with ASD. Finally, TD children demonstrated left anterior temporal EEG asymmetry in the alpha bandwidth, whereas children with high-functioning ASD exhibited left posterior temporal EEG asymmetry and right frontal EEG asymmetry. Thus, the results suggest that children with ASD exhibit atypical patterns of brain activity and functional connectivity compared to their typically developing counterparts. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.