O Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) inclui em seu diagnóstico diversos sintomas, apresentando uma ampla variedade nos níveis de desenvolvimento e funcionamento. Embora não central ao diagnóstico, diversos pesquisadores têm associado déficits motores e dispraxia a esse diagnóstico. Além disso, tem-se associado prejuízos funcionais decorrentes da dispraxia em crianças com TEA. Na literatura são poucos os estudos que avaliam dispraxia em crianças com TEA, nenhum destes estudos no Brasil. Assim, nosso objetivo foi verificar se as crianças com TEA apresentam um perfil de dispraxia característico. Para isso realizamos coleta com 03 grupos distintos, cada um composto por 30 crianças, foram eles: TEA (G-TEA) nível 1, Síndrome de Down (G-SD) e controle (G-C). Para avaliação da praxia, optamos pelo teste Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT), que avalia diversas funções de praxia e já foi utilizado em estudos com a população alvo de nosso estudo. Além disso, utilizamos a Escala de Comportamento Adaptativo Vineland (para verificar o nível adaptativo dos indivíduos participantes), escala de Avaliação de Traços Autísticos (ATA) para sustentação diagnóstica do G-TEA e utilizamos a Escala de Classe Social de Pelotas, para verificar se a classe social teria impacto na amostra. Como resultado, as crianças do G-C apresentaram escores dentro da faixa de normalidade, sendo todos os escores positivos, as crianças do G-TEA apresentaram escores mais baixos do que o G-C, no entanto, apenas em 07 dos 17 testes tiveram prejuízos, com desempenho abaixo do normal, sendo estes testes relacionados à praxia (imitação de posturas, movimentos e oral, além de praxia sem indicação visual), função vestibular (equilíbrio e nistagmo) e, estereognosia. As crianças do G-SD apresentaram desempenho abaixo do normal em todos os testes aplicados, possivelmente isso é decorrente da comorbidade da síndrome com deficiência intelectual. Além disso, encontramos uma diferença significativa maior no escore da Vineland relacionado à Atividade de Vida Cotidiana, ao compararmos crianças com TEA com grupo controle. Estudos corroboram o achado em nossa pesquisa, indicando que, crianças com TEA apresentam dispraxia que parece ser característica deste transtorno. Alguns estudos encontraram que as crianças com TEA apresentam prejuízos nas mesmas áreas dos encontrados por nós. Os profissionais embora defendam a intervenção com essas crianças, têm usado poucas avaliações que justifiquem tais intervenções, dessa forma, acreditamos que é importante o uso de instrumentos para avaliação da praxia em crianças com TEA, visando direcionar o planejamento terapêutico e ganhos funcionais para essas crianças / Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes in its diagnostic several symptoms, with a wide variety in the levels of development and functioning. Although motor deficits and dyspraxia are not relevant to the diagnosis, several researchers have done this association. In addition, functional impairments due to dyspraxia have been associated in children with ASD. In the literature, there are few studies evaluating dyspraxia in children with ASD none of these studies in Brazil. Our aim was to verify if children with ASD have a characteristic dyspraxia profile. To do this, we performed a collection of three different groups, each composed of 30 children: ASD (G-ASD) level 1, Down Syndrome (G-DS) and control (G-C). In order to evaluate praxis, we decided to use the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT), which evaluates several praxis functions and has already been used in studies with the target population of our study. In addition, we used the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (to verify the adaptive level of the participants), Autistic Trait Scale (ATA) for diagnostic support of G-ASD and used the Pelotas Social Class Scale to verify if social class would have an impact on the sample. As a result, G-C presented scores within the range of normal, and all scores were positive, G-ASD children presented lower scores than GC, however, only in 07 of 17 tests with performance below of the normal, being these tests related to praxis (imitation of postures, movements and oral, besides praxis without visual indication), vestibular function (balance and nystagmus) and stereognosis. The G-DS children presented below-normal performance in all applied tests, possibly due to the comorbidity of the syndrome with intellectual disability. In addition, we found a major significant difference in the Vineland score related to Daily Living Activity, when comparing children with ASD with the control group. Studies corroborate the finding in our study, indicating that children with ASD have dyspraxia that appears to be characteristic of this disorder. Some studies have found that children with ASD has same difficulties that we found. Although practitioners advocate intervention with these children, they have used few evaluations instruments to justify such interventions, so we believe that it is important to use instruments to assess praxis in children with ASD, in order to direct the therapeutic planning and functional gains for these children

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-07-25T11:52:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernanda Cristina Reis Merli Martins.pdf: 1391280 bytes, checksum: 7de33478438070c31011d566fa2007f8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-25T11:52:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernanda Cristina Reis Merli Martins.pdf: 1391280 bytes, checksum: 7de33478438070c31011d566fa2007f8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-25 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Objectives: Assessment of oral and verbal praxias in four 4 to 7-year-old children diagnosed in Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Method: This research is an exploratory study on the evaluation of praxias in four autistic children. Oral Praxias: First, the responses presented to verbal commands are observed, and, in case of no response, performance of movement by imitation is tried. For the verbal praxias, a situation of playful interaction with the child for the recording was developed.Results: Evaluation of Oral Praxias: the assesment of praxias voiced had its worst performance presented by the youngest child, and the absence of achievement lies on two motor acts. The assessment of oral-facial praxias presented the worst performance for the youngest child. Praxias assessment with increased difficulty action being imitation the privileged way recognized by everyone in the children’s achievement. In praxias assessment involving parallel movements, Child One presents the worst result, performing one movement only, the simplest in the series. Child Three uses imitation for most achievements and finally, Child Four does not perform two movements, precisely those involving sounds. Verbal Praxias Assessments: In general the main features presented were breathy and monotonous voice, heightened pitch and intersected speech with alternations in rhythm. Every participant involved in the research showed a strong tendency to centralize the sounds in their emission. The prosody is altered in two cases, the youngest child still uses a very childish prosody, Child Two, in its turn, alters the vocal tone. Conclusion: The praxic configuration condition verified in each patient points to disorders that seem to be linked to superior processes of motor planning, called apraxia. This research has made it possible to present data that show that these children present a co-occurrence of alterations: autism and apraxia. However, these findings do not confirm a direct connection of such co-occurrence in all children with ASD / Objetivos: Avaliar as praxias oral e verbal em quatro crianças de 4 a 7 anos de idade diagnosticadas no Transtorno do Espectro Autista. Método: Esta pesquisa é um estudo exploratório sobre a avaliação de praxias em quatro crianças autistas. Praxias Orais: Em primeiro lugar são observadas as respostas apresentadas a comandos verbais, sendo que, no caso de não resposta, tenta-se a realização do movimento por imitação. Para as praxias verbais, foi criada uma situação de interação lúdica com a criança para a gravação. Resultados: Avaliação das Praxias Orais: Avaliação das praxias sonorizadas, O pior desempenho, apresentado foi da criança menor, sendo que a ausência de realização se localiza em dois atos motores. A avaliação das praxias orofaciais apresentou o pior desempenho para a criança menor. A avaliação de praxias com movimentos em sequência a dificuldade tem um incremento, sendo a imitação a maneira privilegiada por todos na realização das crianças. A avaliação de praxias envolvendo movimentos paralelos, a criança um apresenta o pior desempenho, realizando apenas um movimento, o mais simples da série. A criança três utiliza imitação para maior parte das realizações e por fim, a criança quatro não realiza dois movimentos e exatamente os que envolvem sonorização. Avaliação das Praxias Verbais: De um modo geral as características principais apresentadas foram voz soprosa e monótona, pitch agudizado e fala entrecortada, alterando o ritmo. Todos os participantes envolvidos na pesquisa apresentam uma forte tendência a centralizar os sons em sua emissão. A prosódia está alterada em dois casos, a menor de todas as crianças se utiliza de uma prosódia ainda muito infantil, a criança dois, em sua vez, altera a tonicidade vocabular. Conclusão: A condição práxica verificada em cada paciente, aponta para desordens que parecem ligadas a processos superiores de planejamento do ato motor, o que se denomina dispraxia. Esta pesquisa permitiu apresentar dados que comprovam que nestas crianças há uma co-ocorrência de alterações: autismo e dispraxia. Entretanto, estes achados não permitem apostar que tal co-ocorrência será verificada em todas as crianças com TEA

This paper describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) as an individual parent training model. BST effects on parent responses to child behavior, and by extension, child problem behavior was investigated. The parent participants in the study had children under the age of 10 years old with diagnoses such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The researcher conducted observations in situ and via video transmission. Implications of the study include the ability to effectively apply an intervention for parents in situations where the therapist cannot physically come to the parent’s home as well as the effectiveness of using BST to teach general problem behavior management to caregivers. The results presented suggest that behavioral skills training as a parent training method is effective for increasing appropriate parent behavior, but results are mixed for its immediate impact on child problem behavior. Keywords: attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, behavioral skills training, parent training, problem behavior

Orientador: Lucia Pereira Leite / Banca: Silvia Ester Orrú / Banca: Andrea Regina Nunes Misquiatti / Resumo: Esta pesquisa objetivou descrever e analisar como estudantes com Transtornos do Espectro Autista (TEA) percebem sua trajetória acadêmica, no contexto universitário. Participaram da investigação seis estudantes de uma universidade pública do Estado de São Paulo, que se autodeclararam com Transtornos do Espectro Autista no ato da rematrícula no sistema eletrônico de graduação da instituição. Para a coleta de dados, foi utilizada a Escala de Percepção do Suporte Social - EPSS, a Escala de Avaliação de Traços Autísticos - ATA e um roteiro norteador de entrevista. Os dados extraídos com a aplicação do roteiro de entrevista foram analisados qualitativamente, de acordo com o procedimento de núcleo de significação, descrito por Aguiar e Ozella (2006). Os dados obtidos por meio da correção da "Escala de percepção do suporte social" e da "Escala de Traços Autísticos" foram analisados quantitativamente. A média dos escores obtidos com a EPSS foi de 2,1 para o suporte prático e 1,9 para o suporte emocional. Os núcleos de significação encontrados por meio da análise das entrevistas foram: 1) Trajetória escolar básica de estudantes com TEA: experiências educacionais e dificuldades enfrentadas; 2) Trajetória Universitária de estudantes com TEA: vivências e fatores influenciadores; e 3) Significado e sentido da trajetória universitária de estudantes com TEA. Foi possível averiguar falta de percepção do suporte social, durante a graduação. Os participantes do estudo relataram principalmente a... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This study aimed to describe and analyze how students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) perceive their academic trajectory in the university context. Six students from a public university in the State of Sao Paulo participated, who declared themselves to have Autism Spectrum Disorders at the time of re-enrollment in the institution's electronic system of graduation. The Social Support Perception Scale (SSPS), the Scale of Autistic Traits (SAT) and a guideline interview were used to collect data. Data extracted with the application of the guideline interview was analyzed qualitatively, according to the core meaning procedure, described by Aguiar and Ozella (2006). Data obtained through the correction of the "Social Support Perception Scale" and the "Scale of Autistic Traits" were analyzed quantitatively. The mean scores obtained with SSPS were 2.1 for practical support and 1.9 for emotional support. The nuclei of significance found through the analysis of the interviews were: 1) Basic school trajectory of students with ASD: educational experiences and difficulties faced by the students; 2) University trajectory of students with ASD: experiences and influencing factors; and 3) Meaning and sense of the university trajectory of students with ASD. It was possible to verify the lack of perception of social support during graduation. The study participants reported mainly aspects related to bullying; unprepared professionals and complications related to the condition of ASD. In... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:38:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Karoline Costa e Silva.pdf: 1355068 bytes, checksum: 425b98209ae3156ab48c117a1cd0affa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-10-10 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Taking into account Autism Spectrum Disorder, one of the most serious diseases in human development, it is recognized by the stereotypical use and repetitive language besides presence of repetitive behavior and restricted interests which affects social interaction. As such resilience is not being very much studied when it comes to this pathology, this dissertation has the objective to assess the disease towards mothers who have children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In the Northeast, Southwest, South and Central East part of Brazil, also aiming in verifying risk factors and mother´s protection in these different regions. The term resilience, here applied, has been applied in the sense of process, where a person, group or community is able to overcome adversity situations turning them into personal development and collective. Instruments used in data collection were through a questionnaire to sum up socio demographic data and resilience scale (WAGNILD e YOUNG,1993), translated and adapted by Pesce et. al(2005). The research has been performed with a sample of 288 mothers, affiliated to Brazilian Institutions that provide assistance to families and children with ASD. The methodology used has been the convenience sampling and theory reference the Resilience construct analysis. General results indicate that mothers, in different regions, present good levels of resilience. Regarding distribution of results in resilience scale, 58,7% of the sampling present moderate resilience, 32,7% high resilience, 8,6% low resilience. There was no statistic relevant difference between general scale result and resilience factors besides regions where participants live. Results show the presence of risk factors and mother´s resilience when dealing with the condition of having a child with ASD. Such findings contribute to the understanding of resilience construct analysis as a process recognized as a phenomenon that takes into account the context the human being is inserted and reveal the importance of individual characteristics in explaining such scenario / Considerando o Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo uma das patologias mais sérias do desenvolvimento humano, caracterizada pelo uso estereotipado e repetitivo da linguagem e pela presença de comportamentos repetitivos e interesses restritos, o que compromete a interação social, e sendo a resiliência um tema pouco estudado nessa patologia, a dissertação teve como objetivo geral avaliar a resiliência em mães de filhos com Transtorno do espectro do autismo- TEA, nas regiões Nordeste, Sudeste, Sul e Centro- Oeste do Brasil, e como objetivo específico verificar os fatores de risco e de proteção das mães, nessas diferentes regiões. O termo resiliência foi empregado no sentido de processo, através do qual uma pessoa, grupo ou comunidade superam situações de adversidade, transformando-as em desenvolvimento pessoal e coletivo. Os instrumentos utilizados na coleta de dados foram um questionário para levantamento de dados sociodemográficos e a escala de resiliência (WAGNILD e YOUNG,1993), traduzida e adaptada por Pesce et. al(2005). A pesquisa foi realizada com uma amostra de 288 mães, filiadas às instituições brasileiras que prestam assistência à família e ao filho com TEA. O método utilizado foi quantitativo, de amostragem por conveniência, e o referencial teórico o constructo de Resiliência. Os resultados gerais indicam que as mães, nas diferentes regiões, apresentam bons níveis de resiliência. Quanto à distribuição dos resultados da escala de resiliência, 58,7% da amostra têm resiliência moderada, 32,7% resiliência alta, e apenas 8,6% resiliência baixa. Não houve diferença estatística significativa entre resultado geral da escala e os fatores de resiliência e as regiões onde moravam as participantes. Os resultados revelam a presença de fatores de risco, de proteção e de resiliência de mães que enfrentam a condição de ter um filho com TEA. Esses achados contribuem para a compreensão do constructo de resiliência como um processo, portanto como um fenômeno que leva em consideração o contexto em que o ser humano está inserido, e revelam a importância de características individuais na explicação desse fenômeno

Peer aggression can take the form of physical hostility, adverse peer pressure, teasing, shunning, and social rejection (Little, 2002). Repeated acts of peer aggression are considered peer victimization and affect children with disabilities more often than children with no reported disabilities or psychiatric disorders (Baumeister, Storch, & Geffken, 2008; Pittet, Berchtold, Akre, Michaud & Suris, 2011). Personal characteristics and contextual factors have been linked to higher rates of peer aggression and the presence of peer victimization (Baumeister, et al., 2008; Bejerot & Morthberg, 2009; Boivin, Vitaro, & Bukowski, 1999; Hodges, Boivin, Vitaro, & Bukowski, 1999; Mishna, 2003). Youth who have experienced peer victimization have been found to suffer consequent loneliness, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and suicidal ideation (Bond, Carlin, Thomas, Rubin, & Patton, 2001; Hawker & Boulton, 2000; Hunter, Boyle & Warden, 2007; Siegal, La Greca, & Harrison, 2009). The present study used a caregiver survey to investigate experiences of peer aggression and peer victimization, as well as factors linked to such victimization among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), with other disabilities (OD), and without disabilities (WD). The main analyses addressed five sets of research questions. The first three research questions pertained to all three groups of participants and (1) compared rates of peer aggression and the proportion of children who experienced peer victimization between the ASD, OD and WD groups, (2) asked which personal factors were associated with peer aggression and peer victimization, and (3) asked which personal factors best predicted peer aggression and peer victimization. The last two research questions pertained to the ASD and OD groups only (disability group) and asked (1) which personal factors and contextual factors were associated with peer aggression and peer victimization, and (2) which personal factors and contextual factors best predicted peer aggression and peer victimization. The main analyses indicated that children with ASD and OD experienced significantly greater rates of peer aggression than peers in the WD group. Additionally, the ASD and OD groups of children were more likely to experience peer victimization than the WD group.Peer aggression was correlated with autistic traits, anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, thought problems, and attention problems. A multiple regression analysis indicated that the variable of anxious/depressed was the only variable that significantly contributed to the model and it accounted for approximately one-third of the variance. Caregivers whose children experienced peer victimization reported significantly higher scores in autistic characteristics, anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, thought problems, and attention problems. A forward logistic regression analysis indicated that anxious/depressed was the only variable that predicted peer victimization. The multiple regression and forward logistic regression models produced for the combined ASD and OD group were similar to the models produced during the prior analyses for all three groups. Anxious/depressed was the only variable that significantly contributed to the multiple linear regression and forward logistic regression models. Contextual variables were not correlated with peer aggression or associated with peer victimization and they did not significantly contribute to the regression models.

Two testing conditions (immediate and delayed) were used to test for the presence of imitation and emulation in typically developing and developmentally delayed children, including children with autism spectrum disorder, ranging in age from 2.8-years old and 4.0-years old, in two experiments, Experiment I (n=20), Experiment II (n=30). Using a mixed within-between design, I compared the performance of the two groups across various tasks in two testing conditions and analyzed their performance. The participants were selected because they fit the criteria of 1) being between the age of 2.5 and 4 years of age at the onset of the study, 2) had gross motor and generalized imitation in repertoire, and 3) observational learning was present. The independent variable was the test interval in both experiments across both testing conditions, immediate and delayed. The dependent variables were the unconsequated responses during the test interval (Experiment I and II). The embedded dependent variable in Experiment II was the number of 5s intervals participants interacted with a puzzle box in the free play setting. Responses were defined as imitation (copy the specific actions with point-to-point correspondence), or emulation (bring about the model’s goal by the observer’s own methods and means, no point-to-point correspondence but same end result). In the first experiment I found that although typically developing preschoolers often imitate in the short term, they were more likely to emulate in the long term when not shown again how to use the items. In contrast the participants with autism spectrum disorder were more likely to imitate across both testing conditions. My findings support evidence that typically developing children naturally shift from imitation to emulation and that children are in fact emulators in contrast to research that suggests otherwise. For those children with autism, Experiment I, supports evidence that they are potentially missing a developmental cusp (emulation). Experiment II sought to replicate the findings in Experiment I and differed in that 1) more tasks were added, 2) more participants were used, and 2) a free play observation session was added. The results from Experiment II supported the results from Experiment I, in that, all participants (typically developing and those with autism) were more likely to imitate in the short-term immediate testing condition; however, typically developing children naturally shifted to an emulative response given a delay, whereas, those children with autism continued to emit imitative behaviors given a delay, signifying that children with autism are missing the developmental cusp of emulation. The findings support the notion that emulation is a developmental cusp and that children with autism often are missing this developmental cusp.

I conducted a descriptive analysis on the emission of vocal and non-vocal social/verbal interactions between 35 dyads of preschool-aged-children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their mothers. Using previously recorded videos of 5-min isolated free-play sessions between the mother-child dyads, I transduced each occurrence of verbal operants, attempted verbal operants (i.e., emissions not reinforced by a listener), and additional verbal behaviors such as fantasy play emitted by the child, and approvals and disapprovals emitted by the mother. Each verbal behavior was defined as either vocal verbal behavior, non-lexical vocal verbal behavior, or non-vocal verbal behavior, all with a function to communicate. The procedure consisted of identifying each instance of verbal behavior emitted between the mother and child rotating across listener and speaker responses until either no response occurred, or the session concluded. The listener and speaker responses were further transduced into individual initiated conversational units (speaker-listener-speaker rotations). These data were statistically analyzed with previously collected child educational variables and mother demographic variables: child's level of verbal behavior in accordance with the Verbal Behavior Developmental Assessment-Revised (VBDA-R), number of acquired objectives on the Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling International Curriculum and Inventory of Repertoires for Children from Preschool through Kindergarten (C-PIRK), the Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) severity scores, and the scores on the Vineland-3 Adaptive Behavior Scales-Third Edition (VABS-3). The mother demographic variables were level of education and household income. The results of the study were as follow: (1) a significant relationship was shown between the child's level of verbal behavior (extracted from the VBDA-R) and performance on the C-PIRK, VABS-3, and between the ADOS-2 Modules used to assess for ASD severity; (2) the results did not show a significant difference between the child's level of verbal behavior and the number of child-initiated conversational units. The differences in the verbal behavior exchanged between the mother and child were, however, indicated across the child's form of verbal behavior - vocal, non-lexical, and non-vocal verbal behavior - emitted with the mother. Results are interpreted as parents of children without vocal verbal behavior require parent training tailored to their child's verbal developmental repertoires rather than their chronological age to ensure all communicative opportunities are captured. Educational implications, limitations, and future avenues of research are discussed.

Background. Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) report higher levels of stress and experience more marital strain and divorce than parents of typically developing children and parents of children with other disabilities. However, no studies have yet examined the relationship between parental attributions or beliefs and observed parenting behaviors for parents of children with ASD, a particularly challenging parenting context. Promising experimental and intervention studies suggest that parents’ perception of controllability can be modified, with consequential changes in parents’ actual parenting behaviors (Bugental & Happaney, 2002; Slep & O'Leary, 1998). The present dissertation seeks to extend the study of the relationship between parental cognitions and behaviors by understanding the role of cognitions for mothers in a community sample at high risk for elevated parenting stress, and by evaluating how the relationship between cognitions and parenting behaviors may vary based on the child’s level of functioning. Parenting behaviors were observed across different types of tasks intended to mimic naturalistic dyadic situations in order to identify the degree to which parenting behaviors may vary as a function of context. By identifying whether parental cognitions influence more or less competent parenting strategies, results will guide tailoring of interventions for the needs of this highly stressed population. Methods. Forty-two mother-child dyads, with children ages 2 years and 6 months to 5 years and 6 months, were included in this study. Children were students at a specialized preschool utilizing an Applied Behavior Analysis approach to education, and all participating children had a diagnosis of ASD, verified by either the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (Lord et al., 2012), a gold-standard measure of ASD, or the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (Schopler, Van Bourgondien, Wellman, & Love, 2010) as part of their study participation. Mother-child dyads participated in several interaction tasks, including a 5-minute teaching task, 5-minutes of free play, and a 2-minute cleanup task, which were videotaped for later coding using the Psychological Multifactor Care Scale — ASD Adapted Preschool Version (Brassard, Donnelly, Hart, & Johnson, 2016). Mothers also completed questionnaires assessing parental stress, cognitions, child behavior problems, and demographic characteristics. Two cognitions were evaluated: attributions of control were measured using an adapted version of the Parent Attribution Test (Bugental, 2011; Woolfson, Taylor, & Mooney, 2011), which has previously been related to harsh parenting behaviors, particularly with maltreating families; and self-efficacy was measured using the Parenting Sense of Competence – Efficacy subscale (Gibaud-Wallston & Wandersman, 1978), a widely used measure of parental self-efficacy with a positive relationship to quality of parenting. Parental stress was assessed by the Parenting Stress Index – Fourth Edition, Short Form (Abidin, 2012). Participating children’s classroom teachers completed the Communication domain of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales –Fourth Edition (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Saulnier, 2016) as an assessment of children’s level of language functioning, and mothers rated their perceptions of their child’s behavioral functioning using the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000). Results. Multiple regression analysis found significant direct effects of attributions of control for both positive and harsh observed parenting behaviors, and significant interactions between attributions of control, parental self-efficacy, and child language functioning for observed harsh parenting behaviors. Observed harsh parenting behaviors were also predicted by the interacting relationship between parenting stress, self-efficacy, and parent perception of child behavior problems. There was no significant difference in the relationship between parental attributions and observed parenting behaviors between each of the three task types, though harsh parenting behaviors were more frequently observed during free play, relative to teaching and cleanup tasks. Regression models controlled for parental race, parent perception of child behavior problems, and the number of adults in the home – a proxy for caregiving support. Though mothers engaged in infrequent and mild levels of harsh parenting behaviors, those who did reported higher levels of stress, lower self-efficacy, and higher attributions of control, particularly during free play. Conclusions. Parental attributions of control have been found to be a powerful and modifiable variable for maltreating samples, where mothers who believe child control is more important than adult control in impacting the outcome of a failed interaction are more likely to engage in harsh parenting. In this sample, a relationship was found in the opposite direction, in that mothers who perceived adult control as more important displayed more harsh parenting behaviors. The difference is likely related to the significantly distinctive context for parenting a child with ASD, given the unique relational and behavioral characteristics associated with the disorder. Whereas self-efficacy did not directly relate to observed parenting behaviors, it interacted with other family factors to predict parenting behaviors. Directions for future research and clinical implications are discussed.

Purpose: The field of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) intervention research is in need of treatment response measures that are sensitive to change and flexible enough to be used across studies. The Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) was developed to address this need. The purpose of this work is to examine the initial reliability and validity of the BOSCC in two samples of children with ASD. Method: In a sample of 56 children participating in ongoing early intervention, the primary objectives of Study 1 were to 1) determine items for inclusion in the BOSCC coding scheme, 2) explore the relationships among items using factor analysis, 3) assess inter-rater and test-retest reliability, and 4) explore change over time. Using a sample of school-age, minimally-verbal children, the primary objectives of Study 2 were to extend the results of Study 1 to a new sample to 1) assess BOSCC changes over time, 2) compare changes in BOSCC to clinician determinations of improvement, 3) examine the relationship between change in BOSCC scores with changes in baseline cognitive skills, adaptive functioning, and ASD severity, and 4) compare changes in BOSCC scores in children who did and did not change on other standard measures. Results: Study 1 revealed that the BOSCC has high to excellent inter-rater and test-retest reliability and shows convergent validity with measures of language and communication skills. The BOSCC Core total demonstrated statistically significant amounts of change over time while the ADOS Calibrated Severity Score over the same period did not. Results of Study 2 confirmed excellent inter-rater reliability but the BOSCC did not change significantly over time. Most children were identified by clinicians as improving in response to treatment. However, only 15% of children changed significantly on the BOSCC over 16 weeks of intervention. Limitations: Both studies had small samples of predominantly male, Caucasian children. When interpreting the results of these studies, it is important to consider the differences between samples, including the shorter time of treatment and more cognitively and language impaired children in Study 2. Conclusions: These studies are a first step in the development of a novel outcome measure for social-communication behaviors with applications to clinical trials and longitudinal studies. Future work should continue to explore the benefits and limitations of the BOSCC in larger independent samples.