Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Telepractice-Based Language Intervention Training For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sarah Bryan

Honors Theses

This study closely examined the progression and fidelity of strategy implementation of parents undergoing an ASD language intervention training program. This instructional, interactive program was designed for parents of children with autism, thus catering to the needs of participants involved. This study assessed the use of parent comments and redirects, two kinds of parent strategies, during each parent-child interaction to provide more information about the impact of training sessions. The researchers hypothesized that by the end of training, parent participants would increase their fidelity of strategy implementation, increase their use of comments rather than redirects, and employ more open-ended questions …

An Examination Of The Research Addressing Evidence-Based Communication Approaches For Students With Autism, Sydni Kaye Mcatee

Honors Theses

The meta-analysis examines scholarly articles regarding research on evidence-based communication for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. More specifically, this research involves different forms of Alternative and Augmentative Communication. This form of communication is used without a voice. A variety of interventions for Manual Signing (MS), Speech Generating Devices (SGD), and Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) are reviewed within the research study. The purpose of this research is to define which evidence-based Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) interventions are most effective for children with Autism. More specifically, determining which form of communication can help lead children to more expressive language and …

Our Voices: Getting To Know Autism, Katherine Rasberry

Honors Theses

This study was done in effort to understand the thoughts and feelings of autistic adults relative to life transitions and resources available. We surveyed key stakeholders; specifically autistic students, but also family/caregivers of adults. Six surveys were created, each based upon different themes: camouflaging, life transitions, managing mental health, overstimulation, social communication, and family and caregiver perceptions. Our surveys were marketed on Western Michigan University’s campus and through social media and are still ongoing. Trends in the data, however, suggest that overall autistics have concerns about how their disabilities impact life in or shortly after college. Many respondents expressed they …

Case Study - The Outcomes Of Occupational Therapy For An Autistic Teen, Molly Boyle

Honors Theses

This study sought to understand the outcomes of occupational therapy through interviews of a person with autism spectrum disorder (defined below), their family, and an occupational therapist. By interviewing each of these people, this study aimed to examine the impact of occupational therapy on the autonomy and independence of a young adult with autism and his family.

A Systematic Review Of Music Therapy For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alana Andrus

Honors Theses

Music therapy has been suggested to be effective in Autism. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of music therapy as a potential treatment option for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. To obtain published records, a PubMed search was conducted with the search term “music therapy autism,” which generated 187 studies. Each study was evaluated for relativity to the topic at hand. The remaining 151 articles were assessed for support status, as well as other later suggested research, in order to more confidently support music therapy as a treatment option for ASD patients. Approximately …

Predicting Autism From Infant Characteristics: A Systematic Review, Alysha Y. Henrichs, Cynthia Cress Ph.D.

Honors Theses

A literature review was conducted of 73 articles to explore 12-month-old characteristics in infants that predicted later diagnosis with autism (ASD). Articles were reviewed if they discussed ASD, infants with siblings diagnosed with autism (high-risk) and/or infants later diagnosed with autism without known family history of ASD (low risk). Articles were not reviewed if the participants were 36 months or older at the start of the study. More factors were identified that discriminate characteristics associated with later ASD diagnosis in infants between 12-24 months compared to characteristics of infants below 12 months. Characteristics of infants under 12 months that were …

Functional Connectivity Of The Inferior Frontal Gyrus In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Emma Miller

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a “neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction” which is heavily impacts language abilities. There is an abundance of research on the neurological aspects of the disorder, which appear to have major differences of activation and functionality when compared to typically developing peers. Specifically, in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), a key language region of the brain, functional connectivity levels tend to be significantly less in ASD groups. This study recognizes these trends and aims to expand the research by locating specific functional connections …

Wernicke’S Area In Autism: Rsfmri Study, Sydney Osbarn

Honors Theses

We investigated the functional connectivity of Wernicke’s Area and its right homologue (Planum Temporale) in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typically developing individuals. We used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging to analyze these areas in 145 participants from The University of Michigan via ABIDE. As a retest sample, we also used data from a University of Pittsburgh cohort. There is weakened functional connectivity between Wernicke’s Area and Planum Temporale in individuals with ASD as opposed to typically developing individuals. Participants with ASD did not have greater connectivity in other regions compared to the control group. Pragmatics, nonverbalism, …

Curriculum For Hippotherapy For Children With Autism, Brenna Schulte, Kristy Weissling

Honors Theses

Innovative effective forms of allied health therapies across disciplines including occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy are being continuously researched and implemented for people with a variety of disabilities. One form of therapy increasing in popularity is Hippotherapy (HPOT). There is a variety of terms related to hippotherapy. More broadly, Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) is the use of horses to promote physical and mental health and can be utilized for a wide variety of disabilities, such as ADHD and Autism, as well as physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy. HPOT occurs when OT, PT, and ST professionals utilizes horse …

Interactive Physical And Cognitive Exercise System (Ipaces™): The Neuropsychological Effects For Youth On The Autism Spectrum, Michaela Haller

Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1 in 68 children in the United States (Center for Disease Control, 2016). The disorder is characterized by deficits in social interaction, verbal communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors (DSM- V, 2013). While the apparent cause of ASD is biological, the diagnosis remains based on social deficits (Hapé & Frith, 1996). Exercise has been found to improve executive function for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, but motivation is an issue and exergames hold promise. This pilot study evaluated an interactive Physical and Cognitive Exercise System (iPACES™), wherein children pedal …

Theory Of Mind In Children And Adolescents On The Autism Spectrum: Comparison With Normative Individuals, Courtney Cross

Honors Theses

Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to recognize mental states of oneself and that of other individuals (Parsons & Mitchell, 2002), which typically evolves with age in normative individuals (Hutchins et al., 2011). Research has shown that autistic (ASD) individuals lack a developed ToM and that this triggers social impairments (Rajendran, 2013; Mathersul et al., 2013). The developmental progress of ToM in children on the spectrum is unknown; therefore, this study analyzed normative individuals and those on the spectrum to discover how the development of ToM in these two groups may differ with age. This study hypothesized that normative …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study Of Mikey, Gabrielle Lober

Honors Theses

This paper describes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including diagnostic criteria, suspected causes, prevalence, comorbidities, and influences on client factors. A hypothetical case study is presented to give readers an illustration of what someone with ASD might look like. Possible treatment based on evidence and selected frame of references will be given for the hypothetical client. This paper is not all inclusive of the role of occupational therapy in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, but gives an illustrative example.

Le Diagnostic Social De L'Autisme : Un Examen Du Processus De Diagnostic De L'Autisme En France, Mary Katherine Mackenzie

Honors Theses

Autism is a set of developmental disorders that cause social, behavioral, and communication deficits. This disorder is found throughout the world although its prevalence varies considerably between countries. These international differences in autism rates are inconsistent with scientific evidence that suggests there is a genetic basis for the disorder. This inconsistency indicates that autism rates are not representative of actual variation in prevalence. An analysis of these variations suggests that international divergences are caused by the different social structures that influence the process of diagnosing autism in an individual country. This theory holds that the manifestation of autistic symptoms is …

Lack Of Medicaid Funding For Occupational Therapy Serving The Autism Spectrum Disorder Population Ages 0-5 Years, Nadia Yala

Honors Theses

The prevalence of autism in the United States is currently 1 in 68 children (Autism Alliance of Michigan, 2014). This is considered an epidemic. There are a variety of treatments available in the state of Michigan for children with autism, such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and applied behavior analysis (ABA). Effective April 1^st, 2013, Michigan increased their funding cap for ABA therapy for treating children with autism. However, there is a lack of knowledge within the community and amongst professionals in regards to the critical treatment occupational therapy practitioners provide and as a result, there …

Using Led Lights As Prompts To Teach Receptive Identification To Preschool Children With Autism, Allison Pavlicek

Honors Theses

The purpose of the study "Using LED Lights as Prompts to Teach Receptive Identification to Preschool Children with Autism" is to implement a different prompting procedure than traditional least-to-most prompting procedures in teaching. One prompting procedure commonly used in discrete trial training classrooms involves least-to-most prompting in the form of gestural and physical prompts to guide children to make correct responses during teaching procedures. To specifically teach receptive identification skills, an apparatus with LED lights was used as a prompting device to vary light intensities on stimuli that the child will choose from. This alternate method of prompting may enable …

Approaching Autism: A Documentary, Kathryn Merrill, J L. West

Honors Theses

This is a video documentary that discusses and explores Autism.

What is it?

What does it look like?

How can I help?

Combating An Elusive Enemy: Understanding Autism, Brandy Ussery

Honors Theses

Autism is a disorder that affects one out of every one thousand children. It occurs more frequently in boys than in girls and brings with it complications that deprive those affected of a nom1al life. One such individual is a boy named Tyler Kubinski. Tyler is a twelve-year-old severely autistic child from Paragould, Arkansas. Tyler's world is limited by his inability to speak or communicate further than a scream or contorted laugh. He does not frighten or agitate easily but will strike out fiercely with his muscular legs or well-aimed spit to anyone nearby. Tyler does not interact with his …