Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

African-American Parents’ Cultural Understandings Of The Concept Of Autism And Implications For Parental Communication And Health Management, Kellie J. Fennell

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

In 2023 the Centers of Disease Control reported that around 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with Autism in America and that the prevalence has increased by 178% since 2000 (CDC, 2023). Despite increases in awareness and diagnosis past research finds that the discussions of ASD in African American communities is minimal (Fombonne, 2003; Yeargin Allsopp et al., 2003). This disparity is important considering that African American children receive an ASD diagnosis years later than their white counterparts and are much more likely to be misdiagnosed (Mandell et al., 2009, 2002).

Given the history of a lack of representation of …

Profiles And Correlates Of Language And Social Communication Differences Among Young Autistic Children, Rachel Reetzke, Vini Singh, Ji Su Hong, Calliope B. Holingue, Luther G. Kalb, Natasha N. Ludwig, Deepa Menon, Danika L. Pfeiffer, Rebecca J. Landa

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Delays in early language development are characteristic of young autistic children, and one of the most recognizable first concerns that motivate parents to seek a diagnostic evaluation for their child. Although early language abilities are one of the strongest predictors of long-term outcomes, there is still much to be understood about the role of language impairment in the heterogeneous phenotypic presentation of autism. Using a personcentered, Latent Profile Analysis, we first aimed to identify distinct patterns of language and social communication ability in a clinic-based sample of 498 autistic children, ranging in age from 18 to 60 months (M = …

Expanding The Educational Network For Students With Autism: Partnering With School Librarians, Selena J. Layden, Amelia Anderson

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

School librarians play an important role in our public schools by supporting students through both formal and informal learning opportunities. All students have access to library services, including those who receive additional support through special education. Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in particular, may benefit from both the library environment and the knowledge and training specific to school librarians. Yet, school librarians frequently are not included as part of these students' educational teams. This study utilized a survey to discover the extent to which school librarians report providing services and supports to students with ASD, as well as the …

Job Seeking And Daily Workforce Experiences Of Autistic Librarians, Amelia Anderson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Anecdotal accounts suggest that librarianship is a rewarding career for some autistic adults, though no empirical evidence exists to support such claims. Additionally, barriers may exist for autistic librarians, both in job seeking and in on-the-job experiences. As autistic adults are un- and underemployed more than their neurotypical peers, it is important to understand the role that libraries can play in supporting their employment. In this qualitative study, ten librarians with graduate degrees, who self-identify as autistic, describe their experiences in job seeking and daily working experiences in the library field through interviews in multiple formats. Results indicate issues around …

Confident But Lacking Support: School Librarians And Students With Autism, Amelia Anderson, Selena Layden

STEMPS Faculty Publications

School librarians work with students across their organizations, including those with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known about how prepared school librarians are to serve these students. Using a mixed-methods survey, this study sought to explore training school librarians have taken about ASD and students with disabilities, as well as the effects of training on librarian confidence and library services. Based on results, librarians who received training through their school district or professional development outside of coursework reported being more confident in supporting students with ASD in the school library.

Automating Autism: Disability, Discourse, And Artificial Intelligence, Os Keyes

The Journal of Sociotechnical Critique

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems shift to interact with new domains and populations, so does AI ethics: a relatively nascent subdiscipline that frequently concerns itself with questions of “fairness” and “accountability.” This fairness-centred approach has been criticized for (amongst other things) lacking the ability to address discursive, rather than distributional, injustices. In this paper I simultaneously validate these concerns, and work to correct the relative silence of both conventional and critical AI ethicists around disability, by exploring the narratives deployed by AI researchers in discussing and designing systems around autism. Demonstrating that these narratives frequently perpetuate a dangerously dehumanizing model …

Factors Associated With Quality Of Life Among Mothers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Marian Marconyak

Health Services Research Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has levied associated effects upon the quality of life (QOL) of mothers of children with ASD. These mothers are subjected to various influences upon their lives as a result of their role as caregivers to children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to assess the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Body Functions and Structures, Activities, Participation, Environmental, and Personal Factors associated with QOL among mothers of children with ASD.

English literate, inhabitants of the United States, mothers over the age of 18, of children with ASD were …