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Theses and Dissertations

Theses/Dissertations

Autism

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Exploring How Scripts, Drama, Art, And Sensory Stimulation Can Contribute To Autistic Students’ Reading Comprehension And Enjoyment Of Fiction Text, Kathleen Melville Jan 2022

Exploring How Scripts, Drama, Art, And Sensory Stimulation Can Contribute To Autistic Students’ Reading Comprehension And Enjoyment Of Fiction Text, Kathleen Melville

Theses and Dissertations

The focus in this exploratory multiple case study was to examine the reading comprehension and enjoyment of four male, English-speaking teenage students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during a 12-week Story Club series. Parents’ perceptions of their teenager’s reading comprehension were also considered. Story Club involved modifying a young adult novel into a script format after which students embodied character roles and engaged in rehearsals and performances. Furthermore, students designed artwork and theater props, received social-emotional instruction from a drama therapist, and were exposed to sensory experiences, all of which were aligned with literary events from the story. Because interventions …


Effect Of A Swim-Based Parent Training Program On A Parent’S Use Of Evidence-Based Strategies With Her Child With Autism, Melissa Lauren Jeffay Jan 2021

Effect Of A Swim-Based Parent Training Program On A Parent’S Use Of Evidence-Based Strategies With Her Child With Autism, Melissa Lauren Jeffay

Theses and Dissertations

Community participation, particularly in leisure/recreational activities such as swimming, can improve quality of life for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, youth with ASD generally participate in fewer leisure activities than those without ASD. Although previous studies have demonstrated the benefits of parent training interventions and swim programs for children with ASD, there is a lack of research examining the effectiveness of using parents as intervention agents to teach swim skills to their children with ASD. In this single-case study, the researcher delivered an individual parent training program to the mother of a child with ASD to investigate its …


Staff Development For Direct Support Professionals: Perspectives On The Usefulness Of A Literacy-Based Social Skill Strategy, Pattiann Laveglia Jan 2021

Staff Development For Direct Support Professionals: Perspectives On The Usefulness Of A Literacy-Based Social Skill Strategy, Pattiann Laveglia

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover Direct Support Professionals’ (DSPs) perceptions of a staff development session for creating a literacy-based social skills strategy known as social stories or story-based instruction. The participants in this study were six DSPs employed by a non-profit agency in the Mid-Hudson Region of New York State which provides community-based residential services to children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Three data collection methods were used in this study: a questionnaire, written reflections, and two in-depth interviews. This study was guided by four research questions exploring the perceived self-efficacy of …


Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For Anxiety In Youth With Autism: Paving The Way To Evidence-Based Practice, Michelle M. Kirkland Jan 2021

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For Anxiety In Youth With Autism: Paving The Way To Evidence-Based Practice, Michelle M. Kirkland

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is one of the most common and debilitating conditions co-occurring with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as it occurs in up to 84% of individuals and can influence poor psychosocial adjustment, disruptions in individual, familial and school functioning, increased emotional and behavioral problems, self-injurious behavior(s), and an overall reduced quality of life (Meyer, Mundy, Van Hecke, & Durocher, 2006; Nadeau et al., 2011; Farrugia & Hudson, 2006; Kerns et al., 2015). To date, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), an evidence-based treatment for anxiety in neurotypical youth, has seen modest, yet limited, promise in treating anxiety in youth with ASD. With extant research …


Assessing Effects Of Flexible Seating Options On On-Task Behavior And Stereotypy In Elementary-Aged Students, Sarah E. Heller Jan 2020

Assessing Effects Of Flexible Seating Options On On-Task Behavior And Stereotypy In Elementary-Aged Students, Sarah E. Heller

Theses and Dissertations

Flexible seating has become increasingly popular in the United States. The flexible seating movement has led to a change in teaching styles of educators and an increase in the purchase of new furniture for the classroom. This movement is lacking empirical support of its use within elementary settings, particularly for students with special learning and behavioral needs. This study assessed the impact of the use of specific forms of flexible seating options on stereotypy and on-task behavior for six, male elementary-aged students in either a general education classroom, a co-teaching classroom, and/or a special education setting. These students all participated …