Child Psychology Commons^™

Talking With Horses: Equine Assisted Activities To Promote Social Engagement In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amy Ezhaya

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose of Project: The purpose of this evidenced-based project is to gather data on how therapeutic horseback riding (THR) facilitates social engagement in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The project aims to provide alternative treatment options and disseminate information to providers on the importance of community partnerships.

Background: In 2020, it was estimated that 1 in 54 children had ASD, which is a 170% increase since 2000. Often, those diagnosed with ASD also experience co-occurring mental health diagnoses placing a large burden of care on our healthcare system. THR is a growing alternative treatment option and has been found …

Focusing On Friendship: Online Supported Activities For Adolescents On The Autism Spectrum, Molly King

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

A core feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is social skills differences. Social skills groups have received support as an intervention that fosters social skills of those with ASD. However, there is limited information about the use of telehealth-based social skills groups. The proposed ASD adolescent social group design is formatted for telehealth services, and has been conducted virtually since 2020. This ASD social group program features unique virtual teaching and recreational activity curriculum as well as some program evaluation data methods and responses from participants.

Exploring Third Party Moral Transgressions In Preschool-Age Children, Courtney Trohn

Honors Program Theses

The present study investigates agent-neutral application of moral norms in preschool-age children and seeks to replicate a previous study that found children as young as 3 to actively intervene in third-party moral transgressions. The relationship between verbal ability and moral intervention is also explored. In an experimental research design, 3, 4, and 5-year-olds and two puppets each created their own drawing together, after which one confederate puppet left the room. The participants were randomly assigned to either a Harm condition (in which the absent puppet’s drawing was destroyed by the remaining puppet) or a Control condition (in which an extra …

Drama Therapy As An Intervention For Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Potential Benefits For Youth And Adulthood, Ella S. De Castro

Scripps Senior Theses

There are many interventions commonly used for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, one that has not been researched as often is drama therapy. Though there are not many studies on drama therapy and ASD, the ones that do exist seem to indicate positive results. The goal of this proposed study is to assess whether drama therapy could be a good intervention for ASD and if it could potentially be a better option compared to applied behavioral analysis (ABA). The proposed study is broken into two smaller studies. The first study explores the potential benefits of drama therapy for …