Education Commons^™

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 …

Transitional Periods Of Individuals With Autism: A Parental Perspective On Services, Kennedy Rogers

Senior Theses and Projects

This study looks at the experiences and perceptions of parents with children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) aged eighteen or older and have experienced a significant transition out of high school. By using a qualitative method of interviews and analysis, as well as two rounds of coding, I explored the nature of program options as well as the challenges of the individuals with Autism during this time of their life. This study looked at the challenges in the transition as well as some potential insights to helping ease the challenges.

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 …

A Design-Based, Mixed Methodology Study On Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices Among Speech-Language Pathologists In A Midwestern School District, Sarah E. Schmid

Dissertations

As autism diagnosis increased (Maenner et al., 2023; Wright, 2017), autistic individuals increasingly advocated for services aligned with a neurodiversity perspective (Jordan, 2010; Leadbitter et al., 2021). Using a human centric, design-based approach, the researcher identified a lack of alignment between the emerging preferences of the autistic community and the services speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in a large, suburban special education school district felt competent in providing. Some SLPs in the district reported a lack of knowledge and training about the neurodiversity movement and felt further training on the topic was needed. Once the knowledge gap was identified, the researcher worked …

Determining The More Effective Behavior Analytic Intervention For Children With Autism Who Exhibit Pica Behaviors, Jennifer J. Lanham

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Determining the More Effective Behavior Analytic Intervention for Children With Autism Who Exhibit Pica Behaviors. Jennifer J. Lanham, 2024: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: autism, pica, eating disorders, intervention, applied behavior analysis

This dissertation was designed to determine which behavior analytic intervention was more effective in the treatment and reduction of mouthing non-nutritive substances in children diagnosed with autism. This study included four participants in an A-B-A reversal design with a component analysis across four intervention phases. The study participants were enrolled in a center-based treatment environment …

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

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

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 …

Increasing Exercise In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review Of Instructional Strategies, Jacob Moak

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

It has been found that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are 1.6 times more likely to be obese compared to neurotypically developing children. Individuals with ASD often struggle with motor skills and experience sensory processing difficulties, which can make it difficult to participate in regular physical activity. Because of this, it is crucial to find exercise methods that are enjoyable, practical and that are tailored to the specific needs of individuals with ASD in order to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. The current systematic review investigated the research literature on interventions used to teach exercise to individuals with …

The Impact Of The Social Story Intervention On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) In Saudi Arabia, Marwan Alkhudhayri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is on the rise in Saudi Arabia, and the field of Special Education is currently working to expand awareness about ASD as well as evidence-based intervention availability in the country. The Social Stories Intervention has been shown to have positive results in work with children with ASD in other countries, however its effectiveness in Saudi Arabia had not thoroughly been examined. The Social Stories Intervention provides an important tool for practitioners to use with children with ASD in order to help improve their social skills development. The current study utilizes a single-subject design to assess the …

Exploring Levels Of Autism Symptom Support After Eligibility Determinations, Zachary Bella

Theses and Dissertations

The identification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) occurs in educational and health settings. Many children with autism will only receive a classification of autism in the educational setting (Esler et al., 2022, Pettygrove et al., 2013, Wiggins et al., 2020). There is significant overlap between the early intervention offered to children with autism in health settings and what is provided through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) (National Autism Center, 2009; Morset et al., 2010). However, there is an increasing trend of children with autism being classified with significant developmental delay (SDD) instead of autism initially in schools and the impact of …

The Effectiveness Of Social Stories As Behavior Intervention For People With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Angel Dawson

Culminating Projects in Special Education

The Effects of Social Stories as Behavior Intervention for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

by

Angel Dawson

A Starred Paper Proposal

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of

St Cloud State University

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree

Master of Science in

Special Education

May, 2023

Starred Paper Committee:

Bradley Kaffar, Chairperson

Frances Kayona

Cody Lewis

Table of Contents

Page

Chapter

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… 3

Overview………………………………………………………………………………….3

Research Question ……………………………………………………………………….6

Importance of Review ……………………………………………………………………6

Focus of Review ………………………………………………………………………….6

Definition of Terms …………………………………………………………………….7-9

Chapter

2. Review of Literature……………………………………………..………………………10

Social Stories as an Intervention…………………………………………………………10

Chapter

3. Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………25

Recommendations for Future Research……………………………………………….…26

Summary………………………………………………………………...……………….28 …

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 …

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, …

Family Member Experiences With Augmentative And Alternative Communication Systems Used By Nonspeaking Autistic Individuals, Christina M. Wotton

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Nonspeaking autistic individuals who have no way to communicate cannot share their thoughts, dreams, or desires. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore the experiences of family members of nonspeaking autistic individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. This study documented family members’ experiences of identifying, learning, and implementing two types of AAC: Rapid Prompting Method and Spelling to Communicate. Through one-on-one interviews, five participants shared their lived experiences. Three themes emerged from the data. The first theme was an increase in well-being for the entire family. All five participants described transformations and improvements in …

Teaching Problem-Solving Skills As A Soft Skill For Employment To Individuals With Autism And Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities Using Video Modelling In A Virtual Learning Environment, Cliff Oliech

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Autism (ASD) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) exhibit poor post-secondary education employment outcomes compared to their disabled and non-disabled peers (Shattuck et al., 2012; Taylor et al., 2015). In addition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic school closures, students with ASD and/or IDD in post-secondary transition programs may have lost crucial instruction time, possibly putting them at risk for unemployment and underemployment. Consequently, this research study sought to establish through multiple-baselines across participants design how effective VM can be in teaching problem-solving skills as a soft skill for employment to post-secondary transition education students with ASD and/or IDD …

A Tier 2 Support For Online Learners: Implementing A Technology-Aided Check-In/Check-Out For High School Students With Autism, Patrick J. Mallory

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Online education is an increasingly popular format of schooling used around the world (Digital Learning Collaborative, 2019). For students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), challenges with executive functioning skills like self-management can have a significant impact on their ability to successfully participate in online learning. With a growing number of students with disabilities like ASD participating in online education, there is a need to explore support strategies that promote self-management in virtual environments that take into consideration the unique barriers of these students and their families. However, there is very limited research on providing behavioral support for students with ASD …

Letter-Sound Correspondence Intervention With Students With Asd, Sarah Hoemann

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate an intervention procedure to teach letter-sound correspondence for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Similar studies have been conducted; however, further research is needed. Purpose: Evaluation of this intervention to see improvement of letter-sound correspondence over five rounds of exposure to the intervention. Methodology: The research design was a single case study using a multiple baseline across participants. Baseline data were collected before intervention. The target population included three students aged 3-5 diagnosed with ASD who were previously enrolled in the Autism Clinic on campus. Materials included a laminated picture …

Strategies To Decrease Physical Aggression In Elementary Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Katie Majerus

Culminating Projects in Special Education

A growing number of individuals have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Students with autism spectrum disorder may exhibit a variety of physically aggressive and self-injurious behaviors that are problematic and difficult for caregivers and educators to manage. Due to these behaviors, educators and caregivers are facing burnout and exhaustion. The research shows that there are interventions that can help identify the function of the behaviors and are effective in reducing the physical aggression or self-injurious behaviors. The focus of this review is to identify therapeutic interventions that have a positive impact on elementary students with autism spectrum disorder who …

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 …

Occupational Therapists’ Role In Educating Caregivers On Pediatric Sensory Interventions Guided By Neurodiversity Principles, Deanna Bourgeois

Student Capstone Papers

Background: Neurodivergent children often experience differences in sensory processing and self-regulation. Traditional sensory-based interventions are frequently used by occupational therapy practitioners (OTP) and caregivers to address dysregulation. However, sensory-based interventions, while often strengths-based, are not always neurodiversity-affirming.

Problem: There are minimal educational resources available to both OTP and caregivers that promote neurodiversity-affirming sensory interventions to support neurodivergent children.

Methods: The purpose of this project was to create self-paced educational modules to teach neurodiversity-affirming sensory interventions that promote children's self-regulation. To achieve this goal, the student investigator developed virtual educational modules and piloted them with OTP, occupational therapy …

Increasing Appropriate Communication And Reducing Aggressive Behaviors For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder By Using An Aac Device, Nicole Stromberg

Culminating Projects in Special Education

The review examines the use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication with student who have Autism Spectrum Disorders, the use of an AAC device, and reducing aggressive behaviors as it relates to use of AAC. In Chapter I, an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder, AAC, and SGD was discussed. In Chapter II discusses research addressing augmentative and alternative communication devices in reducing disruptive and aggressive behaviors for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and implementing it with students that need to express wants and needs across different environments effectively. Chapter III, the findings from the analysis are summarized, and the implications of …

A Process Evaluation Of Post-Secondary Programs For High Functioning Students On The Autism Spectrum, Richard A. Spirito Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how the post-secondary programs in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States are supporting the needs of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and preparing them for future independence.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is on the rise. In 2000, one in 150 children were identified with autism spectrum disorder. That number rose to one in every 44 children in the United States that have been identified with autism spectrum disorder in 2010.

As these students reach …

Evaluating The Effects Of Video Modeling And Visual Supports On Preschoolers’ Compliance With Dental Procedures, Karly L. Orsi-Cordova

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with autism are reported to visit the dentist infrequently. Infrequent visits to the dentist may result in a higher occurrence of caries, and it is, therefore, imperative for children with autism to visit a pediatric dental practice routinely. Some basic behaviormanagement techniques, such as live modeling and reinforcement strategies, have been used with patients with autism. The addition of techniques derived from applied behavior analysis, such as video modeling and visual supports, may increase patients’ compliance with dental procedures. Specifically, the use of visual supports and video modeling warranted further investigation on the efficacy of improving behavior during dental …

Evaluating A Rapid Coaching Intervention That Includes Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Teaching A Parent Naturalistic Strategies, Lauren Reiss

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Parents of young children with or at risk for disabilities face added stress and challenges every day. This study implemented a rapid coaching intervention to teach a parent naturalistic language interventions such as mapping language onto their child's play, narrating their own play, and arranging the environment. In addition, parents were trained to use a milieu teaching procedure. In addition, a pre-service behavior interventionist and speech-language pathologist collaborated on selecting instructional targets for the child.

An Investigation Of Individualized Education Programs For Students With Autism, Jordan Findley

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Autism is one of the fastest growing educational disability groups (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 2021). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004) ensures all students have access to a free and appropriate public education. Individualized Education Programs (IEP) have been described as central to IDEIA (2004) and are the most common service received by children with autism (Berrcera et al., 2017; Yell et al., 2003). Despite the frequent use of the IEP in service provision for students with autism, there is relatively little research on the content and quality of IEPs for students …

Parent Satisfaction Of Daily Organized Physical Education For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cody Mills

Master's Theses

Daily structured physical education programming should be protected to support the achievement of goals set within an individual education plan (IEP) for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To ensure this is a priority, parent satisfaction is necessary to prioritize a healthy partnership between home and school. The objective of this research study is to identify the level of parent/guardian satisfaction in school-based and community-based daily organized physical education provided for children with autism. The research will determine if parents/guardians are wholly satisfied with the programming provided by their child’s school, or if greater satisfaction is attained when parents outsource …

Schumaker Acres Equine Assisted Learning Curriculum: Building Social Emotional Learning Skills For Autistic Individuals, Sara M. Trent

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Autistic students often receive educational services supporting the development of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills. SEL can also be taught effectively outside of the classroom through the use of animal assisted interventions. The purpose of this project was to develop an eight week SEL program utilizing Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) for Autistic individuals five to 21 years old. This curriculum offers a unique programming plan as it provides an SEL curriculum that is specifically designed for Autistic individuals.

The Effects Of Gonoodle Engagement On Mathematics Skills Of Middle School-Aged Students With Autism, Cheryl D. Barrett

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

THE EFFECTS OF GONOODLE ENGAGEMENT ON MATHEMATICS SKILLS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS WITH AUTISM

Abstract

By Cheryl D. Barrett

University of the Pacific

2023

Academic achievement of students with disabilities has long been a concern in special education, and this work addresses the academic achievement gap between students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their typically developing peers. This study aimed to increase mathematical achievement in fluency and calculation skills for students with ASD using GoNoodle. Additionally, this study intended to extend evidence about existing research on the efficacy of GoNoodle as an appropriate academic intervention tool for students with …

Behavioral Skills Training For Reducing Challenging Behaviors In Students With Down Syndrome With Or Without Co-Occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jacqueline Tudor

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to improve the effectiveness of professional educators in using the methodology of functional behavior assessment (FBA) and function assessment-based intervention (FABI) to reduce challenging behaviors exhibited by students with Down syndrome (DS), or a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder (DS-ASD). Educators often rely on traditional classroom management methods which curtail disruptive behaviors without determining the reason why the behavior is occurring. The study examined the effects of utilizing a behavioral skills training program of instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback in the methodology of FBA and FABI.

The research was conducted using …