Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

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.

Supporting Sensory Development: The Efficacy Of Sensory Integrative Approaches To School-Based Occupational Therapy, Rebecca Heilbrun

Psychology and Child Development

No abstract provided.

Exercise: An Antecedent Based Intervention To Address Sensory Motor Needs And Learning Readiness, Laura Greiss Hess, Heather Maurin

Laura Greiss Hess

“Exercise (ECE) is a strategy that involves an increase in physical exertion as a means of reducing problem behaviors or increasing appropriate behavior while increasing physical fitness and motor skills” “ECE can be used effectively to address behavior, school-readiness, academic, and motor skills.” NPDC Exercise Fact Sheet, 2014

Assistive Technology Enhancement Of Written Expression For Individuals With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Laura Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood, Susan Harris

Laura Greiss Hess

This study involves the use of computer software to assess the use of assistive technology (AT) in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. We will present an update of the subjects in the study, including research issues, subject diagnoses and diagnostic trends as assessed through baseline and follow-up testing.

Assistive Technology Enhancement Of Written Expression For Individuals With Neurodevelopmental Disorders [Poster], Laura Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood, Susan Harris

Laura Greiss Hess

The purpose of this project is to carry out an intensive training program in subjects with a broad range of neurodevelopmental disabilities to assess the efficacy of assistive technology (AT) intervention.

Gross Motor Development, Movement Abnormalities, And Early Identification Of Autism, Sally Ozonoff, Gregory S. Young, Stacy Goldring, Laura Greiss Hess, Andriana M. Herrera, Joel Steele, Suzanne Macari, Susan Hepburn, Sally J. Rogers

Laura Greiss Hess

Gross motor development (supine, prone, rolling, sitting, crawling, walking) and movement abnormalities were examined in the home videos of infants later diagnosed with autism (regression and no regression subgroups), developmental delays (DD), or typical development. Group differences in maturity were found for walking, prone, and supine, with the DD and Autism-No Regression groups both showing later developing motor maturity than typical children. The only statistically significant differences in movement abnormalities were in the DD group; the two autism groups did not differ from the typical group in rates of movement abnormalities or lack of protective responses. These findings do not …

Motor Abilities Of Children Diagnosed With Fragile X Syndrome With And Without Autism, C. Zingerevich, L. G. Hess, K. Lemons Chitwood, S. W. Harris, D. Hessl, K. Cook, R. J. Hagerman

Laura Greiss Hess

Background—Previous studies suggested that children diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) often meet criteria for autism or PDD. This study describes the fine motor abilities of children diagnosed with FXS with and without autism spectrum disorder, and compares the motor scores of those groups controlling for cognitive level. Method—Forty-eight children, ages 12-76 months (SD=16) diagnosed with FXS were assessed with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Their parents were interviewed with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). We used a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine if the fine motor scale of the …

Exercise: An Antecedent Based Intervention To Address Sensory Motor Needs And Learning Readiness, Laura Greiss Hess, Heather Maurin

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

• “Exercise (ECE) is a strategy that involves an increase in physical exertion as a means of reducing problem behaviors or increasing appropriate behavior while increasing physical fitness and motor skills”
• “ECE can be used effectively to address behavior, school-readiness, academic, and motor skills.” NPDC Exercise Fact Sheet, 2014

Occupational Therapy: Meeting The Needs Of Families Of People With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck, Renee Watling

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Occupational therapy has much to offer to families of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, people outside the profession may be unaware of occupational therapy’s breadth and scope. It is our responsibility and our duty to express the full range of occupational therapy services through research, clinical practice, advocacy, and consumer education. This special issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, with its focus on autism, embarks on this endeavor by highlighting research and theoretical articles that address the various aspects of occupational therapy practice that can help to fully meet the needs of people with ASD and …

Helping Parents Navigate Occupational Therapy In The Iep Process, Noelle Bakken, Kelly Calton, Molly Hyland, Shannon Landau

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

At the request of Matrix Parent Network and the Marin Autism Collaborative, the project developers have gathered information in order to help parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) better understand Occupational Therapy (OT) in the school setting. The development of the resource guide consisted of three needs assessments to identify areas of occupational therapy in which parents required further clarification. After meeting with the director of parent services from Matrix Parent Network, and receiving the online survey results from twenty-eight parents in Marin County, who have children with ASD, the project developers identified areas of OT to focus …

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 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 …

Joint Attention Intervention With Assisting Parent­ Mediated Techniques To Increase A Toddler With Autism Spectrum Disorders' Use Of Joint Attention: A Single Case Study, Rebecca Schulz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Attention Intervention (JAI) conducted by graduate researcher, parent, and caregiver, would change the use of joint attention (JA) by a three-year-old suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The participant was a three-­year-­old child suspected of having ASD. Intervention was conducted twice per week for 30-45 minute duration by the student graduate researcher at a university clinic under the supervisor of Dr. Bonnie Berg, CCC­SLP. The parent and child's caregiver were trained in JAI and implemented the intervention daily in the home environment. The author's research question was, "Will the use of a JAI parent­mediated intervention model increase the JA …

Friendships For High School Students: With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Without, Alanna Young

Honors Theses and Capstones

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience deficits in social communication, having difficulty with carrying on conversations, abiding by social norms, and feeling empathy towards others. As social skills are important for successful interactions, these deficiencies can decrease the number of friendships experienced by teenagers with ASD. However, it is also possible that other social barriers are involved, such as stigma, assumed by peers of teenagers with ASD. The influence of deficits in social interaction and stigma was examined through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, comprised of groups with teenagers with ASD and groups with typically developing teenagers. It was …