Psychology Commons^™

Making Deception Fun: Teaching Autistic Individuals How To Playfriendly Tricks, Adel Naj, Megan St. Clair, Kacie Massoudie, Jonathan Tarbox, Lauri Simchoni, Marianne Jackson, Angela Persicke

Psychology Division Scholarship

Perspective taking is a critical repertoire for navigating social relationships and consists of a variety of complex verbalskills, including socially adaptive forms of deception. Detecting and being able to use socially adaptive deception likelyhas many practical uses, including defending oneself against bullying, telling white lies to avoid hurting others’ feelings,keeping secrets and bluffing during games, and playing friendly tricks on others. Previous research has documented thatsome Autistic1 children have challenges identifying deception and playfully deceiving others (Reinecke et al., 1997). Thecurrent study employed a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the use of multiple exemplar training, rules,modeling, practice, and …

S.A.D. Survival Kit: A Podcast On Seasonal Affective Disorder, Kate Lincoln

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This document explores seasonal affective disorder through the lens of the accompanying mini podcast series S.A.D. Survival Kit. Over the course of five episode transcripts, the audience will gain a better understanding of seasonal affective disorder and its associated interrelations with the surrounding environment and any individual’s internal physical and mental health. The podcast is available on Spotify and SoundCloud. (Links are on page 1.) Seasonal affective disorder is a form of seasonal depression marked by a significant change in one’s behavior or thinking patterns when seasons shift. Episode 1 explains the basics of S.A.D. and concludes that many people …

The Effect Of Compression On Repetitive Behaviors And Task Participation In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer B. Grandits, Hanna W. Kent, Sarah M. Sanborn, June J. Pilcher

Publications

Compression clothes are marketed to relieve anxiety and decrease hyperactivity in children with autism. However, few studies have examined the impact of compression for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, nine children with autism were observed during Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy sessions while wearing compression clothing. The participants were randomly assigned to wear compression clothing for either their first five sessions or their last five sessions. Videos of the therapy sessions were reviewed and each child’s “off task” behavior was identified in the following domains: motor, verbal, and visual. In addition, frequency of the child’s repetitive behaviors …

Services To Help Caregivers Of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Stephanie Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a mental health disorder for which the cause is unknown and for which there is no cure. This only exacerbates the psychological distress placed on caregivers of children diagnosed with ASD. The purpose of this qualitative study, using the phenomenological approach was to describe the services and assistance that caregivers of children diagnosed with ASD identified as most beneficial to them. Twelve participants were interviewed via phone. Each interview was audio-recorded with participants reporting the services and assistance they identified as helpful or believed would be helpful, specifically to them. Interviews were transcribed and data …

Predictors Of Sexual Victimization Among Autistic And Non-Autistic College Students, Natalie Libster, Connie Kasari, Alexandra Sturm

Psychological Science Faculty Works

Purpose. This study examined predictors of sexual victimization among autistic and non-autistic college students. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether autistic students are more likely than non-autistic students to experience unwanted sexual contact and sexual assault, controlling for co-occurring diagnoses. We also aimed to determine whether students with other disabilities, specifically ADHD, learning disability (LD), and psychological disorders, are more likely than students without these disabilities to experience unwanted sexual contact and sexual assault. Methods. Autistic students (n=270) and non-autistic students (n=270) who had participated in a nationwide survey were matched on demographic characteristics and co-occurring diagnoses. Logistic regression analyses …

Twice-Exceptional Autism And Home Education: A Phenomenological Analysis, Tiffany Brook Hartman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is common for autistic and particularly twice-exceptional (2e) children to be schooled from home at a higher rate than their neurotypical peers. Much of the current research investigating this phenomenon is conducted from the perspective of the public school system. This point of view is generally critical of the curriculum taught in the home, has largely limited parental voices in the literature, and overlooks possible circumstances in the public school system that might have led families to choose to homeschool. This qualitative analysis conducted open-ended interviews of parents with twice-exceptional autistic children who have home-educated or currently educate their …

The Impact Of Music Therapy On Language Acquisition In Children With Nonverbal Autism, Alecia Bernau

Senior Honors Theses

Through an experimental method, the researcher investigated whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to develop verbal communication skills after consistent exposure to songs with lyrics. Six children with nonverbal ASD were exposed to the same song with lyrics, with the goal of increased vocalization and language acquisition. Over nine sessions, subjects were pulled to participate in the experiment. The researcher played the song for the participants, recording the responses from each trial and categorizing them as either full words, verbal approximations, or miscellaneous verbalizations. The findings of the study suggest that there is a relationship between …

Direct Support Professionals' Perspectives On Using Technology To Help Support Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Mixed Methods Study., Christina A. Simmons, Abigail E Moretti, Andrea F Lobo, Patrice D Tremoulet

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

BACKGROUND: Documentation is a critical responsibility for direct support professionals (DSPs) who work with adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, it contributes significantly to their workload. Targeted efforts must be made to mitigate the burden of necessary data collection and documentation, which contributes to high DSP turnover rates and poor job satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: This mixed methods study aimed to explore how technology could assist DSPs who work with adults with ASD and prioritize aspects of technology that would be most useful for future development efforts.

METHODS: In the first study, 15 DSPs who worked with adults with ASD participated …

Editorial: Emotion Processing In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Denise Davidson, Nicole Russo-Ponsaran, Maaike Marijn Van Rest, Angela Scarpa

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication and restrictive and repetitive interests. Although progress has been made in understanding its phenomenology, underlying mechanisms for core and co-occurring difficulties remain elusive. Emerging evidence suggests that emotion processing and regulation play a critical role in the challenges experienced by autistic individuals. This special issue provides current thinking related to methods, research, and practice in the field of emotion processing and regulation in ASD, and to integrate study findings to elucidate underlying mechanisms. With a global perspective, article coverage includes (1) explorations of the neurological underpinnings …

How Autism Representation In The Media Influences People's Attitudes: A Literature Review, Eleanor Klein

A with Honors Projects

A literature review of research revealed how media influences attitudes about autistic* people. Several factors lead to negative attitudes: Not emphasizing positive characteristics, emphasizing differences, and portraying autistic people as burdens. Contrasting factors lead to positive attitudes, including: Emphasizing positive characteristics and commonalities, portraying intergroup friendships, giving accurate information about autism, and depicting differences positively. Examples of media are described that are likely to promote negative or positive attitudes towards autistic people. Further research must improve measures of attitudes, determine what autistic people believe is accurate representation, and explore the impact of attitude change based on type of media consumed.

Profiles Of Circumscribed Interests In Autistic Youth, Emily Spackman, Luke D. Smillie, Thomas Frazier, Antonio Y. Hardan, Gail A. Alvarez, Andrew Whitehouse, Mirko Uljarević

2023 Faculty Bibliography

Circumscribed interests (CI) encompass a range of different interests and related behaviors that can be characterized by either a high intensity but otherwise usual topic [referred to as restricted interests (RI)] or by a focus on topics that are not salient outside of autism [referred to as unusual interests (UI)]. Previous research has suggested that there is pronounced variability across individuals in terms of the endorsement of different interests, however, this variability has not been quantified using formal subtyping approaches. Therefore, using Latent Profile Analysis in a sample of 1,892 autistic youth (Mage = 10.82, SDage = 4.14; 420 females), …

The Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire: Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of A New, Open-Source Measure Of Autism Symptomatology, Thomas Frazier, Anastasia Dimitropoulos, Leonard Abbeduto, Melissa Armstrong-Brine, Shanna Kralovic, Andy Shih, Antonio Y. Hardan, Eric A. Youngstrom, Mirko Uljarević

2023 Faculty Bibliography

Aim: To describe the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a new, freely available measure, the Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire (ASDQ).

Method: After development and revision of an initial 33-item version, informants completed a revised 39-item version of the ASDQ on 1467 children and adolescents (aged 2-17 years), including 104 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Results: The initial 33-item version of the ASDQ had good reliability and construct validity. However, only four specific symptom factors were identified, potentially due to an insufficient number of items. Factor analyses of the expanded instrument identified a general ASD factor and nine specific symptom …

Autism Paradigms And Mental Well-Being Among Autistic Adults: A Quantitative Exploration, Libbey Walker

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Autistic populations experience significant mental health challenges. A growing body of research supports addressing autistic mental health problems using the framework of minority stress theory, the social model of disability, and the neurodiversity paradigm (e.g., Botha & Frost, 2018; Cage et al., 2018). This quantitative study explored how identification with the neurodiversity paradigm versus the pathology paradigm related to mental well-being in autistic adults. Participants (N = 135) completed an online survey in which they rated their identification with autism descriptions representing both paradigms. Participants also completed measures of psychological distress, self-esteem, personal autism acceptance, and internalized autism stigma. Most …

Autistic Authors' Narratives Of Trauma And Resilience: A Qualitative Analysis, Tessa Smith

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative dissertation investigates current research gaps regarding autistic individuals’ experience of trauma and resilience in the face of adversity. Specifically, it conceptualizes trauma and resilience through a neurodiverse lens, through identifying themes in memoirs written by five autistic authors related to trauma, potentially traumatic events, resiliency, and posttraumatic growth. Through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, I identified individual, interpersonal, and societal factors impacting the memoirists experiences of trauma, through the identification of 11 superordinate themes. Prominent themes at the individual level included self-acceptance and emotion regulation promoting resilience. At the contextual level, sensory processing and uncertainty coincided with experiences of trauma. …

Repercussions Of The Covid-19 Lockdown For Autistic People In Mexico: The Caregivers’ Perspective, Georgina Pérez Liz, Andy Torres, Ana C. Ramirez, Cecilia Montiel-Nava

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction. The COVID-19 lockdown has posed new challenges for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including service suspension and reductions in support. Objective. To explore the perspectives of caregivers on the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on people with ASD in Mexico. Method. 126 caregivers from Mexico completed a survey on the impact of lockdown on people with ASD. Results. Suspension of at least one service was reported for 38.9% of subjects, with no significant association being found between symptom worsening and service administration modality. Discussion and conclusion. Service suspension for people with ASD in Mexico has been a side …

Representing Neurodivergent Children In Fiction, Summer Calvert

Senior Honors Projects

SUMMER CALVERT (Psychology) Representing Neurodivergent Children in Fiction Sponsor: Kathleen Webster (Psychology) To recognize aspects of the self within the other is a goal universal to the human experience. The ability to relate to our peers grants us the dissuasion of insecurities or loneliness that might otherwise fester within our minds. Fictional characters and stories can have a similar effect on us. For this reason, the importance of neurodiverse representation in children’s books cannot be understated. When it comes to developmental disorders, many children may go undiagnosed until adolescence or even adulthood; this does not mean they aren’t struggling, or …

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 = …

Covid-19 Y Autismo: Impacto En Las Personas Con Autismo Y Sus Familias En Uruguay, Gabriela Garrido, María Cecilia Montenegro, Cecilia Amigo, Daniel Valdez, Natalia Barrios, Sebastián Cukier, Alexia Rattazzi, Analía Rosoli, Ricardo García, Cristiane S. Paula, Georgina Pérez Liz, Cecilia Montiel-Nava

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

La pandemia de covid-19 y las medidas asociadas determinaron cambios profundos en los individuos con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) y sus familias. Se busca explorar estos efectos a nivel de las emociones y comportamientos en esta población en Uruguay. Dentro de un estudio multicéntrico de ocho países de Latinoamérica, se utilizó la submuestra de Uruguay para analizar los cambios de los comportamientos exhibidos por los individuos con TEA sobre la base de género y edad. Entre los 269 cuidadores que completaron una encuesta anónima, el 43,9 % reportó mayores problemas de convivencia y el 75,4 % reportó retrocesos. El …

Use Of Allied-Health Services And Medication Among Adults With Asd In Latin America, Andy Torres, Denise Lecusay, Daniel Valdez, Analía Rosoli, Gabriela Garrido, Sebastián Cukier, Cristiane Silvestre Paula, Ricardo Garcia, Alexia Rattazzi, Cecilia Montiel-Nava

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Abstract

ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects people across the entire lifespan, yet most of the research identifying the health and medical needs for autistic individuals have been among minors. As individuals with ASD transition to emerging adulthood, the services, already limited, become less available. This study aimed to identify the use of services for Latin American adults on the spectrum. We surveyed 295 caregivers of adults with ASD from six Latin American countries. Comparing the results for all the possible services observed in this study, the adults in our sample were primarily underserved: 84.4%–95.9% were receiving zero hours …

Applying The Vulnerability Stress Adaptation Model Of Marriage To Couples Raising An Autistic Child: A Call For Research On Adaptive Processes, Hillary Katherine Schiltz, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Parents of children on the autism spectrum are particularly susceptible to strain in their romantic relationships due to unique risk factors. While some relationships deteriorate, however, others endure and thrive. The Vulnerability Stress Adaptation (VSA) Model of Marriage (Karney & Bradbury, 1995; Fig. 1) offers a framework to explain, not only poor marital outcomes, but also the process by which degradation of relationships occurs over time. The VSA Model posits that a combination of internal (within-person) vulnerabilities and external stressors influence relationship quality and, in turn, stability, by affecting couples' abilities to collaborate to adapt to stressors and solve problems …

The Role Of Loneliness As A Mediator Between Autism Features And Mental Health Among Autistic Young Adults, Hillary Schiltz, Alana J. Mcvey, Bridget Dolan Wozniak, Angela Haendel, Rachel Stanley, Alexis Arias, Nakia Gordon, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Autistic adults commonly experience anxiety and depression. These mental health concerns are often tied to social experiences, such that mental well-being can be supported by social connection and deteriorated by loneliness. The mediating role of social and emotional loneliness (i.e. social isolation and lack of emotional attachment, respectively) between autism features and mental health has yet to be empirically tested among autistic adults. Here, 69 autistic young adults completed self-report questionnaires assessing social contact (Friendship Questionnaire), autism features (Autism Quotient), mental health (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Social Phobia Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory), and loneliness (Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for …

Expansion Of Sidman's Theory: The Inclusion Of Prompt Stimuli In Equivalence Classes, Simone K. Palmer, R. W. Maguire, Karen M. Lionello-Denolf, Paula Braga-Kenyon

Psychology Department Faculty Works

Stimulus equivalence is defined as the ability to relate stimuli in novel ways after training in which not all of the stimuli had been directly linked to one another. Sidman (2000) suggested all elements of conditional discrimination training contingencies that result in equivalence potentially become class members. Research has demonstrated the inclusion of samples, comparisons, responses, and reinforcers in equivalence classes. Given the evidence that all elements of a conditional discrimination become part of the class, the purpose of this study was to determine if class-specific prompts would also enter into their relevant equivalence classes. Experiment 1 investigated the inclusion …

An Evaluation Of Wayfinding Abilities In Adolescent And Young Adult Males With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Yingying Yang, Weijia Li, Dan Huang, Wei He, Yanxi Zhang, Edward Merrill

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background

Wayfinding refers to traveling from place to place in the environment. Despite some research headway, it remains unclear whether individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show strengths, weaknesses, or similarities in wayfinding compared with ability-matched typically developing (TD) controls.

Method

The current study tested 24 individuals with ASD, 24 mental-ability (MA) matched TD (MA-TD) controls, and 24 chronological-age (CA) matched TD (CA-TD) controls. Participants completed a route learning task and a survey learning task, both programmed in virtual environments, and a perspective taking task. Their parents completed questionnaires assessing their children’s everyday wayfinding activities and competence.

Results

Overall, CA-TD …

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 …

Psychometric Development Of The Autism Trait Survey, Gwendolyn S. Barnhart

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

There are limited tools for professionals who work with individuals with autism to ascertain individuals’ strengths and challenges within the various facets of symptomology after diagnosis. Professionals can currently use personal interviews and psychological reports to determine individuals’ strengths and challenges to determine the types of services that would benefit them following initial diagnosis. The limitations of this practice are that the levels of understanding, accuracy, and use of these measures vary in the field. Furthermore, the norms of diagnostic measures are the entire population rather than solely individuals on the autistic spectrum/autistics (IOS/A). A new measure is necessary: one …

Please, Hold Your Toothpicks: An Analysis Of Autism On Contemporary Television, Kellie N. Veltri

Haslam Scholars Projects

In the past decade, there has been a boom in representations of varied identities on entertainment television, including characters with mental illness and disabilities. There has particularly been an increase in television representations of autism spectrum disorders, which has coincided with the reframing of autism in the DSM-5. Exposure to these characters has increased public awareness of what autism actually looks like, but their characteristics are still very narrow and do not represent the full range of people with autism and what their experiences with the condition are actually like. In this thesis, I will explore historic representations of autism …

Searching For Neural Mechanisms Of Social Cognition, Chandler Siemonsma, Cristina Uribe, Louanne Boyd, Aaron Schurger, Deanna Hughes, Tian Lan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Social cognition involves the integration and pruning of perceptual information which leads to the formation of an abstract representation, which is also known as the perceptual gist. This study examined 87 differences in visual perception of Mooney face stimuli of differing sizes and the relationship to gist formation in ten individuals with autism compared to neurotypical controls. Parents of both groups completed the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2) to assess social functioning in real-world scenarios.

Combining Eye Tracking And Verbal Response To Understand The Impact Of A Global Filter, Franceli L. Cibrian, Jazette Johnson, Viseth Sean, Hollis Pass, Louanne Boyd

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Visual attention guides the integration of two streams: the global, that rapidly processes the scene; and the local, that processes details. For people with autism, the integration of these two streams can be disrupted by the tendency to privilege details (local processing) instead of seeing the big picture (global processing). Consequently, people with autism may struggle with typical visual attention, evidenced by their verbal description of local features when asked to describe overall scenes. This paper aims to explore how one adult with autism see and understand the global filter of natural scenes.

Preliminary Psychometrics For The Executive Function Challenge Task: A Novel, “Hot” Flexibility, And Planning Task For Youth, Lauren Kenworthy, Andrew Freeman, Allison Ratto, Katerina Dudley, Kelly K. Powell, Cara E. Pugliese, John F. Strang, Alyssa Verbalis, Laura G. Anthony

Psychology Faculty Research

Objective: Executive functions (EF) drive health and educational outcomes and therefore are increasingly common treatment targets. Most treatment trials rely on questionnaires to capture meaningful change because ecologically valid, pediatric performance-based EF tasks are lacking. The Executive Function Challenge Task (EFCT) is a standardized, treatment-sensitive, objective measure which assesses flexibility and planning in the context of provocative social interactions, making it a “hot” EF task. Method: We investigate the structure, reliability, and validity of the EFCT in youth with autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder; n = 129), or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with flexibility problems (n = 93), and typically developing …

Corrigendum: Saccade Latency Provides Evidence For Reduced Face Inversion Effects With Higher Autism Traits (Frontiers In Human Neuroscience, (2020), 13, 10.3389/Fnhum.2019.00470), Robin Laycock, Kylie Wood, Andrea Wright, Sheila G. Crewther, Melvyn A. Goodale

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Copyright © 2020 Laycock, Wood, Wright, Crewther and Goodale. In the original article, there was a mistake in the published legend for Figure 2. The results for the high and low Autism Trait (AT) groups were mistakenly interchanged. The correct legend appears below. Figure 2. (A) Average saccade onset times (SOTs) to detect the photograph containing a face or a car in the upright and inverted tasks for high and low Autism Trait (AT) Groups. (B) Face and car inversion effects, calculated as the difference in mean SOTs between upright and inverted tasks for high and low AT Groups. Error …