Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Piecing The Puzzle Together With The Use Of Physical Therapy, Mikayla Pruitt

Honors Projects

For my Honors Project I decided to create a set of exercise cards for children with autism. The front of each card had a picture symbolizing the exercise/activity, and on the back included directions, supplies and tips to complete the activity. The following is a selection of a few exercise cards from each of the four exercise sections, as well as the title card, table of contents cards, information cards, and source cards.

The Effectiveness Of A Computer-Assisted, Cognitive-Behavior Program For Treating Anxiety Symptoms In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer A. Zabel

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex and multifaceted, neurodevelopmental disorder that severely impacts children and families across a variety of settings. Prevalence rates of ASD are continuing to increase rapidly, with sizeable intervention and treatment costs placed on families and society. Further complicating the matter, many individuals with ASD also evidence co-occurring anxiety symptoms or disorders and tend to be at a higher risk for developing such problems when compared to other clinical populations or typically developing children. This study investigated the effectiveness of a computer-assisted CBT program, Camp Cope-A-Lot (CCAL), in regards to reducing anxiety symptoms in four …

Using Video Feedback To Increase Eye Contact During Mock Job Interviews For Transition Age Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Alexia Barnes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in social and communicative behaviors. These impairments can impact an individual's ability to obtain employment. The rates of unemployment for individuals with ASD are much higher than those of their peers without ASD. This study used a multiple baseline design across three participants diagnosed with ASD to determine the effectiveness of video feedback in improving eye contact duration during mock job interviews. After video feedback sessions, eye contact duration increased across all participants. On average, participant's eye contact duration was at 30.2% during baseline. These percentages increased to an average of …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Shaping With A Percentile Schedule To Increase The Duration Of Sustained Interaction Following A Bid For Joint Attention In Children With Autism, Therese Gutbrod

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the use of shaping with a percentile schedule to increase the duration of the interaction following a bid for joint attention in children with autism. Specifically, the therapist initiated a bid for joint attention and reinforced longer successive approximations in seconds of sustained interaction with the therapist and activity. A percentile schedule ranked the most recent 10 observations and reinforcement was provided if the current observation equaled the sixth ranking. Most-to-least prompting was used if the child failed to meet the calculated criterion. Shaping with a percentile schedule of reinforcement was effective at increasing the duration of …

Relationship Between Sensory Sensitivities And Cognitive And Adaptive Abilities In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Laura Pendergast

Honors Scholar Theses

Sensory sensitivities are widely reported among individuals with ASD. These sensory sensitivities can be classified as over-responsivity, under-responsivity, or seeking of sensory stimulation. Following recent changes in the diagnostic criteria, sensory sensitivities are considered a key feature of the behavioral phenotype of ASDs. Despite their significance, sensory sensitivities have been largely underestimated. Therefore, more research in this area may reveal important information about the influence of sensitivities on functioning, as well as the underlying causes of the symptoms. This study investigated a possible relationship between sensory sensitivities and cognitive and adaptive abilities in children with ASD. The sample included 29 …

Evaluation Of Video Modeling To Teach Children Diagnosed With Asd To Avoid Poison Hazards, Shannon Eileen King

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accidental poisonings are one of the leading safety threats for young children, so it is important to teach children to avoid ingesting poisonous substances. Research has shown that behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training (IST) are effective in teaching children safety skills to prevent gun play, abduction, and poison ingestion. However, little research on safety skills has been conducted with children with autism. Video modeling has been shown to be effective in teaching abduction prevention skills to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of video modeling to …

Swing Dancing Along The Spectrum: A Proposed Unique Adjunctive Treatment Approach For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alia Mulder-Rosi

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a class of developmental disorders typically diagnosed during childhood. ASD is characterized by social deficits and repetitive behavioral patterns, which cause clinically significant impairment and are not better explained by intellectual disability (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This doctoral paper proposes swing dancing as an adjunctive treatment option for high functioning adults with ASD. Swing dance is a category of social, partner dance initially set to swing style jazz music. This category most notably includes Lindy Hop, Charleston, Jitterbug and Balboa. Swing dance is an activity which grants social structure, is typically surrounded by an accepting …

Idiots Savants, Retarded Savants, Talented Aments, Mono-Savants, Autistic Savants, Just Plain Savants, People With Savant Syndrome, And Autistic People Who Are Good At Things: A View From Disability Studies, Joseph N. Straus

Publications and Research

People identified as idiot savants have long comprised an identifiable group (a high level of skill in the context of perceived mental deficiency) whose story has mostly been told by psychiatrists and psychologists within a medicalized model of disability that assumes deficiency and seeks remediation and normalization. More recently, people identified as savants have become common figures of literary and cinematic representation. Both of these narrative frames have enfreaked them as alien Others, whose gifts and disabilities place them outside the normal run of human intelligence and creativity. With a focus on music, this article tries to see through these …

Is Melatonin An Effective Treatment For Sleep Problems In Autism?, Andrew J. Winkler

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not melatonin is an effective treatment for sleep problems in Autism.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language, randomized controlled blinded trials published within peer-reviewed journals from 2006-2010 evaluating the efficacy of Melatonin as an oral sleep supplement in diagnosed autistic children.

DATA SOURCES: A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial; a randomized controlled crossover trial; and a randomized controlled trial found using Cochrane, PubMed, and DynaMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Total night’s sleep duration, number of awakenings, and sleep latency time were all measured …

Anxiety Symptoms In Individuals With High Functioning Autism, Jane C. Kelleher

Honors Scholar Theses

Research indicates a complicated relationship between anxiety disorders and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The current study examined the relationship between anxiety symptoms and ASD in 30 Optimal Outcome (OO) individuals, 33 High Functioning Autism (HFA) individuals, and 34 Typically Developing (TD) individuals. The groups were compared on the K-SADS measure of anxiety symptoms. The HFA group presented greater anxiety than both the OO and TD groups, and the OO and TD groups only differed on one anxiety symptom. Across all three groups, there was a significant association between greater anxiety symptoms and a higher level of social and communicative impairment. …

The Silhouettes Of Autism, Chloe J. Dobbert

CMC Senior Theses

My passion as a student at the Claremont Colleges is to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder grow and learn as normal children and to help prepare them for life outside the Autism Center at Claremont McKenna College. In my thesis project, I am exploring the concept of silhouettes through photography and my perceptions of the stories told to me by the children I teach. Esthetically, I am inspired by Kara Walker’s installation of large cutout silhouettes but I am using different mediums to accomplish my project: Artistically, I am inspired by the detailed descriptions of the obsessive stories and …

The Sensory Processing Patterns And Activity Choices Of A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mixed-Methods Case Study, Valerie Miller

Online Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that up to 95% of children with autism spectrum disorder experience sensory processing problems. Minimal research is available on the relationship between specific sensory processing patterns, activity preference and behavior patterns in children. It is hypothesized that if children participate in play activities that support their sensory needs, they will experience less behavioral problems, more self-regulating behavior and a higher quality of life. This mixed-methods case study examines how a child with autism spectrum disorder participates in activities and looks at if those activities support sensory needs, thus reinforcing self-regulatory behaviors.

A Comparison Of A Matrix Programming And Standard Discrete Trial Training Format To Teach Two-Component Tacts, Emily Braff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teaching using matrix programming has been shown to result in recombinative generalization. However, this procedure has not been compared to more standard discrete trial training formats such as DTT. This study compared acquisition and recombinative generalization of two-component tacts using each procedure. Matrix training was found to be more efficient than the DTT format. Half the amount of teaching was required to teach roughly the same number of targets using matrix training as compared to DTT.

Narrative Abilities Of Optimal Outcome Children And Adolescents With A Previous History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Joyce Suh

Master's Theses

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) have traditionally been considered a lifelong condition; however there appear to be a subset of people who make such significant improvements that they no longer meet diagnostic criteria for autism. The current study examines whether these “optimal outcome” (OO) children and adolescents continue to have subtle language and socio-cognitive deficits. Method: The narratives of 15 children and adolescents with a history of ASD who achieved optimal outcomes (OO), 15 high-functioning children and adolescents with a current ASD diagnosis (HFA), and 15 typically developing peers (TD) were evaluated. Results: OO children and adolescents have few residual …

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 …

Dance/Movement Therapy And Autism: A Case Study, Katherine Ann Porter

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the development of the therapeutic relationship with a child with autism through dance/movement therapy. The characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder effect social interactions, communication, behavior and interests. This means there is difficulty engaging and maintaining reciprocal social interactions, and trouble with receptive and expressive language. The purpose of this study is to describe how movement mirroring in dance/movement therapy affects the development of the therapeutic relationship with a child with autism, through the analysis of the Ways of Seeing approach.

The data collected in this clinical case study consisted of video tapped sessions and Laban Movement Analysis …

Training And Assessment Of Toothbrushing Skills Among Children With Special Needs, Rachel A. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The success of applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions relies heavily on adherence to measures of social importance. One area identified by caregivers, educators, and researchers as having social importance is the area of daily living skills; particularly in populations of children with special needs. A number of studies employed the use of a task analysis to objectively measure toothbrushing, with various training procedures utilized. Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is an effective procedure used to train a variety of skills. Further, research indicates the addition of an in situ assessment promotes generalization of trained skills. The current study examined the use …

Teaching Language To Children With Developmental Disabilities Using Combined Direct Reinforcement And Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing, Brighid Helene Fronapfel-Sonderegger

Dissertations

Several researchers have used stimulus-stimulus pairing (the pairing of speech sounds with established reinforcers) to increase the frequency of specific vocalizations in children with disabilities. However, only a few addressed the utility of stimulus-stimulus pairing to increase functional language, and none combined stimulus-stimulus pairing and direct reinforcement. The present study combined stimulus-stimulus pairing and direct reinforcement to successfully teach 2 to 10 functional mands in 21–49 7-minute sessions with four children with developmental disabilities with low verbal repertoires. Following mand training, two children were taught 10 tacts for pictures using the combined direct reinforcement and stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure in a …

Asperger Syndrome And Blogging; Theory Of Mind And The Extreme Male Brain Theory In Self-Identified Women With Asperger Syndrome, Vanesa Morgan

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Comparing Prompt Delay And Total Communication For Training Vocal Intraverbals In Children With Autism, Rosana Pesantez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Verbal behavior encompasses a wide range of aspects in our everyday lives and in the activities of a society. Many verbal behavior interventions often include programs to teach answering questions, these responses are referred to as intraverbals. Previous research has demonstrated a higher rate of acquisition of verbal targets such as mands and tacts for children with a limited verbal repertoire when a presentation of both sign and vocal prompts occur simultaneously (Total Communication), in comparison to sign-alone or vocal-alone trainings. However, an important variable not often examined in the literature is the comparison of Total Communication (TC) and …

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 …

Introversion And Autism: A Conceptual Exploration Of The Placement Of Introversion On The Autism Spectrum, Jennifer Grimes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The conceptualization of the personality construct of introversion has been problematic since the term's inception due to the complexity and seemingly self-contradictory nature of the collection of attributes of which it is comprised. To advance the understanding of introversion, I propose that it is a continuous segment of the non-clinical part of the autism spectrum, and that it is not the same as the inverse of extraversion. When introversion and autism are placed on the same continuum, the nature of the relationship of the traits becomes more apparent, and new possibilities are available for exploration of both autism and introversion. …

Examining The Relationships Between Parental Efficacy, Parenting Styles And Repetitive Behaviors In Children With Autism, James R. Carrillo

Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between parental efficacy, parenting styles and stereotypical behaviors exhibited by children with autism. Fourteen mothers and their children with autism (ages 14-21) were recruited from local schools and the rehabilitation center. Surveys used in this study included the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R), Parents Sense of Competence (PSOC) and the Parents Locus of Control (PLOC) scale. Also incorporated was the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Even though there was no correlation between the PLOC and stereotypical behaviors of the RBS-R, results revealed a significant relationship between the PSOC and the RBS-R. …

The Relationship Between Rrequency Of Physical Activity And Stereotypical Behaviors Among Adolescents With Autism, Justin M. Keyes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Electric Training Modules, Jennifer Stuehrenberg

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The South Central Crisis Center is a State Operated Services mental health facility in Mankato, Minnesota. The center is designed to offer people suffering an acute mental health episode, such as suicidal thoughts, or who need a medication adjustment or other psychiatric services, up to a few days in a safe, secure environment. The center accepts referrals from law enforcement, county or health care professionals in these participating counties: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Rice, Sibley and Watonwan. Recently, the program has been serving a larger amount of clients who have a diagnosis of Asperger’s Disorder …

Institute Brief: Supporting Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Quality Employment Practices, Alan Kurtz, Melanie Jordan

The Institute Brief Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

It has been known for decades that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including those with significant impairment or who have behaviors that others find challenging, can work when they are given appropriate supports. It is also clear that individuals with ASD can benefit from employment. Benefits include improved emotional state, greater financial gain, decreased anxiety, greater self-esteem, and greater independence. Nonetheless, employment outcomes for individuals with ASD have traditionally been poor. Even those who do find work are often underemployed or do not hold onto jobs for a long period of time.

Language Delays And The Influence Of Therapeutic Riding: A Case Study Of An Autistic Child, Nadia Suckarieh

Graduate Theses

Autism is a Pervasive Development Disorder characterized by stereotype behavior and trouble with communication. One focus of working with this population is increasing the verbal and communication ability of the nonverbal individuals. The present study focused on the effects a six-week therapeutic horseback riding program would have on the stereotypical behaviors present in a six-year-old autistic child, and if this program would help the his verbalization and communication ability. The Psychoeducation Profile, 3rd Edition was used to measure possible changes the intervention might have influenced. The result of the study indicated there was a decrease in the child’s physical stereotype …

Ua3/9/5 Special Announcement - Kelly Autism Project, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Speech delivered by WKU president Gary Ransdell announcing the beginning of the Kelly Autism Project at Western Kentucky University.