All people experience stress in their environments. The specific causes of stress vary from person to person as does one's ability to cope with each stressor. This thesis introduces the concept of Empathetic Design, a design strategy possible only when empathy for the inhabitant is achieved by the designer. An Empathetic Designer is able to identify environmental stressors and can employ appropriate design strategies that reduce stress. Though this strategy is meant to be applicable for all people in all environments, the scope of this thesis focuses on the design of elementary school environments. Specifically, the scope is limited to how Empathetic Design can reduce stress and foster the inclusion of high functioning autistic children in a mainstream educational environment. This thesis combines current learning theory and autism research with a visual exploration of building types from six periods of American school design. The hope is to create Empathetic Designers who will inform design of future elementary school facilities. / Master of Architecture

La lecture est une compétence complexe du fait de la multiplicité des processus sousjacents. Il est couramment admis une vue simple de la lecture (Simple View of Reading-SVR, Hoover & Gough, 1990) regroupant ces processus en deux composantes : l’identification de mots écrits et la compréhension. Des difficultés dans l’une, l’autre ou dans les deuxcomposantes entraineraient des difficultés pour accéder à une lecture fonctionnelle (Cain & Oakhill, 2006).Les enfants et adolescents autistes sans déficience intellectuelle (high-functioning with autism spectrum disorders – HFASD) semblent particulièrement affectés par les difficultés en lecture, notamment au niveau des processus de compréhension (Huemer & Mann, 2010). Toutefois, la présence spécifique d’un profil de faible compreneur chez les sujets HFASD ne fait pas consensus et requiert de préciser leurs performances en lecture à partir d’évaluations détaillées pour proposer ensuite des stratégies remédiatives ciblées. L’expansion des nouvelles technologies offre pour cela des perspectives prometteuses.Les thèmes de la lecture, de l’autisme et des technologies informatisées sont ainsi abordés à travers les questions de l’évaluation et de l’entrainement. D’une part, peut-on évaluer simplement mais efficacement la lecture à l’aide d’épreuves informatisées reprenant le cadre de la SVR ? Une telle évaluation peut-elle être pertinente pour comprendre lesdifficultés en lecture des élèves HFASD ? D’autre part, un entrainement informatisé ciblé sur les processus de compréhension, en situation écologique, peut-il être efficace pour remédier aux difficultés en lecture des sujets HFASD ? Comment évaluer l’efficacité et la qualité d’un outil informatisé d’entrainement des processus de compréhension ?Premièrement, un outil informatisé d’évaluation construit sur la base de l’approche SVR a été proposé à 485 élèves du CE1 à la 3ème dans le but d’identifier des profils de lecteurs. Les résultats révèlent la présence de profils de lecteurs variés avec une majorité de bons lecteurs et sept profils de lecteurs en difficultés dont quatre ne sont pas prédits par la SVR remettant ainsi en question la simplicité de cette approche pour modéliser précisément l’habileté en lecture. L’évaluation informatisée a ensuite été proposée à 22 élèves HFASD. Les résultats révèlent des profils variés avec une majorité de lecteurs ayant des difficultés pas nécessairement spécifiques aux processus de compréhension. Ces résultats semblent cohérents avec la forte hétérogénéité de l’échantillon et renvoient à l’exigence d’une évaluation basée sur un cadre de la lecture plus étendu pour ces enfants.Deuxièmement, un outil informatisé d’entrainement de la compréhension ayant fait l’objet d’une validation expérimentale a été proposé à 13 élèves HFASD du CM1 à la 3ème. Une première étude a évalué l’efficacité du logiciel à partir d’un protocole pré-test/entrainement/post-test conçu pour combiner des analyses de groupes et de cas multiples. Les résultats soulignent la nécessité d’utiliser des protocoles spécifiques aux études de cas pour cette population particulière afin de limiter l’impact de l’hétérogénéité intra-individuelle. Les conditions de mises en œuvre de cet entrainement en situation écologique sont discutées. Une dernière étude a examiné les qualités ergonomiques du logiciel d’entrainement à l’aide dequestionnaires complétés par des utilisateurs. Les réponses soulignent la simplicité d’utilisation du logiciel mais également un manque de flexibilité limitant les possibilités de l’adapter à un maximum d’utilisateurs dont les élèves HFASD. Des suggestions d’améliorations sont discutées. / Reading is a complex skill due to the multiplicity of underlying processes. A Simple View of Reading (SVR, Hoover & Gough, 1990) is commonly considered, combining these processes into two components: word reading and comprehension. Difficulties in one, the other, or both, would lead to difficulties in reaching functional reading (Cain & Oakhill, 2006).Children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) appear to be particularly affected by reading difficulties especially considering comprehension processes (Huemer & Mann, 2010). However, the presence of a specific low comprehender subtype in students with HFASD is not consensus-based and requires to clearly specifying their reading ability on the basis of a detailed assessment in order to provide targeted remediation strategies. The expansion of new technologies offers promising prospects for this.Themes of reading, autism and computerized technologies are thus addressed through the questions of assessment and training. On the one hand, can one simply and efficiently evaluate the reading using computer-based assessment that incorporates the framework of the SVR? Can such an assessment be relevant to understand the reading difficulties of subjects with HFASD? On the other hand, can computer-based training targeting comprehension processes, in an ecological situation, be effective in remedying the reading difficulties of children and adolescents with HFASD? How to evaluate the effectiveness and quality of such a computer-based training tool for comprehension?First, a computer-based assessment tool built on the basis of the SVR framework was proposed to 485 students from grade 2 to grade 9 in order to identify reader subtypes within this population. Results reveal various reader subtypes with a majority of good readers and seven subtypes of readers with difficulties. Four of those seven are not predicted by the SVRthus questioning the simplicity of this framework to accurately model reading skills. The computer-based assessment was then proposed to 22 children and adolescent with HFASD. Results reveal varied subtypes with a majority of readers experiencing difficulties not necessarily specific to comprehension processes. These results seem consistent with thestrong heterogeneity of the sample and call for the need to provide an assessment based on a wider reading framework for these children.Secondly, a computer-based training tool for comprehension was proposed to 13 HFASD students from grade 1 to grade 3. This tool has already been validated experimentally with typically developing children and adolescents exhibiting specific low comprehender subtype. A first study investigated the effectiveness of the software from a pretest/training/post-test protocol designed to combine group and case study analyzes. The results emphasize the need to use protocols specific to case study for this particular population in order to limit the impact of intra-individual heterogeneity. The conditions for implementing this training in an ecological situation are discussed. A final study examined the ergonomic qualities of the training tool using questionnaires completed by users. Answers emphasize the tool’s simplicity of use but also a lack of flexibility limiting the possibilities to adapt it to a maximum of users of which the subjects with HFASD. Suggestions for improvements are discussed.

This study aimed to explore the underlying basis of the communication difficulties in children (between 5.0 and 7.11 years) with high functioning pervasive developmental disorder (HFPDD) (n=26), compared to children with specific language impairment (SLI) (n=26), and children with no history of developmental difficulty (NDD) (n=26). The study looked at: whether different profiles could be obtained for the groups on comprehensive batteries of communication, cognitive processing and theory of mind; which areas measured were best correlated; and which measures best differentiated the groups. Comprehensive communication and theory of mind batteries were devised and conducted. Cognitive processing was measured using the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) (Naglieri and Das, 1997). Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test, Bonferroni t tests, frequency distributions, Pearson correlation coefficients and discriminant function analyses. Kappa coefficients and analysis of variance measures were carried out on 23% of the rated data in order to establish inter-rater agreement and acceptable levels of agreement were reached. On the communication assessment, the HFPDD group experienced the most difficulty on the measures of understanding abstract vocabulary, understanding conversation, pronoun alternation, higher level semantics, narrative ability and pragmatic ability. In contrast, the SLI group experienced the most difficulty on the measures of expressive grammar and narrative clarity. On the cognitive processing assessment, the HFPDD group experienced marked difficulty in the areas of planning and attention, while the SLI group experienced significant difficulty in the areas of successive processing and less marked but still significant difficulty in the area of planning. Within the HFPDD group, a group with simultaneous processing markedly stronger than successive processing, a group with successive processing markedly stronger than simultaneous processing, and a group with simultaneous and successive processing occurring at a similar level, were identified. The HFPDD group experienced significant difficulty on all the measures of theory of mind, although a limited number of HFPDD subjects did not experience difficulty. The SLI group experienced significant difficulty on the two theory of mind measures that were more verbally loaded. Strong correlations were found between receptive language, expressive semantics, narrative ability, pragmatic ability, planning, attention and theory of mind; and between expressive grammar and successive processing. Pragmatic ability, narrative ability, planning, and certain of the theory of mind measures best appeared to discriminate the groups. A combined model of language, cognitive and theory of mind processing is proposed to explain the differences between the HFPDD and SLI groups.

This study sheds insight into the unique, daily struggles of individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) as they transition into adulthood. The majority of research available regarding individuals diagnosed with AS focuses on childhood experiences. What happens when these individuals age out of high school? What are their experiences with becoming independent, successful adults? This study elicited qualitative data concerned with individual experience from seven participants between the ages of eighteen and thirty years old. Data were collected through three face-to-face and four email interviews. Data were analyzed to identify specific challenges of adult life. All participants expressed challenges in social interaction, as well as successfully coping with stress in the areas of employment, education, and relationships. Results of this study offer a deeper understanding of the individual challenges individuals experience in young adult life.

Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka läsförmåga hos yngre elever med eller utan autismspektrumtillstånd. Sammanlagt deltog 72 elever i studien; 30 i årskurs 3, 31 i årskurs 5 samt 11 i årskurs 5 med Aspergers syndrom/högfungerande autism. Tre texter med tillhörande fakta- och inferensfrågor (Bishop & Adams, 1992) presenterades på tre olika sätt; uppläst, tyst läsning och tyst läsning med textstöd vid efterföljande frågor. I föreliggande studie beaktades även andra variabler i relation till läsförståelse; ordavkodningsförmåga, verbalt arbetsminne, Theory of Mind samt ordförråd. Utgångspunkten för metoden var en tidigare magisteruppsats i logopedi vid Linköpings Universitet av Nyström och Söderqvist (2013). Resultatet visade ett högre resultat för lässättet tyst läsning med textstöd och för frågetypen faktafrågor. Gällande lässätt i förhållande till frågetyp fick faktafrågor högre resultat då texten fanns tillgänglig vid efterföljande frågor, medan resultatet på inferensfrågorna inte påverkades av olika lässätt. Eleverna i årskurs 5 presterade bättre på tyst läsning samt på inferensfrågor än de i årskurs 3. Ett samband mellan textförståelse och andra variabler återfanns för årskurs 3 och årskurs 5, främst gällande ordförråd. Inga statistiskt signifikanta skillnader återfanns mellan eleverna med Aspergers syndrom/högfungerande autism och de andra undersökningsgrupperna, vilket kan bero på att gruppen hade få deltagare och stor spridning. Slutsatser utifrån föreliggande studie är att årskurs 5 har en mer utvecklad läsförmåga än årskurs 3. Elever med Aspergers syndrom/högfungerande autism i årskurs 5 ligger resultatmässigt mellan årskurs 3 och 5, men skillnaderna är inte statistiskt signifikanta. / The aim of the present study was to examine reading ability in younger students with or without autism spectrum disorder. In total, 72 students participated; 30 in grade 3 (9-10 years old), 31 in grade 5 (11-12 years old) and 11 in grade 5 with Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism (11-12 years old). Three texts with related literal and inference questions (Bishop & Adams, 1992) were presented through listening, silent reading or silent reading with text support during questions. The study also examined other variables in relation to the texts; word reading ability, verbal working memory, Theory of Mind and vocabulary. The methodological foundation was a study by Nyström and Söderqvist (2013). When including all participants, analysis showed that the text presentation silent reading with text support and the question type literal questions lead to higher results. Regarding text presentation in relation to question type the results on the literal questions improved with text support whilst text presentation did not affect results on the inference questions. Regarding silent reading and inference questions grade 5 performed better than grade 3. Correlations between text comprehension and other variables, mainly vocabulary, were found for grade 3 and 5. No statistically significant differences were found for students in grade 5 with Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism compared to the other groups. This may be due to the group’s wide distribution and small size. Conclusions are that grade 5 has a more developed reading ability than grade 3. The results of the students with Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism in grade 5 do not statistically significant differ from students in grade 3 or grade 5.

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.

Repetitive verbal patterns of speech are a trait associated with high-functioning autism (HFA). For some, this higher-order restricted, repetitive behavior impedes learning, social opportunities, and access to work environments. Despite emerging motivation for establishing social relationships, some individuals with HFA lack the behavioral prerequisites to establish meaningful relationships. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of teaching interaction to decrease higher-order verbal restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) for four adults with HFA. Through a multiple baseline design across participants, individuals were exposed to a function-based intervention (i.e., teaching interaction) that systematically taught and reinforced alternative communicative behaviors while interrupting repetitive speech with specific feedback. Teaching interaction effectively reduced RRBs and increased alternative conversation for all four participants. Three of the four participants elected to participate in post-intervention maintenance sessions that occurred in individualized naturalistic settings. Their conversation behaviors maintained with one participant receiving one booster session.

Recruitment processes place high demands on jobseekers' personal characteristics and social abilities, which high-functioning autistic individuals experience as obstacles. They had preferred that recruiters value competence higher. On the other hand, the respondents involved with recruitment believed that personal qualities are important in assessing the jobseeker's suitability to fit into the current team, which was considered an important factor for long-term employment. The organizations advocated diversity in the job advertisements but are perceived to have a lack of knowledge about the meaning of the term. Diversity work can be experienced as contradictory as great emphasis is placed on personal characteristics, which seems to lead to like-minded jobseekers and a homogeneous working group being given priority over diversity. More knowledge is needed to fulfill the diversity work and thereby make the recruitment process more well-functioning and inclusive. Some suggestions for a more inclusive recruitment process are to present job advertisements clearly, focus more on jobseekers' abilities, include job samples in the recruitment process, give jobseekers the freedom to have interviews digitally or physically and dare to promote a heterogeneous team. / Rekryteringsprocesser ställer höga krav på arbetssökandes personliga egenskaper och sociala förmåga, vilket högfungerande autistiska individer upplever som hinder. De hade föredragit att rekryterare värdesatte kompetens högre. Däremot menade respondenterna verksamma inom rekrytering att personliga egenskaper är viktiga för att bedöma den arbetssökandes lämplighet att passa in i det nuvarande teamet, vilket ansågs vara en viktig faktor för långvarig anställning. Organisationerna förespråkade mångfald i jobbannonserna men uppfattas ha bristande kunskap om begreppets innebörd. Mångfaldsarbetet kan upplevas motsägelsefullt då stor vikt läggs vid personliga egenskaper, vilket tycks leda till att likasinnade arbetssökande och en homogen arbetsgrupp prioriteras framför mångfald. Mer kunskap behövs för att fullgöra mångfaldsarbetet och därigenom få rekryteringsprocessen mer välfungerande och inkluderande. Några förslag för en mer inkluderande rekryteringsprocess är att presentera jobbannonser tydligt, fokusera mer på arbetssökandes förmågor, inkludera arbetsprov i rekryteringsprocessen, ge arbetssökande valfrihet att ha intervjuer digitalt eller fysiskt och våga främja ett heterogent team.

Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien är att identifiera hur sysselsättning påverkar känslan av välbefinnande hos vuxna med högfungerande autism. Syftet är också att identifiera behov av ytterligare forskning. Metod: Studien genomförs som en litteraturstudie/scoping study av 16 artiklar. Resultat: Resultatet av litteraturstudien presenteras utifrån fyra teman: Sysselsättning som betydelsefull för identitetsskapande, identitetsskapande som väg till välbefinnande, psykisk ohälsa och behov av kunskap och stöd. Det finns idag olika stödinsatser för målgruppen men de är få. De stödinsatser som finns är inte optimala för vuxna med högfungerande autism. Insatserna tillgodoser inte målgruppens behov. Personer med högfungerande autism motiveras av en sysselsättning inom personens intresseområde. Slutsatser: De slutsatser som presteras berör vidare forskning på vuxna med högfungerande autism. Vidare forskning behövs överlag på vuxna med diagnosen men även vidare utveckling av tillfredställande insatser för stöd och hjälp till sysselsättning. / Purpose: The purpose of the scoping study is to identify how activities relate to the feeling of well-being in adults with high functioning autism. The purpose is also toidentify needs of further research.Method: A scoping study is used to analyze and discuss 16 articles.Result: The result of the scoping study is presented through four themes: activities as important to the development of identity, identity development as a way to wellbeing, mental illness and the need for further support and knowledge. Various support exists for the adults with high functioning autism but they are few. The support available is not specifically for adults with high functioning autism. The support does not meet their needs. Adults with high functioning autism can be motivated through their specific area of interest.Conclusion: The conclusion presented refers to the need of further research considering activities and its consequences in adults with high functioning autism. Further research is also needed overall in the field of adults with the specific diagnosis and also to develop satisfying support and help to engage in activities.

No description available.