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Psychology

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LSU Master's Theses

Autism spectrum disorder

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An Investigation Of How Previous Diagnoses Affect The Developmental Functioning Of Children At Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michaela Brown Jan 2022

An Investigation Of How Previous Diagnoses Affect The Developmental Functioning Of Children At Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michaela Brown

LSU Master's Theses

Research has shown that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have co-occurring medical and/or psychiatric disorders. This current study aimed to investigate how previous diagnoses, which may become comorbidities of ASD if diagnosed, affect the developmental functioning of children presenting as at risk for ASD compared to those presenting with no risk. Developmental areas such as communication, motor, adaptive, cognitive and social, as well as overall developmental functioning, were considered in the analysis. 11,970 children under the age of three were studied. Results found that the presence of previous diagnoses significantly predicted developmental functioning, particularly in the motor functioning …


Developmental Functioning Of Infants And Toddlers With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Megan Callahan Jan 2022

Developmental Functioning Of Infants And Toddlers With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Megan Callahan

LSU Master's Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), epilepsy, and cerebral palsy (CP) are some of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders among children with prevalence rates of 1.85% (Maenner et al., 2020), 1.2% (Zack & Kobau, 2017), and between 0.21 and 0.31% (Christensen et al., 2013), respectively. These neurodevelopmental disorders are highly comorbid with each other and with other disorders, such as intellectual disability (ID). While previous research has investigated developmental functioning in these neurodevelopmental disorders, it has primarily focused on only two at a time and in older children or adults. The current study aimed to investigate developmental functioning in these neurodevelopmental disorders …


Factors Associated With Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors And Interests And Diagnostic Severity Level In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Esther Hong Mar 2020

Factors Associated With Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors And Interests And Diagnostic Severity Level In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Esther Hong

LSU Master's Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interactions and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior (RRBIs). The presence of RRBIs can be detrimental to a child’s development, as RRBIs can lead to impairments in other areas of functioning, impede learning, and contribute to parental stress. Previous studies have identified several factors that are associated with RRBI severity and topography. The current study aims to assess whether impairments in adaptive functioning predict RRBI severity, using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition (VABS-3) and Baby and Infant Screen for Children …


Factors Related To Parental Stress At Early Diagnostic Assessments For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Abigail Issarraras Mar 2019

Factors Related To Parental Stress At Early Diagnostic Assessments For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Abigail Issarraras

LSU Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is marked by pervasive impairments in social communication and restricted, repetitive interests, behaviors, and activities. Parents raising a child with ASD have consistently reported higher levels of parenting stress compared to parents of typically developing children and children with other disabilities. Several different factors influence parental stress levels at different stages of their child’s life, and so an understanding of the most predictive factors of parental stress at initial ASD assessments is critical to best serving the needs of families with a new diagnosis. The current study investigated several factors that may impact parenting stress at …


An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Seizures And Autism Symptomology In Young Children, Claire O. Burns Jan 2017

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Seizures And Autism Symptomology In Young Children, Claire O. Burns

LSU Master's Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition that consists of deficits in social communication as well as restricted, repetitive interests or behaviors. Individuals with ASD also often have comorbid psychiatric and medical disorders. One such concern is high rates of seizures and epilepsy. Researchers have found that rates of seizures tend to be higher in individuals with ASD who also have more impaired functioning. However, few studies have examined how the presence of seizures is related to symptoms of ASD. The current study aimed to expand the extant literature by investigating whether a history of seizures is associated with ASD …


An Examination Of Autism Symptomatology In Young Children With Family History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasper Abarte Estabillo Jan 2016

An Examination Of Autism Symptomatology In Young Children With Family History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasper Abarte Estabillo

LSU Master's Theses

Multiple genetic and environmental factors have roles in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thus, researchers have become increasingly interested in studying family members of individuals with ASD in order to examine possible risk factors and to identify early markers of the disorder. While family history of ASD may put an individual at risk for developing autism, there is limited research examining how the degree of relationship to the affected individual may be related to an individual’s presenting ASD symptomatology. Because closer familial relationships (i.e., first-degree relatives) have more shared genetic material and tend to have increased common environment …


The Contribution Of Comorbid Symptomology To The Social Skill Deficits In Infants And Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paige Elizabeth Cervantes Jan 2014

The Contribution Of Comorbid Symptomology To The Social Skill Deficits In Infants And Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paige Elizabeth Cervantes

LSU Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. The onset of ASD symptomology occurs prior to 30 months of age; however, typical diagnosis is made at 3 to 4 years old. Early identification of ASD is imperative for more effective treatment and a bettered prognosis. The evaluation and treatment of ASD is complicated by high rates of comorbid psychopathology. When an individual presents with ASD and a co-occurring disorder, symptoms may manifest differently. Utilizing the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with …


An Examination Of Challenging Behaviors In Autistic Disorder Versus Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified: Significant Differences And Gender Effects, Alison M. Kozlowski Jan 2010

An Examination Of Challenging Behaviors In Autistic Disorder Versus Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified: Significant Differences And Gender Effects, Alison M. Kozlowski

LSU Master's Theses

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are well-known for engagement in challenging behaviors. Unfortunately, due to its absence as a criterion for diagnosis in the DSM-IV-TR, little attention has been paid to the endorsement rates of such behaviors. However, a recently developed measure to assist in the diagnosis of infants and toddlers with autism and PDD-NOS – the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits (BISCUIT) – has included a section designated for just this reason. This study used the BISCUIT to assess for significant differences in the endorsement rates of challenging behaviors between infants and toddlers with …


Comparing Social Skills In Children With Autistic Disorder And Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Mary Elizabeth Shoemaker Jan 2009

Comparing Social Skills In Children With Autistic Disorder And Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Mary Elizabeth Shoemaker

LSU Master's Theses

Although in recent years there has been a large amount of research on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in general, relatively few studies have focused on Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) as a distinct category. As a deficit in social skills is said to be the primary defining feature of ASD, continued research on assessment and treatment of social skills deficits in ASD is warranted. The present study aims to examine the differences in social skills between children diagnosed with Autistic disorder and PDD-NOS using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Youngsters (MESSY). This study extends a previous …