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Neural Plasticity In Response To Intervention In Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sheryl Jayne Stevens

Dissertations (1934 -)

Current theories of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) suggest that they may develop from the transactional interaction between biological risk factors and environmental processes (Dawson et al., 2009). Due to the brain’s experience-expectant nature, one’s degree of social exposure may have a significant impact on their brain development and behavioral presentation. In addition to the primary critical neurodevelopmental period identified in early childhood, recent research has demonstrated a second period of substantial neurodevelopment during the adolescent period (Sisk & Foster, 2004). This study investigated the neural and behavioral impact of participation in an empirically validated behavioral intervention (The Program for the …

The Peers Intervention: Social Anxiety, Physiological Regulation, And Core Autistic Symptoms In Adolescents With Autism, Kirsten A. Schohl

Master's Theses (2009 -)

There have been very few effective interventions developed that have focused on improving social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), however, the need is persistent. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Program for the Enrichment and Education of Relational Skills (PEERS: Laugeson, Frankel, Mogil, & Dillon, 2009). PEERS focuses on improving friendship quality and social skills among adolescents, ages 11-15 years, with higher-functioning ASD. This study included 47 participants, who were randomly assigned to two groups. Assessment measures utilized parent report and adolescent self-report at pre- and post-treatment. In addition, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was …

Understanding Relationships In Health Related Quality Of Life For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Norah Louise Johnson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Nurses encounter many parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both parents are under stress that ultimately impacts their health related quality of life (HRQL). Few studies assess the mediators of parenting stress on HRQL for both parents. This study explored the relationship of parenting stress, family functioning and HRQL for parenting dyads of children with ASD. Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Lakey and Cohen's (2000) Social Support Theory framed the study.

Implementing a cross sectional, descriptive design, 387 parents (n=64 dyads) of ASD-affected children, from 46 states, completed web-based surveys. Demographics, the …