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Toward Overcoming The Double Empathy Problem: Bridging Autistic And Neurotypical Minds Through Science And Art, Elizabeth Rose Bessey
Toward Overcoming The Double Empathy Problem: Bridging Autistic And Neurotypical Minds Through Science And Art, Elizabeth Rose Bessey
Theses and Dissertations
Historically, autistic people have been portrayed as lacking empathy. However, more recent research reveals mutual, rather than one-sided, gaps in empathy between autistic and neurotypical (NT) people. Decreased empathy can lead to marginalization and even violence, usually toward those in the minority. Regardless of diagnosis, however, there are fundamental aspects of the human experience upon which empathy could be built. In the present study, we explored commonalities and differences in how autistic and NT individuals experience comfort and discomfort. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to discover the causes, emotions, and reactions to comfortable and uncomfortable social situations and environments across autistic …
Neurobiological Underpinnings Of Autistic Traits, Sensory Processing, And Mental Health In Young Adult Males And Females, Miranda Jane Mcquarrie
Neurobiological Underpinnings Of Autistic Traits, Sensory Processing, And Mental Health In Young Adult Males And Females, Miranda Jane Mcquarrie
Theses and Dissertations
Females may present with autism more frequently than is diagnosed, due, in part, to autistic trait and sensory processing differences. Unfortunately, recruiting enough autistic female participants is difficult, because of such underdiagnoses. By approaching autism as a continuous variable, neurotypical (NT) individuals can be studied to better understand autistic individuals. Thus, to examine potential neurobiological underpinnings of sex-based behavioral profiles, we recruited 52 NT individuals (22 male; 30 female). Participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how functional network connectivity (via group independent components analysis) underpinned overall male/female differences in previously measured behavioral autistic trait and sensory …
Trauma-Informed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction To Increase Family Quality Of Life For Mothers Of Children With Autism: A Pilot Study, Carol May Vaughn
Trauma-Informed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction To Increase Family Quality Of Life For Mothers Of Children With Autism: A Pilot Study, Carol May Vaughn
Theses and Dissertations
Mothers of children with autism have a higher rate of stress than mothers of neurotypical children and mothers of children with other disabilities. This impacts their family quality of life. This study aimed to show that by teaching mothers trauma-informed mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques they were able to switch their perspectives and feel that they had increased the relationships with their child with autism and increased the rating they give their family quality of life. The participants were recruited using word of mouth and through distribution of posters to autism communities following approval of the experiment through the institutional review …
Prosodic Speech Rate, Utterance Duration, Interruption Rate, And Turn-Taking Latency In Autistic And Neurotypical Adults, Grace Madeline Bell
Prosodic Speech Rate, Utterance Duration, Interruption Rate, And Turn-Taking Latency In Autistic And Neurotypical Adults, Grace Madeline Bell
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine the following prosodic elements: speech rate, turn-taking latency, number of interruptions, and utterance duration across two groups' neurotypical and autistic young adults. Furthermore, the end goal of this study is to help provide a baseline and clinical application of prosodic differences between autistic and neurotypical adults. Speech samples were collected from 11 neurotypical and 11 autistic young adults from the ages of 18-26. Speech samples were recorded responses from a 10-minute interview between two research assistants and the autistic or neurotypical individual. Using Praat software, speech samples were analyzed and used to …
Evaluating A Video Peer-Modeling Intervention On The Acquisition And Maintenance Of Social Skills For Adults With Autism In A Transition Setting, Adam K. Hammond
Evaluating A Video Peer-Modeling Intervention On The Acquisition And Maintenance Of Social Skills For Adults With Autism In A Transition Setting, Adam K. Hammond
Theses and Dissertations
This study evaluated the use of a peer video modeling and prompting intervention used to teach three adults with autism to give a specified verbal and physical response when greeted. This intervention used a six-step task analysis to verify correct completion of the target behavior. At baseline, each of the three participants gave little to no response when greeted but after the video modeling and prompting intervention all three had acquired at least five out of six (83%) of the target behavior steps. Follow-up probes demonstrated that all three of the participants had maintained at least 4 out of 6 …
Prosodic Pitch And Intensity In Autistic Individuals, Cassidy Gooch
Prosodic Pitch And Intensity In Autistic Individuals, Cassidy Gooch
Theses and Dissertations
This study is an examination of how prosodic pitch and intensity compare in autistic individuals and neurotypical individuals. Ten-minute recordings of casual conversation were taken and analyzed. Participants included 11 autistic individuals and 11 neurotypical individuals with six males and five females in each group. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (ADOS-2; Lord et al., 2012) prosody rating scale was used to collect a perceptual evaluation of each participan's prosody, and Praat acoustic analysis software was used to collect measures of pitch and intensity over the 10-minute period to investigate how speech characteristics change with conversation partner familiarity. Results …
Understanding Gender Identification Within Individuals With Autism Using The Bem Sex-Role Inventory, Zackery Alan Cusworth
Understanding Gender Identification Within Individuals With Autism Using The Bem Sex-Role Inventory, Zackery Alan Cusworth
Theses and Dissertations
Gender is a socially derived construct that is taught and understood at young ages. However, not every individual has the same social skills to understand these seen and unseen social cues about gender. The Bem Sex-Role Inventory was given to adult individuals with autism in the United States to better understand their masculine, feminine, and androgenous perceptions. These data were then compared to the original Bem Sex-Role Inventory general population study to see if there were any differences. The data show that males with autism had lower masculine scores and higher feminine scores than males in the general population. Females …
The Effects Of A Peer-Mediated Social Skills Intervention On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Shannon Elizabeth Mcconaghie
The Effects Of A Peer-Mediated Social Skills Intervention On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Shannon Elizabeth Mcconaghie
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of a peer-mediated social skills intervention (PMI) on children 6-12 years of age diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Current literature discusses the effects of peer-mediated social skills interventions for children with ASD in schools and on the playground but has not been conducted in an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) clinic or in an Early Childhood Education/ABA-integrated preschool. Three dyads, each consisting of a typical peer and a target child diagnosed with ASD, participated in this study. The frequency of participants' initiations, responses, and continuations were collected throughout all phases, …
Pivotal Response Treatment To Decrease Challenging Behavior And Increase Functional Communication In Preschool Children With Developmental Delays, Kalie Alexandra Gilmour
Pivotal Response Treatment To Decrease Challenging Behavior And Increase Functional Communication In Preschool Children With Developmental Delays, Kalie Alexandra Gilmour
Theses and Dissertations
After a review of the literature on Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) in young children with developmental delays, less was known on its effects on challenging behavior and functional communication in preschool age children receiving services in a traditional public school. A multiple baseline design across three participants was used to evaluate the effects of PRT on the functional communication of three preschool students with developmental delays. Based on a functional analysis, we also observed the effects of PRT on challenging behavior. A visual analysis of the data revealed a functional relation between PRT and functional communication and provided promising evidence …
Behavioral And Physiologic Relationships Between Sensory Processing, Attention, And Prediction In Autistic Children: An Eye Tracking Study, Courtney Hunter
Behavioral And Physiologic Relationships Between Sensory Processing, Attention, And Prediction In Autistic Children: An Eye Tracking Study, Courtney Hunter
Theses and Dissertations
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has risen to one out of every 36 children born in the United States being diagnosed. Many individuals diagnosed experience sensory processing difficulties that make life challenging for them and their caregivers. However, there is no clear consensus on why sensory processing issues occur. Previous research has linked attention function to atypical sensory processing. Our study aimed to understand potential underlying mechanisms and correlates of this relationship. We theorized that prediction is a key contributing factor to how attention and sensory processing interact. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sensory …
Emotion, Sensory Processing, And Prosody In Neurotypical And Autistic Young Adults, Annika Henderson
Emotion, Sensory Processing, And Prosody In Neurotypical And Autistic Young Adults, Annika Henderson
Theses and Dissertations
There is a paucity of research regarding autistic adults, yet as autistic individuals grow to adulthood, they are often met with several barriers because of their differences from the neurotypical (NT) population. Given the demands of adult social interaction, some of the social difficulties experienced by autistic adults are likely related to emotion processing and prosody function. With sensory processing differences added as a diagnostic criterion for autism within the last decade, an investigation into its relationship with emotional processing, another marked difficulty for this population, is warranted. There are logical connections between sensory processing, emotion, and prosody, such that …
A Longitudinal Look: How Sleep Impacts Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors In Autism And Social Anxiety, Lindsay Jacalyn Regehr
A Longitudinal Look: How Sleep Impacts Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors In Autism And Social Anxiety, Lindsay Jacalyn Regehr
Theses and Dissertations
Crucial research about suicidal thoughts and behaviors is often done in a cross-sectional manner that only considers limited risk factors. This research is limited in scope and rarely produces meaningful results to inform treatment. This study uses a longitudinal design to follow 93 participants over approximately 6 months. Participants are individuals with autism and social anxiety who were part of high-risk groups for suicidality, sleep problems, and social isolation. Participants recorded their sleep patterns and suicidal thoughts daily via the phone app MetricWire and continuously wore a GENEActiv actigraphy device to tract their objective sleep patterns. The Columbia Suicide Severity …
Daily Survey Of Negative Affect And Social Interactions In Young Adults With High Levels Of Social Stress, Danica L. Limon
Daily Survey Of Negative Affect And Social Interactions In Young Adults With High Levels Of Social Stress, Danica L. Limon
Theses and Dissertations
Background: Few studies have focused on the contextual influences that impact negative affect (NA) and risk for mood disorders in young adults. Research using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods has shown that neurotypical adults with elevated social anxiety may be more sensitive to their social environment. To date, little is known about how types of social interactions impact autistic adults, who may show varying levels of social anxiety and social motivation. Aim: Our goal was to examine the heterogeneity in daily social experiences for autistic and socially anxious adults. Method: Using EMA surveys, we tracked daily self-reported face-to-face interactions and …
Intolerance Of Uncertainty, Sensory Processing, And Related Correlates In Autistic Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mollie Bradley
Intolerance Of Uncertainty, Sensory Processing, And Related Correlates In Autistic Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mollie Bradley
Theses and Dissertations
The COVID-19 pandemic increased uncertainty and anxiety for most and was especially disruptive to autistic people and their families. Autistic children were particularly vulnerable due to their intolerance for increased uncertainty and disruption to their school and therapy support. This study aimed to investigate the effect that increased uncertainty had on autistic children, specifically their sensory behaviors and stress levels and on the stress levels of their primary caregivers. Parents and guardians of 47 autistic children completed an online survey consisting of questions investigating background and demographic information, their experiences during the first six months of the pandemic, information about …
Comparing The Effects Of Online And In-Person Social Skills Training For Adolescents With Autism Using Peers®, Benjamin Tze Ming Ooi
Comparing The Effects Of Online And In-Person Social Skills Training For Adolescents With Autism Using Peers®, Benjamin Tze Ming Ooi
Theses and Dissertations
Autism Spectrum Disorder (autism) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social skills differences which can interfere with success in developing or maintaining relationships. Social skills training may promote more satisfying change in social interactions for individuals with autism, especially if they already have age-appropriate cognitive and language abilities. Social skills training is a typical approach for addressing social skills needs for many individuals with autism. In some instances, in-person social skills training or groups may not be readily available because of geographical, transportation, or other barriers. Delivering social skills training online is one way to increase access to intervention for …
Needs Assessment Of Services Provided In A Rural School District For Students With Autism, Danielle Anne Katterman
Needs Assessment Of Services Provided In A Rural School District For Students With Autism, Danielle Anne Katterman
Theses and Dissertations
The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (autism) has steadily increased dramatically over the past generation, and more students with autism than ever before are enrolled in the public education system. Educating students with autism presents unique challenges (e.g., shortage of staff, low incidence of autism, limited programming) to rural school districts. Rural districts must adhere to the same federal and state guidelines (e.g., Individuals with Disabilities Education Act & Free and Appropriate Public Education) as urban districts that have more readily available resources in providing appropriate programming. This study examined stakeholders' perceptions of the current services offered …
Auditory Brainstem Response In Autistic Children: Potential Implications For Sensory Processing, Madelyn Cate
Auditory Brainstem Response In Autistic Children: Potential Implications For Sensory Processing, Madelyn Cate
Theses and Dissertations
Autistic people frequently experience sensory processing difficulties. For many on the autism spectrum, such difficulties can significantly impact important functions and quality of life. We are only beginning to understand the neural mechanisms of atypical sensory processing. However, one established way to measure certain levels of auditory processing is with auditory brainstem responses (ABR). While ABR has been primarily hypothesized in the current literature as a means of early detection/diagnosis in autism, additional research is needed to determine the ABR’s utility in examining sensory processing in this population. Thus, we evaluated ABR in 19 young children with autism during various …
The Behavioral And Neurophysiologic Relationships Between Sensory Processing And Autistic Traits In Emerging Adults, Savanah Calton
The Behavioral And Neurophysiologic Relationships Between Sensory Processing And Autistic Traits In Emerging Adults, Savanah Calton
Theses and Dissertations
The majority of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience sensory processing difficulties that are also associated with greater presence of autistic traits, psychiatric difficulty, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU). These relationships are also expressed in the neurotypical (NT) population, termed the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP), and present with impacts to daily functioning/well-being just as prominently. However, little is known concerning the neurophysiologic nature of these behavioral relationships, especially in young adults. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine the behavioral and neurophysiologic nature of the relationships between sensory processing, autistic traits, and related behavioral functions …
The Default Network And Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characterizing Sub-Networks And Behavioral Correlates, Alyssa K. Kozlowski
The Default Network And Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characterizing Sub-Networks And Behavioral Correlates, Alyssa K. Kozlowski
Theses and Dissertations
The default network (DN), and specifically its sub-networks default network A (DN A) and default network B (DN B), has been strongly implicated in social cognition. This study examined its role in predicting social behavior, and also differences that may exist across diagnostic groups that may explain discrepancies in social cognition and behavior. One of the popular methods of study is functional connectivity, or analyzing correlated activity in the brain. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disorder characterized by social impairment and abnormal social behavior. To date, much of the functional connectivity research in ASD has focused on global connectivity, …
Enhancing The Opportunities For Adults With Autism To Find Jobs Using A Job-Matching Algorithm, Joseph T. Bills
Enhancing The Opportunities For Adults With Autism To Find Jobs Using A Job-Matching Algorithm, Joseph T. Bills
Theses and Dissertations
Adults with autism face many difficulties when finding employment, such as struggling with interviews and needing accommodating environments for sensory issues. However, autistic adults also have unique skills to contribute to the workplace that companies have recently started to seek after, such as close attention to detail and trustworthiness. To work around these difficulties and help companies find the talent they are looking for we have developed a job-matching system. Our system is based around the stable matching of the Gale-Shapley algorithm to match autistic adults with employers after estimating how both adults with autism and employers would rank the …
Be With Me: Well-Being And Singling Contact; The Moderating Role Of Autistic Traits, Michelle Lupien Lieber
Be With Me: Well-Being And Singling Contact; The Moderating Role Of Autistic Traits, Michelle Lupien Lieber
Theses and Dissertations
Sibling contact (synchronous or asynchronous) in young adulthood may have implications for individual well-being (health, life satisfaction & depressive symptoms). This link may be moderated by each individuals' traits, specifically autistic characteristics. Current literature has examined sibling contact, mediums of contact, autism relationships, but has yet to consider sibling contact moderated by autistic traits. This study analyzed data from 390 young adults 61% female, mean age = 25.65) who gave self-reports over two collection waves. Structural Equation Models found that regardless of autistic traits, synchronous contact was linked with increased life satisfaction as well as lower depressive symptoms, and asynchronous …
Atypical Sensory Processing And Semantic Language In Autistic Children, Charlene L. Cooper
Atypical Sensory Processing And Semantic Language In Autistic Children, Charlene L. Cooper
Theses and Dissertations
Autistic children demonstrate a constellation of traits with varying degrees of severity in areas including language differences, restrictive and repetitive behaviors, and sensory processing differences. However, the relationship between sensory processing and these other behaviors are not well understood especially their neurobiological underpinnings. Therefore, this research examined behavioral measures of semantic language, sensory traits, and associated brain networks in 20 autistic children (ages 6-11) and 22 typically developing (TD) age matched peers. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed a strong correlation between sensory traits and general composite and semantic language in both groups of participants. Sensory seeking traits were most significantly correlated …
Effects Of Parent-Implemented Interventions On Outcomes For Children With Autism: A Meta-Analysis, Wai Man Cheng
Effects Of Parent-Implemented Interventions On Outcomes For Children With Autism: A Meta-Analysis, Wai Man Cheng
Theses and Dissertations
Parent-implemented interventions (PIIs) can be useful in promoting parents’ knowledge of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in transferring necessary skills to children with ASD. Individuals with ASD can directly and indirectly benefit from PIIs in terms of academics, ASD symptom severity, behavior improvement, cognition, communication, and social skills. Many studies have explored the efficacy of PIIs; however, they have tended to report mixed effects. Previous meta-analyses and systematic reviews have been characterized by limited search terms and literature search procedures, emphases on published manuscripts, dependency on parent reports, dated findings, and comparisons across of different types of control groups. This …
Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Available Services In A Rural Community To Effectively Educate Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Candice Walker
Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Available Services In A Rural Community To Effectively Educate Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Candice Walker
Theses and Dissertations
Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased 150% over the last 20 years, affecting all communities, with future projections of further rise. This is a particular concern for the public education system, where laws mandate that schools provide meaningful education to all students. Resources must be in place to provide the level of support children with ASD require for a successful educational experience. These resources are often expensive and require specialized training to secure. Rural schools face unique barriers meeting the standards set forth through federal law. To determine the most productive use of available resources as well as …
Parent Perceptions Of Literacy Development For Females Later Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christine Marie Yaccarino
Parent Perceptions Of Literacy Development For Females Later Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christine Marie Yaccarino
Theses and Dissertations
Little is known about the early literacy development of girls later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism traits. In this study, parents of 21 girls later diagnosed with ASD or as having significant ASD traits were each interviewed about their daughter's early literacy development. In general, findings indicated that parents reported their daughters' early success with word level reading. Initially, parents conflated that one area of reading success to also indicate an overall accomplishment in broad reading skills. Findings also indicated that parents simultaneously acknowledged successful word level reading, yet over time noted specific challenges in early literacy …
Autistic Traits, Sensory Processing, And Intolerance Of Uncertainty: Neurobiological And Behavioral Correlates, Maggie Buckhannon
Autistic Traits, Sensory Processing, And Intolerance Of Uncertainty: Neurobiological And Behavioral Correlates, Maggie Buckhannon
Theses and Dissertations
Sensory processing challenges are common and often difficult for children on the autism spectrum and can affect some neurotypical children. Furthermore, sensory processing atypicalities are associated with autistic traits and other co-occurring behaviors associated with autism, such as intolerance of uncertainty. As such, traits common to autism may vary continuously across diagnostic boundaries (i.e., Broad Autism Phenotype). Working to uncover behavioral and neurophysiologic correlates of sensory differences could positively impact clinical support of children with and without a diagnosis of autism. Therefore, this study examined relationships between sensory processing, intolerance of uncertainty (a possible measure of prediction), autistic traits, and …
Behavioral And Neural Correlates Of Sensory Processing And Anxiety In Autistic Children, Kelsey Lee Ustach Tindall
Behavioral And Neural Correlates Of Sensory Processing And Anxiety In Autistic Children, Kelsey Lee Ustach Tindall
Theses and Dissertations
Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to experience higher levels of sensory processing differences as well as anxiety, compared to the neurotypical population (NT). Both theory and evidence suggest that there is an interrelationship between sensory processing, anxiety and fear, and prediction abilities in autism. However, much more remains to be discovered about their relationship and especially underlying neural mechanisms. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine the behavioral relationship between sensory processing, fear and anxiety, prediction, and related brain activity in autistic children. To this end, 30 autistic children (ages 6-11 years) and …
Sensory Sensitivity And Intolerance Of Uncertainty Influence Anxiety In Autistic Adults, Karys M. Normansell-Mossa
Sensory Sensitivity And Intolerance Of Uncertainty Influence Anxiety In Autistic Adults, Karys M. Normansell-Mossa
Theses and Dissertations
Several models of anxiety in autistic adults have focused on the role of intolerance of uncertainty which has biological and evolutionary bases, as a cognitive explanation for the high prevalence of anxiety in autism. This framework suggests that all people are born with a healthy level of intolerance of uncertainty, and as we develop, this intolerance is lessened as we learn when situations are safe and begin to understand and manage the uncertainty. This process of learning about managing uncertainty does not happen in the same way in those who are high in autistic traits, which could be the reason …
The Association Of Sleep Quality And Loneliness With Perceived Physical And Mental Health Status In Autistic Adults, Nicholas Charles Clark Russell
The Association Of Sleep Quality And Loneliness With Perceived Physical And Mental Health Status In Autistic Adults, Nicholas Charles Clark Russell
Theses and Dissertations
Autistic individuals report a greater prevalence of physical and mental health difficulties, compared to the general population. This study examines factors which impact physical and mental health in the general population to evaluate whether they potentially underlie this increased prevalence in autistic individuals. We compared twenty-two autistic adults, twenty-three adults reporting symptoms of insomnia, and twenty-one neurotypical adults. The primary factors were sleep quality and insomnia; secondary factors were level of autistic traits, alexithymia, and prosocial behavior. Participants completed self-report measures looking at each of these factors as well as their perceived physical and mental health. Participants also wore an …
A Fmri Of Fear Conditioning And Auditory Looming In Autism Spectrum Disorder, David Nicholas Top Jr.
A Fmri Of Fear Conditioning And Auditory Looming In Autism Spectrum Disorder, David Nicholas Top Jr.
Theses and Dissertations
Many autistic adults experience debilitating anxiety that interferes with their daily functioning. Atypical sensory processing and intolerance of uncertainty are cognitive processes linked to atypical limbic system functioning and impaired fear conditioning as potential mediators of anxiety in autism. A previous fear conditioning study using fMRI found atypical amygdala functioning in autism when the threat stimulus was only partially reinforced. The first aim of this dissertation is a multimethod examination of brain and psychophysiological response in autistic and in neurotypical adults during a fear conditioning/extinction task with the threat stimulus reinforced 100% percent of the time. We were also interested …