Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

The Effect Of The Movie Time Social Learning Method On The Emotional Inferencing Skills In An Adult With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jenna Reade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty finding employment and maintaining social relationships. Professional and personal interactions require individuals to make inferences, or read between the lines. Inferencing is a challenge for individuals with ASD because it requires complex information processing. More specifically, it involves the integration of cognitive and linguistic information. There is a lack of research using complex stimuli to treat inferencing. An A-B-A-B design with one adult with ASD was used to examine the effectiveness of a movie-based method, Movie Time Social Learning(Vagin, 2012), on improving the emotional inferencing skills of one young adult with …

Factors Related To Successful Implementation Of An Aac Device For An Individual With Autism, Michaela Worms

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Communication impairment is a defining characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013); therefore, the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has become an essential part of language intervention for children with autism that experience significant difficulties with communication (Flores et al., 2012). Assessing children’s preferences for AAC options may be important with respect to AAC abandonment, which is a problem in the AAC field (Johnson, Inglebret, Jones, & Ray, 2006). This single-subject study identified factors related to successful implementation, acquisition, and usage of an AAC system. The clinician collected baseline data on the client’s spontaneous production …

Raps—Measuring Problem Solving In Children With And Without Autism, Haley Jones

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis discusses a study conducted that compared the Rapid Assessment of Problem Solving (RAPS) with the Ravens Progressive Matrices (RPM) in assessing the problem solving of children with and without autism. While the effectiveness of the RAPS had been evaluated for neurotypical children and adults, and adults with traumatic brain injuries, severe mental illness, and Alzheimer’s disease, no studies had yet been conducted with children with autism. The RAPS and the RPM were administered to twelve adolescents with autism and fifteen neruotypical, ages 10:0-17:11. To assess problem solving abilities, questions were analyzed in terms of inefficient constraint questions, frank …

Using Parent-Identified Strengths Of Autistic Children To Advance Strength-Based Intervention, Angelique Francesca Trigueros

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Questions remain about the range of abilities autistic children possess and what constitutes effective treatment. Strength-based intervention contrasts with traditional autistic intervention approaches that focus on children's deficits. Studies on strength-based intervention approaches have not revealed how children's strengths are identified and have not used the insights of parents for this purpose. Neurodiversity serves as the conceptual framework because the tenets of neurodiversity align with those of strength-based approaches and hold that autism is a variation of the human condition rather than a disability. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenological study was to explore how the parent-identified strengths of …

Paraprofessional-Implemented Dialogic Reading And Its Impact On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Annalise D. Irvine

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of paraprofessional-implemented dialogic reading (DR) strategies on the comprehension, interaction, and attending abilities of a child on the autism spectrum. The secondary purpose was to understand whether the DR strategies assisted the paraprofessional in establishing meaningful interactions and positive behavioral changes with her student on the autism spectrum. A single subject across behaviors design was implemented with one paraprofessional and her student with autism. Judged from visual analysis of the graphical representation of the data, it was determined that there was a medium to strong functional relationship (depending on the …

Sex Differences In Internalizing And Externalizing Behaviors In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Caroline C. Cherry

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study used a retrospective practice-based research method to compare levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors of a clinically-ascertained sample of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n=90). As measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), internalizing and externalizing behaviors were compared to normative behavior, and between boys and girls with ASD. Findings suggest that in a clinical sample, children with ASD are more likely than typically developing children to have internalizing and/or externalizing problems. No significant sex differences were found for Internalizing Problems, Externalizing Problems, or Total Problems scores on either the parent or teacher …

The Effect Of Yoga And Breathing Exercises On Children With Autism, Leah Brausch

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this case study was to determine the effects of yoga and breathing exercises on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Common characteristics of children with ASD were noted and observed throughout the study in order to determine effectiveness of the therapy at hand. Yoga therapy was implemented for nine (9) weeks through an at-home program. It was determined that, while long-term effects were not evident, there is reasonable evidence to implement yoga therapy to assist with focus and attention. This paper serves to review characteristics of children with ASD, typical therapies used to assist them and the …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Inter-Professional Collaboration: The Impact Of Serial Versus Merged Treatment On The Behavior Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Robyn Starry

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Interdisciplinary collaboration is an innovative, resourceful approach to healthcare intended to positively affect patient outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of the serial exposure to three treatments, Applied Behavior Analysis, Speech Language Pathology, and Occupational Therapy, in comparison with an exposure to a merge of these treatments on child outcomes. During the serial treatment phases of intervention, three licensed professionals implemented core techniques from their respective disciplines. During merged treatment phases, a graduate clinician combined and implemented techniques from all three fields: differential attention, request sequences, sensory exposure, verbal/tactile cueing for postural alignment/control and …

An Exploration Of The Effectiveness Of The Use Of Communication Apps Through Mobile Devices On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Asd), Miriam O Sullivan

Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurological disorder which impacts on people in three primary areas: communication skills, social skills and behaviour skills. The diagnosis of ASD continues to rise with an estimated 1 in 100 receiving diagnoses of ASD in Ireland. There are many interventions promoted on a regular basis that claim positive effects on the basis of empirical research. However, the claims made by such studies are sometimes a little at odds with the level of methodological rigour and/or sample size employed. The research available is based on small scale international studies (America, Canada and Australia); however, …

Brief Report: A Mobile Application To Treat Prosodic Deficits In Autism Spectrum Disorder And Other Communication Impairments: A Pilot Study, Elizabeth Schoen Simmons, Rhea Paul, Frederick Shic

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

This study examined the acceptability of a mobile application, SpeechPrompts, designed to treat prosodic disorders in children with ASD and other communication impairments. Ten speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in public schools and 40 of their students, 5-19 years with prosody deficits participated. Students received treatment with the software over eight weeks. Pre- and post-treatment speech samples and student engagement data were collected. Feedback on the utility of the software was also obtained. SLPs implemented the software with their students in an authentic education setting. Student engagement ratings indicated students' attention to the software was maintained during treatment. Although more testing is …

Incorporating A Robot In Intervention With Children With Asd: The Effect On Tantrum Behaviors, Tayler Bodon Whitmer

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of intervention involving a humanoid robot on challenging or tantrum behaviors of four children with low-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The current work was part of a larger study involving the effect of the robot on functional communication skills on a variety of different interactions with different communication partners. All participants took part in a single-subject, multiple-baseline design with various session types including baseline, traditional play-based treatment, treatment including the robot, and follow-up sessions. For the purpose of this study, only the sessions including treatment with the robot where the robot interaction occurred at the …

Aprosodia Therapy: The Impact On Affective Prosody In A Child With High Functioning Autism, Andria Hutchison

Student Theses and Dissertations

Aprosodia, a disorder that results from damage to the right hemisphere of the brain, affects a person’s ability to comprehend and/or express emotion through changes in voice, or prosody. A common characteristic in children with High Functioning Autism (HFA) is a flat, monotonous voice that affects social reciprocity and communicative competence. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of the imitative approach, established for adults with aprosodia due to right hemisphere damage, on the affective prosodic skills in a child with HFA. A within subject research design was selected, and one participant received the imitative intervention …

Stakeholder Perspectives Of The Effectiveness Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication Techniques In Children With Autism, Daria Constantinescu

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to utilize focus groups and individual interviews to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of augmentative and alternative (AAC) techniques in facilitating language in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as expressed by the opinions and attitudes of stakeholders involved in the process. ASD is a disorder that affects an individual's social and communication skills that usually surfaces within a child's first three years of life. There have been numerous studies conducted comparing different types of AAC intervention systems, but there is little information on stakeholders' opinions. The current study utilized one focus group interview …

The Use Of Theatre To Develop Social And Communication Behaviors For Students With Autism, Suzanne Reading, James Reading, Robert J. Padgett, Samantha Reading, Pete Pryor

Scholarship and Professional Work - Communication

Social and communication behaviors are often a focus of instruction for individuals with autism. A theatre rehearsal and production process is challenging and joyful work that nurtures the development of social and language skills. This study evaluated and described social and language behaviors for students with autism both before and after a 10-week theatre experience. The results indicated that, when compared with a control group, the students with theatre experiences had significant and positive changes in the development of social and language skills. Most particularly, these students had significant improvement in social responsiveness, acknowledgement of the perspective of others, and …

Proud To Be Autistic: Metaphorical Construction And Salience Of Cultural And Personal Identity In #Stopcombatingme, Jessica Benham

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Like many other autistic individuals, I struggle to find language to appropriately describe my experiences. Furthermore, within the Autistic community, debates over appropriate language use are frequent, including discussions on person-first language versus identity-first language, functioning language, and medical terminology. Through this research, I examine how rhetorical constructions of Autism gain power, focused on the role of language choice with regard to personal identity and self-advocacy and conduct a discourse analysis of the #StopCombatingMe movement on Twitter. Spearheaded by ASAN, a grassroots organization which seeks to challenge public dialogue on Autism, #StopCombatingMe sought to argue against the reauthorization of the …

A Clinical Case Study Exploring The Impact Of Bilingual Support In Speech-Language Intervention For A Child With Autism, Zaynab Taei

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Managing language choice in speech-language intervention is increasingly an issue for speech-pathologists treating bilingual children. Frequently L2 approaches only are implemented, resulting in negative effects on L1 acquisition, familial ties, and cultural transmission. This study examined the impact of a bilingual intervention on a school-aged child and her family. Providing intervention and therapy activities in the L1 resulted in increased parental engagement, increased L1 use by the child, and increased awareness of strategies for treating bilingual children among SLPs at the study site.

Social And Pragmatic Language In Autistic Children, Hannah Li

A with Honors Projects

Two research studies, one pinpointing difference in areas of the brain used in pragmatic language activities between neurotypical and autistic children, and the other examining pragmatic language development in children with autism over time are summarized and compared.

Monolingual And Bilingual Intervention Outcomes In A Bilingual Child With Autism, Victoria Alexander

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: When treating bilingual children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the language of intervention has been a controversial topic among professionals. There is limited research on the treatment of bilingual children with ASD.

Purpose: To extend the limited research on the use of language of intervention in bilingual children with ASD. This study compared a monolingual English treatment and a bilingual English-Spanish treatment, to examine which one was more efficient.

Methods: A single-subject alternating treatment design with a baseline was used to compare the efficacy of two treatment conditions in increasing language skills in a bilingual child with ASD. The …

Literature Review And Case Study Of The Functionality Of Video Self Modeling, Carly Conklin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report includes a literature review and case study examination to determine the functionality and effectiveness of video self-modeling as a speech-language therapy technique for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research has shown that video modeling is effective to teach language skills to individuals with ASD. This case study focused on teaching a child with ASD receptive language skills to identify emotions based on body language and tone of voice. A single subject pretest posttest design was used to measure the results for the case study participant.

Multi-Modal Communication In School-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Lauren Dougherty

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a difficult time communicating on a daily basis. To help enhance and sometimes substitute speech altogether, they require Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. A review of literature found that school-age children with ASD utilize multiple modes of communication. The observation conducted looked at six school-age children, grades 6-8, with ASD and their use of multimodal communication. Each child was observed throughout their school day in settings such as the classroom, lunch/recess, and the speech therapy room. Data was collected for the number of times a child was given the opportunity to use …

The Effect Of Using Low Dose Exposure To A Humanoid Robot To Elicit Social Engagement Behaviors In Children With Autism Interacting With A Familiar Adult, Cambrie Nicole Roueche

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of low dose exposure to a humanoid robot on the social engagement skills of four children with autism during select activities with a familiar adult. Participants included two males and two females who ranged in age from four to nine at the commencement of the study. The current study was part of a larger investigation focused on the effect of exposure to a robot on social engagement with a variety of social partners and situations. Children participated in variable multiple baseline sessions followed by a varied number of sessions of traditional treatment. After traditional treatment, …

The Effects Of Intervention Involving A Robot On Compliance Of Four Children With Autism To Requests Produced By Their Mothers, Holly Jeanne Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

The current study presents the use of a humanoid robot to facilitate compliant behaviors to two types of directives in four children with autism. The children participated in a three-month intervention program that incorporated core components of the SCERTS model in order to facilitate social communication (Prizant, Wetherby, Rubin, & Laurent, 2003). Treatment sessions were comprised of 40 minutes of traditional treatment and 10 minutes of interaction with a humanoid robot. Pre- and post-intervention assessment were conducted, each involving a 5 minute interaction with the child's mother, in which they were presented with directives in the form of physical manipulation …