Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Improving Early Child Developmental Screenings In A Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Marlischa Jackson

Doctor of Nursing Practice

A dramatic growth of physical, motor, cognitive, communication, emotional, and social development will occur during the 3 years of life. Of children ages 3-17 years of age, 13% have some type of developmental or behavioral condition that goes undiagnosed before the age of 10. Children with multiple health and social risk factors, or those with chronic health disorders, are at greater risk to develop early child delays or disabilities. In the U. S., developmental screenings are only completed 21% of the time during well-child visits. Therefore, the purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase the adherence of health …

Bedtime Fading With Response Cost For Treatment Of Sleep Disturbances In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sela Ann Sanberg

Theses & Dissertations

As many as 82% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience numerous chronic sleep-related problems and at a much higher frequency and severity than their typically developing peers. Behavioral treatments are considered best practice and first-line treatment to address sleep problems. These treatments tend to address one specific sleep-related behavior at a time. Bedtime Fading with Response Cost (BFRC) is a promising intervention that targets a multitude of sleep problems concurrently and has yet to be replicated by more than one investigative team in the home setting with children on the autism spectrum. This study evaluated the effectiveness of …

The Effect Of Occupational Therapy Play-Based Interventions On Cooperative Behavior In Elementary School Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Shaunna Kelder, Jennifer E. Langill, Carol A. Reiss, Nicole F. Socia

Pediatrics

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of occupational therapy practitioners regarding the effect play-based interventions have on cooperative behaviors in elementary school aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While occupational therapy practitioners use a variety of interventions involving play to enhance skills related to social, self-regulation and communication, the concept of how play affects cooperative behavior, specifically in children with ASD, has not been readily identified. This qualitative research project utilized an anonymous survey to collect the perceptions of occupational therapists (OT) and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTA). The intent of the survey was to …

Using Constant Time Delay And Ecoaching To Teach Employment Skills To Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Intellectual Disability In A Community Work Environment, Annemarie L. Horn

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The goal of secondary education is to prepare students for greater levels of independence, especially in the areas of continued education and community employment. However, despite underlying potential, young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and comorbid intellectual disability (ID) are vastly underrepresented in the area of post secondary employment. This could be attributed to the unique characteristics and learning needs of these students, or it may be a function of the lack of effective, evidence-based teaching practices, implemented with fidelity.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness and participant perceptions of implementing the constant time delay …

Methods And Professionals Involved In Evaluating Postural Control In The Autism Spectrum Disorder Population: A Systematic Review, Christina Melora

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The objective of this systematic review was to determine the methods in which postural stability and control are being quantified in persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with what instrumentation and which healthcare professionals are included in this process. It is well studied that persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which now include those with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger Disorder, often suffer from vestibular modulation abnormalities (Rogers & Ozonoff, 2005; American Psychiatric Association, 2013.) These individuals may present with either an under- or over-responsiveness to vestibular inputs resulting in a variety of repetitive behaviors or …

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 …

Implementation Of Screening Guidelines To Improve Quality Of Care In A Small, Ethnically Diverse Pediatric Primary Care Practice…Then What?, Brooke Basford

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Although best practice guidelines have been shown to be effective, the process of translation into everyday practice can be challenging. The purpose of this evidence-based project (EBP) was the implementation of standardized screening tools into annual well-child visits in a small, ethnically diverse pediatric primary care practice in southern California. Standardized screening is recognized as an important process in identifying conditions early to facilitate early intervention. The practice site identified obesity has a priority and consequently the Department of Health Care Services: Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program Guidelines for Diet and Nutrition Screening for Children assessment form was …

Exploring Disparities In Underrepresented Minority Groups Of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders Using The Biopsychosocial Theoretical Model, Varleisha Gibbs

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background and Purpose of the Study

The rate of Autism continues to rise nationally. However, disparities in the age of diagnosis amongst underrepresented minority groups, still remains a major concern. Research supports that racial and ethnic disparities are key factors influencing noted age of diagnosis discrepancies. Traditionally, the medical community has used the biomedical or disability model, as revealed in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, to explore diagnostic differences. However, these models limit the healthcare professional’s ability to examine elements outside of pathology. In attempt to address the issue with a broader perspective, this study explored the various …

Interdisciplinary Skill Development During Summer Autism Clinic, Rachel F. Kagle

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The present paper focuses on the interdisciplinary skill development of speech-language pathology graduate student clinicians and occupational therapy graduate student clinicians in the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This paper explains the significance of these disciplines in the treatment of Autism before giving the results of the study. For the present study, data was collected at James Madison University’s Summer Autism Camp over a four-week period. There were ten speech-language pathology (SLP) clinicians that received the survey and eleven children with Autism that were enrolled in the program. It was hypothesized that the SLP clinicians would display skill …

What We Can't Understand: The Non-Verbal Communication Among Autistic Children, Samantha Simmons

Senior Theses

This project is about children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder and the tools they use to communicate with others. I touch on the ways parents can help their children at home and how they can assist their child to talk even if they are told they will never do so. Discussed in the paper are the various methods of communication including PECS, the QWERTY keyboard, and mobile applications. These can be used on an iPad, iPhone, smartphone etc. The nutritional benefit of some foods for children with autism is also a contributing factor of how they act. Eating foods such …

Training Parents In Descriptive Assessment And Function Identification, Makenzie Sip

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is often difficult for parents to address their child’s problem behavior. Children with special needs can display more frequent and intense problem behavior. Therefore, professionals need to help parents of children with special needs identify how to decrease their child’s problem behavior. Professionals help to decrease problem behavior by performing assessments called descriptive assessments to identify why the problem behavior is happening, and then using these assessments to create an appropriate plan of how to prevent and respond to the problem behavior. We examined if parents could be taught the skills necessary to perform descriptive assessments and then use …

Job Retention And Job Satisfaction At The Behavior Therapist Level Working In Aba Companies In The Home Setting, Melissa M. Dauster

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this relational study was to identify and compare the factors related to job satisfaction and job retention as perceived by behavior therapists working with children diagnosed with autism. A second purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between the level of burnout related to job retention, and the intrinsic and extrinsic level of motivation related to job satisfaction as perceived by Behavior Therapists working with students with autism. A further purpose of the study is to describe the improvements in the work place that behavior therapists working with students with autism identified as necessary …

Assessing Parent Invovlment In Applied Behavior Analysis Treatment For Children With Autism, Krista Marie Clancy

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare two groups of parents whose children participated in ABA on their levels of stress, self-efficacy, treatment acceptability, and parents’ level of involvement in their children’s treatment, and to assess variables that may explain variance in parent involvement. Parents in the treatment group participated in a voluntary parent training (n=18) and the comparison group were parents who elected not to participate in the voluntary training (n=22). This was a quasi-experimental design study where parents and their therapists completed a survey regarding parents’ involvement in their children’s treatment programs. Additional parent measures collected as …

Does Increasing Speech Production And Language Acquisition Through Therapies Aimed At Emphasizing Speech Therapy Improve The Verbal Communication Capabilities In Autistic Children?, Jessica Olejnik

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this EBM review was to determine if increasing speech production & language acquisition through therapies which emphasized speech therapy, would improve verbal communication skills in autistic individuals.

Study Design: Three RCTs selected due to relevance to the proposed question and fulfillment of the requirement of measuring POEMs.

Data Sources: All articles were published in peer-reviewed journals via PubMed.

Outcome Measures: The Preschool Language Scale 4 and Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language was measured pre-intervention and 12 months later. The verbal production evaluation scale which measured phonology, pragmatics, prosody, and sematic features. The …

Parental Understandings Of The Meaning Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Kylara Leyva

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how parents understand autism, their child's behavior and development. Parents can understand their child's behavior and development through a medical model perspective, which sees the childâ??s autism as a series of deficits and deviations. However, a growing number of parents understand their child's behavior and development through a neurodiversity perspective, where a child is seen as having differences in behavior, instead of deficits. Parents' understandings of autism can influence how they see their child's behavior and development and be a driver for seeking diagnosis. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of children with autism to probe for …

A Guide To Functional Communication Training And Autism, Elizabeth M. Connolly

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder have complex communication needs, and many use challenging behaviors to express themselves. This study focused on the effectiveness of the three-step Functional Communication Training process to decrease self-injurious behaviors, when used with a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. After conducting an extensive review of existing studies, the current project focused on areas of weakness in the literature. One case study subject participated in therapy that utilized Functional Communication Training. The participant was taught to functionally communicate via a speech generating device and picture symbols, while the numbers of self-injurious behaviors were recorded. At …

An Obsession Matched Intervention Improves The Facial/Emotional Recognition Deficit In Children With Asperger’S Syndrome, Aurora Claire Hoffman

Senior Projects Spring 2017

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) falls on the high-functioning end of the Autism Spectrum. AS is often characterized by a deficit in social/emotional/facial processing, resistance to change, and routine and repetitive behaviors and interests. Prior research has uncovered that AS individuals process faces in a detail-oriented piecemeal fashion, rather than holistically. They are also found to pay less visual attention to faces and social stimuli. Theoretical explanations that account for this particular functioning and processing style include Weak Central Coherence Theory (WCC) and Hyper-Systemizing Theory. WCC implies that AS individuals do not process instances within context, which contributes to their inability to …

Language Of Intervention In A Bilingual Child With Autism, Amelie Muzza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study was conducted to address language of intervention for the rapidly-growing bilingual population of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a monolingual English or bilingual Spanish/English condition would yield a greater number of request types in a 3-year-old bilingual participant with autism. A single-subject, rapid alternating treatments design with baseline and a final maintenance phase was used to alternate between monolingual English and bilingual Spanish/English interventions. Results did not meet the criteria set for continuation of treatment in either condition; therefore, both monolingual and bilingual interventions …

Different Not Less: An Evaluation Of The Autism Training Curriculum For The Kentucky Department Of Criminal Justice Training, Joseph Aaron Ellis

Online Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the largest growing neurological behavioral disabilities in the United States, with a rise in diagnoses from 2012 (1 in 88) to present day (1 in 68). Studies have shown that individuals with disabilities are more likely to be victimized. Thus, the increasing diagnoses of ASD increases the chance that a victim of crime will have ASD. Police officers should have a working and growing knowledge of ASD from day one, for this reason. This exploratory study uses a literature review of autism spectrum disorder in order to develop an evaluation to analyze the curriculum …

The Role That Autism Parent-Led Support Groups Play In Facilitating Advocacy, Carlos Javier Carmona

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, autism parent-led support groups and the contribution these groups had in creating parental advocacy were studied. The primary purpose of the study was to determine if autism parent-led support groups promoted advocacy skills of parents of children with autism. The secondary purpose of the study was to evaluate the level and extent of support provided by parent-led support groups. The qualitative data collection was done through individual interviews of parents of children with autism whose children were of any age. Through data analysis 6 major themes were identified: advocacy, emotional support, difficulty with funding, informational support, instrumental …

Exploring Autism And The Caregiver Burden Relationship, Mary C. Drockton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to collect qualitative data on the different stresses and burdens associated with being a caregiver for an autistic individual, and discover strategies of stress relief for caregivers. A total of four autism support group meetings hosted by the Autism Society of Greater Akron were attended and observed, with documentation of the discussion between the moderator of the meeting and the caregivers in attendance. Through observation of these meetings, common themes of stress in caregivers were revealed. These include: difficulty with the diagnosis process and finding medical treatment; seeking additional information on available medical treatments; …

Parental Perspectives On Vaccinating Children Against Preventable Childhood Diseases, Karen Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood immunization has been one of the most important public health measures in the 20th century. In the United States, 95% of avoidable childhood diseases have been prevented through vaccinations. However, there have been growing concerns around the safety of vaccines, and this increased uncertainty has led to decreases in vaccination participation and increases in cases of preventable diseases. As such, is it important to understand why parents are not vaccinating their children. A qualitative approach was utilized to conduct this study. Flyers to recruit participants were distributed by healthcare providers and were posted in church facilities. Ten parents of …

The Relationship Between Physical Exercise And Cognition In Children With Typical Development And Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Beron Wei Zhong Tan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research project sought to investigate the relationship between physical exercise and cognition in children with and without a neurodevelopmental condition. To achieve this aim, three approaches were undertaken to explore the exercise and cognition relationship. The first approach sought to understand the efficacy of exercise interventions on cognition in individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder. The second approach was to understand the effectiveness of an exercise activity when compared to a cognitively-engaging tablet game activity on measures of implicit learning and attention in children with and without a neurodevelopmental condition. The third approach was to investigate if psychophysiological measures could …

Autism Spectrum Disorders And Social-Ecological Models: Understanding How Context Drives Prevalence, Anne Elizabeth Brisendine

All ETDs from UAB

Background: While there has been significant work done to explore disparities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses with respect to individual characteristics, little work has been done to examine the overall system and structure of the environment in which ASD identification is made and how it is related to diagnosis and services. The purpose of this study is to better understand the social-ecological factors that impact ASD diagnoses at the population level. Methods: In the first aim of this dissertation, a tailored social ecological model was developed and examined across variables in the 2011/12 National Survey of Children’s Health. In …

Characterizing Food Selectivity In Children With Autism, Samantha H. Wohlmacher

Honors Theses and Capstones

Food selectivity or “picky eating” affects a large percentage of children on the autism spectrum and as a result can have negative impacts on a child’s health and nutritional status (Cermak, Curtin, & Bandini, 2010). Few studies compare food selectivity in children on the autism spectrum to children with other developmental issues. Such a comparison may reveal how food selectivity presents itself uniquely in children on the autism spectrum. This study examined data from past health records collected from the Seacoast Childhood Development Center (SCDC). Thirty-eight children whose parents were concerned about their diets were taken from a larger sample …

Social-Pragmatic Communication In Women With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multiple Case Study, Lacey W. Ryder

Honors Theses and Capstones

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is identified much later and less often in females than in males. Some researchers suspect that a different set of characteristics of ASD in females may not be consistent with the more established and widely recognized characteristics of ASD, leading to under-identification in women. In the present study, four women and one non-binary feminine-presenting person with ASD were interviewed. The five participants conveyed their experiences with social-pragmatic communication, and their views on gender, ASD, and gender differences in ASD. The results are discussed in relationship to the limited amount of past research on women with ASD.