Thesis (M.S.)--Brock University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-83). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brock University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-83).

Thesis (Honors)--College of William and Mary, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-50). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 259-295)

Thesis (M. Communication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 1999. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

In general there is very little research on the coping styles that the fathers of children suffering from Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) use in order to cope with the day-to-day demands and stressors that result from their child‘s unique condition. The research study focuses on the fathers of children on the autistic spectrum and how they cope with the stressors resulting from their children‘s condition on daily basis. The study made use of Bronfenbrenner‘s Ecosystemic Theory of Human Development as the guiding theoretical framework in exploring and describing this specific research domain. This was a qualitative study and it was phenomenological, descriptive and analytical in nature. The reason for this was to hear the voices of the fathers and explore in-depth how they deal with the daily stressors resulting from their children‘s condition. Semi-structured interviews were utilised where the fathers were asked to respond to an open-ended question. The data that was obtained from the fathers was analysed by means of content analysis. The sample size of the study was small (n=5) and other limitations included a small number of previous studies done on the fathers of children on the autistic spectrum. The literature that is available that focused on the fathers of ASD children are often old and might possibly be out dated. However, this study aimed to hear the voices of the fathers of children on the autistic spectrum and explore how they cope with the daily stressors. Therefore, this study will contribute to the literature on the fathers of ASD children.

According to Pienaar and Raymond (2013, p.10) learners with disabilities have historically experienced the most serious exclusion from learning. The worldwide call for inclusive education prompted South Africa to develop the White Paper 6 (WP6) (2001, p.18) which clearly states that for Inclusive Education to be successfully implemented in South Africa, there has to be an acknowledgement that all children and youth can learn. The implementation of WP6 therefore not only benefits learners with special educational needs, but all South African learners by implementing "a more flexible system of education that focuses on removing barriers to learning and creating learning-friendly environments" (Pienaar and Raymond, 2013, pp. 10-11). However, a great disparity exists in what is proposed in official documents such as WP6 and what parents of children with barriers to learning actually experience within schools. This phenomenological study employed memory work, drawings and focus group discussions with four purposively selected parents to explore parents’ experiences of the education of their children who are on the Autistic Spectrum. Bronfenbrenner’s Eco-systemic perspective was used to make meaning of the data. The findings show that parents find the education of their autistic children as a stressful and isolating experience because of an unprepared education system. Despite the challenges, the participants also find their experiences to be a journey of personal growth and fulfilment. The study therefore recommends that schools should engage parents of autistic children more actively in order to make inclusion of such children effective. Teachers who are expected to practice inclusivity in schools should be adequately prepared to work with children presenting with ASD through a collaborative effort of the Department of Health and the Department of Education.

The purpose of this study was to compare two conflicting theoretical perspectives on the relationship between intelligence and sustained attention. The cognitive resources theory assumes that lower IQ subjects are required to allocate greater amounts of their limited attentional resources during information-processing tasks than higher IQ subjects. The arousal theory assumes that there is an optimal level of arousal associated with task performance, and that an increase or decrease in arousal produces impairment in performance. Additionally the arousal theory predicts that increased time on task leads to a decrement in arousal as a function of IQ levels. Signal detection theory applications were used to operationalize and compare the two theories. Specifically, the signal detection parameters of sensory acuity ( d’), the decision criterion (a), correct detections, and false alarms were used to determine subject performance across three time periods ( 2, 4, and 6 mm.) on a visual continuous performance task. Twenty-nine teacher-nominated at-risk for learning difficulties and twenty-nine normally achieving kindergarten students were adminstered the Stanford-Binet:Fourth Edition (SB:FE) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI.R), as well as the Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS) Vigilance Task. The GDS is a standardized behaviour-based measure of sustained attention. The results of this study were interpreted as suggesting that ability group differences reflect attentional capacity. Two findings were important in this interpretation. First, regardless of IQ, the groups varied on the signal detection discrimination index. Second, these measures did not vary over time in either group. Thus, the arousal theory was not supported. IQ and attention intercorrelation patterns were higher for the at-risk group compared to the normally achieving group. Exploratory maximum-likelihood factor analyses indicated that intelligence plays a greater role in relation to vigilance for the at-risk for learning difficulties group than the normal achieving group. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

This study was designed to investigate the relative contributions of cognitive level, age, and verbal ability to the prediction of children's concepts of health and illness. The rationale for the study was based on the premise that children's cognitive developmental level would have relevance when preparing programs for child health education. The sample consisted of 40 subjects ranging in age from 5 to 13 years who were already participants in the Preadmission Preparation Programs Study, a research project being conducted at B.C.'s Children's Hospital in Vancouver. There were 10 children selected from each of four age groups: 5-6; 7-8; 9-10; and 11-13. The subjects were administered a Health Questionnaire and a battery of Piagetian tasks representing both the concrete operational and formal operational stages of cognitive development. Verbal ability was measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - Revised (PPVT-R). In a stepwise multiple regression equation, with level of health concept as the criterion variable and cognitive level, age, and verbal ability as the predictor variables, it was hypothesized that, (1) cognitive level would be a stronger predictor of level of health concept than the predictors of age and verbal ability, (2) cognitive level together with age would be a stronger predictor than either index on its own, and (3) verbal ability would account for a significant portion of the variance with regard to level of health concept over and above that already accounted for by cognitive level and age. The expected entry sequence into the prediction equation was cognitive level on step 1, age on step 2, and verbal ability on step 3. The results indicated that all three predictor variables, taken individually, were significantly correlated with the criterion variable; however, the expected entry sequence of variables into the prediction equation and the expected net effect of combined variables were not supported by the data analyses. Age was selected for entry on step 1 and verbal ability was selected for entry on step 2; cognitive level was not selected to enter the prediction equation. When forced into the equation on step 3, cognitive level contributed a negligible additional amount of variance to the efficacy of prediction. Although cognitive level correlates highly with level of concept, when the effects of age are partialed out, the contribution of cognitive level is not significant. Given some of the limitations of the study, small sample size and restricted range of scores for level of health concept and for the Piagetian assessment, it was suggested that in a further study with a greater representation of formal operational thinkers, there may be more support for the hypotheses. Directions for future research were discussed in terms of conducting a similar study with a sample that has a good representation of both concrete and formal operational thinkers so that the prediction strength of cognitive level can be tested within a restricted age limit. Another suggestion was that research focus on the interaction of specific cognitive concepts with health concepts to provide a greater understanding of the developmental sequence of conceptualization of health and illness. Implications for child health education were discussed in terms of knowledge of cognitive developmental level enabling medical personnel to communicate more effectively with children and plan appropriate intervention strategies for them. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

In recent years we have witnessed a burgeoning interest in the role socializing agents' play in the development of children's self-perceptions of competence. Outlined extensively by Harter (1981, 1982, 1985), the basic assumption underlying this work is that the self-concept is a multidimensional construct reflecting cognitive representations of individuals' socialization experiences across achievement contexts. These multiple dimensions are subsumed under the guise of self-perceptions and are thought to reflect distinct cognitive structures within the phenomenological world of the child. To date, however, the majority of research stemming from Harter's original theoretical conceptualizations has been limited to examining the impact of socializing agents' expectations on children's self-perceptions of academic competence. The differential contributions made by socializing agents to the prediction of children's self-perceptions of competence across achievement domains, however, has not been assessed. In the present study, an attempt was made to fill this research gap. In accordance with the recognition of the multidimensional nature of perceived competence, the purposes of this study were: (1) to compare the contributions made by different socializing agents' expectations to the prediction of children's self-perceived academic, social, behavioral and athletic competence; (2) to assess the extent to which socializers' expectations contribute differentially to children's perceived competence when examined in conjunction with additional variables instrumental in the development of self-concept in children; (3) to extend Harter's (1981) original conceptualization of the self by testing a uniform perceived competence model across achievement domains; and (4) to identify the primary references children utilize to define themselves. Data were collected from 87 fourth and fifth grade children. The children completed questionnaires that assessed their self-perceived academic, social, behavioral and athletic competence. Teachers' and parents' actual expectations, children's perceptions of these expectations and children's academic and social performance were also measured. Four stepwise hierarchical regression analyses were conducted (i.e., one for self-perceived academic, social, behavioral and athletic competence, respectively) to identify those variables which best predict children's domain-specific self-perceptions. Results revealed that: (a) the relative contributions made by socializers' expectations to the prediction of children's perceived competence across achievement contexts vary as a function of the domain assessed; (b) children's perceptions of significant others' expectations and performance factors also play a significant role in the prediction of domain-specific perceived competence; and (c) the social references children utilize when making self-evaluations can be conceptualized within a domain and context specific framework. Issues related to the development of self-concept theory, empirical research and counselling practices are discussed in relation to the acquisition of self-knowledge in children. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate