This study examines the impact of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder on relationship quality using the double ABCX model of adjustment and adaptation. Respondents (N = 126) recruited through Autism Society listervs completed online surveys designed to measure three factors of relationship quality: satisfaction, positive perceptions, and negative perceptions. Results from hierarchical multiple regression models indicate that the double ABCX model accounted for 47% of variance in satisfaction, 72% in positive perceptions, and 50% in negative perceptions, for predicting the quality of couple relationships. Implications for clinicians working with couples are discussed, such as the need for treatment that focuses on stress management and increasing support through affectionate, emotional, tangible, and social interactions.

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders often do not respond to common pedagogical strategies and traditional in vivo teaching approaches. From my observations, students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders learn best when material is presented through technology. Based on the information found in the literature review and personal observations from working with students with special needs, when students with Autism Spectrum Disorders receive video based instruction by watching recorded art lessons, they may learn to develop artistic skills and retain more art content knowledge with greater success than through traditional teaching methods. The purpose of this research study is to test the hypothesis that video based teaching methods can improve the learning of students with autism in a series of art lessons.

This thesis discusses epistemological and ethical issues in classifi cation and diagnosisof psychiatric conditions, and briefly discusses realism about psychiatric conditions. I use autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a case study to examine whether the explanatory and predictive power of classi fication and diagnosis could be improved if psychiatry adopts a cause-based framework in place of a symptom-based framework. However, there is signifi cant debate regarding the sort of explanatory pattern that will adequately represent the complex causation involved in psychiatric conditions. I develop a preliminary list of criteria for adequate explanatory patterns in psychiatry, and use these criteria to analyze explanations of ASD. I show that explanatory patterns unable to meet these criteria limit the validity and reliability of diagnosis. However, I argue that an integrated pattern that includes biological, cognitive and social levels of explanation may meet the criteria. Thus, diagnosis of ASD could improve if psychiatry adopted a cause-based framework informed by an intergrated explanation pattern. More accurate diagnosis of ASD may allow earlier access to Intensive Behaviourial Intervention/Applied Behavioural Analysis treatment programs, which may increase the effectiveness of this treatment and reduce the amount of resources individuals with ASD require from governments over their lifespans. Explaining these conditions using an integrated pattern of explanation can further challenge myths regarding the causes of ASD, and may provide support for Canadian lawsuits petitioning for expanded public funding of IBI/ABA programs.

This is a mixed-methods study investigating parental satisfaction and wait times as parents inquire about an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis for their child in a Northern Ontario community. Satisfaction and wait times of those diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by a single practitioner were compared to satisfaction and wait times of those diagnosed by the multidisciplinary assessment team in the Sudbury/Manitoulin region (the Autism Diagnostic Team; ADT). No significant differences were noted between groups on satisfaction or wait times. However, ADT group received much more consistent service, with less variation in wait times between clients, and more consistent provision of comprehensive services prior to the diagnostic meeting. Points of interest are noted for practitioners including increased wait times for parents of children with milder forms of ASD and for girls. No differences in wait time or satisfaction were noted between language groups. Content analysis of the qualitative interviews representing mainly single practitioners saw the emergence of themes including difficulty activating the assessment process, concerns regarding the wait, and appointment demands. The importance of professional expertise, empathy, and respectful communication also emerged. Parents felt the experience was deeply distressing and they often experienced abandonment following the diagnostic process. Additionally, parents whose children did not receive a diagnosis often felt confusion about what to do next. Reducing wait times, increasing professional expertise, completing comprehensive assessments, and using truly interdisciplinary teams should continue to be the focus of service improvements that may translate into improved satisfaction.

Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience significant delays in their fundamental motor skills (FMS) yet, FMS are virtually ignored in the intervention literature as traditional therapies focus on the core challenges in the social, communicative, and behavioural domains. This study sought to examine the effectiveness of a FMS intervention at improving the motor skills, adaptive behaviour, and social skills of 4 year old children with ASD. Motor Outcomes (Manuscript 1): Results demonstrated significant improvements in motor skills following the intervention; these improvements were retained at the 6-week follow-up. Adaptive Behaviour and Social Skill Outcomes (Manuscript 2): Results demonstrated individual gains in adaptive behaviour and social skills; although no significant group improvements were found. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that a FMS intervention can be effective at improving motor skills, and may result in individual behavioural improvements. These findings warrant further research with a larger sample.

Children with autism spectrum disorder show imaginative and representational drawing deficits, despite reports of a “visual thinking style”. I examined whether these two drawing characteristics could be explained by the unique cognitive style of children with autism (specifically, executive dysfunction and a local processing bias). I administered a cognitive/drawing task battery to a group of 24 school-age children with autism and 29 mental age-matched neurotypically developing controls. I expected that better executive function ability would be associated with better imaginative and representational drawing, and that a local processing bias (weak central coherence) would be associated with better representational drawing but worse imaginative drawing. In children with autism, better executive function was associated with better imaginative drawing. Greater central coherence was associated with better representational drawing, but executive function was associated with worse representational drawing. Underlying cognitive components of imaginative and representational drawing were different for the neurotypically developing children. Overall, findings were unexpected, leading to novel theoretical suggestions for the field of autism cognition and drawing research. / Graduate / 0620 / 0623 / kd.teneycke@gmail.com

Although a modest body of literature has emerged to investigate the experiences of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), there is a need to better understand their experiences to guide developmentally appropriate interventions and supports. This exploratory mixed-methods project included two studies aimed at gathering information about the self-perceptions and lived experiences of adolescents with ASD. In study 1, 27 adolescents (ages 13-18) completed measures to examine their self-concept and self-perceived competence, self-awareness of ASD characteristics and behaviours, and the types of behavioural attributions and stigmatizing beliefs they ascribe to their problematic behaviours. Two comparison groups (adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and typically developing adolescents) were used for self-concept and behavioural attribution comparisons. Study 2 comprised a smaller sub-set of 13 participants who participated in interviews designed to capture how ASD is perceived and experienced by those living with this disorder. Study 1 results suggested that adolescents with ASD have some awareness of the social, behavioural and adaptive challenges associated with their diagnosis and, as a group, hold some self-perceptions of competence and behavioural attributions that are different from those of adolescents without ASD. In Study 2, interviews were analyzed thematically to capture how adolescents talk about their diagnosis and psychosocial experiences, and how this may impact their self-concept and self-image. Four major categories emerged: (1) self-awareness and understanding of ASD; (2) psychosocial stress; (3) social-ecological factors; and (4) sources of support. Together, these results provide insights about how they perceive themselves and their diagnosis and some of the individual, family, and school factors related to their self-perceptions and self-awareness. Results from both studies converge to provide support for a systems approach to understanding the interactions between adolescents, families, peers, school, community, and greater society when undertaking individual assessments of needs and treatment planning for ASD. Findings from the studies are discussed with respect to the positive and negative effects of awareness and knowledge about one’s diagnosis on self-perceptions and psychological adaptation. This research has important implications for clinical and educational interventions that address the unique needs and strengths of adolescents with ASD to promote positive developmental outcomes.

Although a modest body of literature has emerged to investigate the experiences of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), there is a need to better understand their experiences to guide developmentally appropriate interventions and supports. This exploratory mixed-methods project included two studies aimed at gathering information about the self-perceptions and lived experiences of adolescents with ASD. In study 1, 27 adolescents (ages 13-18) completed measures to examine their self-concept and self-perceived competence, self-awareness of ASD characteristics and behaviours, and the types of behavioural attributions and stigmatizing beliefs they ascribe to their problematic behaviours. Two comparison groups (adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and typically developing adolescents) were used for self-concept and behavioural attribution comparisons. Study 2 comprised a smaller sub-set of 13 participants who participated in interviews designed to capture how ASD is perceived and experienced by those living with this disorder. Study 1 results suggested that adolescents with ASD have some awareness of the social, behavioural and adaptive challenges associated with their diagnosis and, as a group, hold some self-perceptions of competence and behavioural attributions that are different from those of adolescents without ASD. In Study 2, interviews were analyzed thematically to capture how adolescents talk about their diagnosis and psychosocial experiences, and how this may impact their self-concept and self-image. Four major categories emerged: (1) self-awareness and understanding of ASD; (2) psychosocial stress; (3) social-ecological factors; and (4) sources of support. Together, these results provide insights about how they perceive themselves and their diagnosis and some of the individual, family, and school factors related to their self-perceptions and self-awareness. Results from both studies converge to provide support for a systems approach to understanding the interactions between adolescents, families, peers, school, community, and greater society when undertaking individual assessments of needs and treatment planning for ASD. Findings from the studies are discussed with respect to the positive and negative effects of awareness and knowledge about one’s diagnosis on self-perceptions and psychological adaptation. This research has important implications for clinical and educational interventions that address the unique needs and strengths of adolescents with ASD to promote positive developmental outcomes.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the current literature on the use of weighted vests with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. A literature review using the What Works Clearinghouse Standards was conducted. The results of the review show that the use of weighed vests with individuals with autism spectrum disorder is not an evidence-based practice.

The Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a behavioral syndrome whose indicative signs are already perceived in the early years of childhood. Considering the development as sensitive in particular to the early experiences of the child in the environment, early diagnosis and educational interventions are indicated consensus in the literature as catalysts of development in cases of ASD. There fore vocational training geared to the specific disorder that enables those responsible for this intervention is needed. From this, we elaborated this work in order to develop a program for training professionals in the fields of health and education for educational activities with people with ASD and evaluate its effectiveness. For that were identified through the literature review, which the knowledge necessary for teachers to work with students with ASD and from the systematization of this knowledge, built a curriculum for a training course aimed at professionals working in favor education of people with ASD. From the curriculum the study was conducted with a sample of eight professionals in the fields of health and education of a gaucho municipality. This was a survey applied quantitative and qualitative nature which offered and assessed the effectiveness of a training course for 30h with psychopedagogy, special educators, speech therapists and psychologists members of the Center for Specialized care in the city of Santiago/Rio Grande do Sul. The training included knowledge necessary for the care of people with ASD, including explanatory theories, characterization, evaluation of the syndrome, and intervention possibilities. The effectiveness of the course is evaluated both by module, as this as a whole, as well as maintaining knowledge and social validity formation was evaluated. The data coming from the realization of this study were submitted to content analysis and descriptive statistics. The main results was that the course was effective and that there have been important advances in knowledge and perception of participants regarding the person with ASD and, moreover, had a consistent impact in reality it was intended, considered as positive the validity social. / O Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo (TEA) é uma síndrome comportamental cujos sinais indicativos são percebidos já nos primeiros anos da infância. Considerando o desenvolvimento como sensível de modo especial às primeiras experiências da criança no ambiente, o diagnóstico e intervenções educacionais precoces são consensualmente indicadas na literatura como catalisadoras do desenvolvimento nos casos de TEA. Para tanto é necessária uma formação profissional voltada para as especificidades do transtorno que capacite àqueles responsáveis por essa intervenção. A partir disso, elaborou-se este trabalho com o objetivo de desenvolver um programa para formação de profissionais das áreas da saúde e educação para atuação educacional com pessoas com TEA e avaliar sua efetividade. Para tanto foram identificados, através da revisão da literatura, quais os saberes necessários aos professores para atuarem com alunos com TEA e, a partir da sistematização desses saberes, considerando que são traduzíveis à diferentes áreas, construiu-se uma matriz curricular de um curso de formação destinado a profissionais que atuam em prol da educação de pessoas com TEA. A partir da matriz curricular o estudo foi desenvolvido com uma amostra de oito profissionais das áreas da saúde e da educação de um município gaúcho. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa quanti-qualitativa de natureza aplicada que ofereceu e avaliou a efetividade de um curso de capacitação de 30h com psicopedagogos, educadores especiais, fonoaudiólogos e psicólogos integrantes do Núcleo de Atendimento Especializado da cidade de Santiago/Rio Grande do Sul. A formação contemplou conhecimentos necessários ao atendimento de pessoas com TEA, incluindo teorias explicativas, caracterização, avaliação da síndrome, além de possibilidades de intervenção. Foi avaliada a efetividade do curso tanto por módulo, quanto deste como um todo, assim como foi avaliada a manutenção do conhecimento e a contribuição da formação para os participantes. Os dados advindos da realização desse estudo foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo e estatística descritiva. Como resultados principais teve-se que o curso foi efetivo sendo que houve alterações importantes no conhecimento e percepção dos participantes em relação a pessoa com TEA e, além disso, teve um impacto consistente na realidade a que se destinava, sendo considerado positivo quanto a contribuição para o contexto de atuação dos participantes.