Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-64). Also available on the World Wide Web.

School-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience significant difficulty with peer interaction (Lord & Bishop, 2010), an important aspect of childhood. Unresolved social skills difficulties lead to continued dysfunction in relationships which influence long term success. Research into the most effective strategies has increased but several questions remain. One approach that appears to help school-aged children is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) which focuses on changing how a person thinks about specific social situations as well as how they behave. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 15-week CBT-based social skills group intervention for boys aged 10-12 years diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Boys with average or better receptive language skills and IQ attended weekly sessions focused on teaching self-monitoring skills, social perception and affective knowledge, conversation skills, taking another persons perspective, social problem-solving, and friendship management skills. Group size varied from four to six participants. The intervention was based on two intervention programs available in the literature and was manualized. Eight of the fifteen participants were waitlisted (Delayed Treatment group) while the remaining participants began 15 sessions of intervention immediately (Immediate Treatment group). A repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the Delayed Treatment group to the Immediate Treatment group on pre and post measures of social perception, peer interaction, social knowledge, pragmatic language, social responsiveness and general socialization skills. Compared to the Delayed Treatment group, the Immediate Treatment group showed significant improvements after intervention in social perception, peer interaction, and social knowledge. The Delayed Treatment group was also examined on all measures at three time points: prior to the waitlist time, pre-intervention, and post-intervention. Significant improvements only after intervention were present for peer interaction, social knowledge, and a parent report measure of socialization. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to a model of social information-processing, the executive functioning theory of autism, and how cognitive behaviour therapy techniques may contribute to social skills intervention for children with ASD. The intervention used in this study shows promise but replication with larger samples is needed. / Rehabilitation Science

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2006. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-83). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disorders characterized by the presence of three core features: impairments in communication and social interaction, the presence of repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Estimates from the Center for Disease Control indicate that 1 in 88 individuals in the United States will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Siblings are especially affected by the birth of an autistic sibling because of increased stress related to living with an autistic sibling. Increased environmental stress and the genetic component of autism has led to the hypothesis that typically developing siblings may be at a risk for behavioral, emotional and social maladjustments, even in the absence of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. The current study sought to compare social skills and levels of social anxiety, as measured by self-report scales, of siblings of individuals with ASD to siblings of typically developing individuals across two age ranges. Results indicate that social skills and levels of social anxiety did not differ between individuals with siblings on the autism spectrum and those with typically developing siblings, for both individuals under the age of 18 and over the age of 18. The current results indicate that unaffected siblings of individuals with autism do not differ from their peers with typically developing siblings in measures of social skills, social anxiety and qualitative autistic traits. Environmental factors associated with living with an autistic sibling and the genetic component of autism does not appear to negatively affect the development of neurotypical siblings at any age.

There is limited research support for the use of Social Stories with elementary and secondary-aged students. However, there is even less research support for the effectiveness of Social Stories with preschool-aged children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Social Stories with three preschool-aged children diagnosed with autism. Using a multiple baseline design across subjects, Social Stories were implemented in the home setting. The children’s parents were responsible for daily implementation of the Social Story, as well as recording data daily. Direct observations were conducted once a week during the identified times the target behavior occurred. Data from these weekly observations indicated a high level of intervention integrity by the parents. For each child, a decrease in target behaviors was recorded after implementation of the Social Story. The results of this study support the use of Social Stories with preschool children with mild levels of autism.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College Graduate School, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-73).

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in School Psychology." Includes bibliographic references (p. 148-150).

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Communication Disorders, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-33).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2000. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-157). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2000. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 188-200). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users. Address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p9998049.