Matching Items (7)
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- All Subjects: Autism
- Creators: Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics
Description
Token economies are a type of behavioral reinforcement that are particularly useful in classroom settings for increasing student compliance, for both typically developing children and children with autism spectrum disorder. During this study, we implemented a token economy in an inclusive preschool classroom with tokens contingent on compliance to classroom rules. Three participants, two with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and one considered typically developing, were included in the study. Results indicated that levels of compliance increased for both the typically developing participant and participants with autism, and did not drop below baseline levels during the withdrawal phase, suggesting there was no lack of intrinsic motivation. Further, the typically developing participant and one of the participants with autism spectrum disorder had very similar levels of compliance, while the other participant had much higher levels of compliance throughout every phase, suggesting that the compliance levels for peers with more advanced repertoires with autism may differ from both typically developing peers and peers who have less developed repertoires. The implications of these results are discussed as they relate to compliance from an ABA perspective.
ContributorsEggen, Kelly (Author) / Hahs, Adam (Thesis director) / Cavanaugh Toft, Carolyn (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly have co-morbid psychiatric symptoms which can decrease quality of life. Although many adults with ASD are achieving greater independence, including attending college, psychiatric symptoms are generally not well controlled in this group. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a program that has successfully been used to reduce the stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in many clinical and non-clinical groups and may also be effective for college-aged students with ASD. The present investigation assessed the demand, practicality, implementation, adaptation, and acceptability of an MBSR course for college students with ASD. A total of 22 participants completed the questionnaire containing 53 questions and were between the ages of 18 to 64. We found that the MBSR therapy is in high demand for individuals with ASD, and that the participants would be willingly complete the intervention techniques. Participants generally stated that a therapy course like MBSR may help reduce their symptoms, and that they were eager to enroll. Participants were willing to attend all 8 classes during the summer, with a preference for afternoons. Also, modifications including yoga and background music would be accepted by each participant as well as any additional modifications made to the course to meet the needs of the individuals with ASD. Next steps include enrolling and randomizing students into the MBSR course or control group, as well as collect pre- and post-intervention data. We hypothesize MBSR will reduce the psychiatric symptoms and stress levels of individuals in college with ASD, demonstrating its effectiveness in this vulnerable population.
ContributorsJones, Rachel Michelle (Author) / Braden, Blair (Thesis director) / Baxter, Leslie (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Department of Speech and Hearing Science (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
My Barrett Honors Thesis Paper synthesizes three components of my Thesis Project, which demonstrates the process of developing strong research from the beginning stage of investigation of a problem to implementation of an intervention to address that problem. Specifically, I engaged in research on the topic of mathematics and students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). My review of the literature demonstrated a current dearth in the knowledge on effective interventions in math for this population of students. As part of my project, I developed and implemented an intervention to address the problem and help improve the knowledge base in the fields of autism and mathematics. Through the initial research process it was determined that students with autism spectrum disorders are being included more frequently in the general educational setting, and are therefore increasingly expected to access and master core curricular content, including mathematics. However, mathematics often presents challenges to students with ASD. Therefore, the first part of my Thesis Project is a comprehensive literature review that synthesized eleven studies of mathematics intervention strategies for students with ASD. Researching the current literature base for mathematics interventions that have been implemented with students with ASD and finding only eleven studies that met the inclusionary criteria led to the writing of the second part of my Thesis Project. In this second portion, I present how three research-based practices for students with autism, self-management, visual supports, and peer-mediated instruction, can be implemented in the context of teaching a higher-level mathematics skill, algebraic problem solving, specifically to students with ASD. By employing such strategies, teachers can assist their students with ASD to benefit more fully from mathematics interventions, which in turn may help them strengthen their mathematics skills, increase independence when completing problems, and use acquired skills in community or other applied settings. As part of the second portion of my Thesis Project, I developed a visual support strategy called COSMIC (a mnemonic device to guide learners through the steps of algebraic problem solving) to help aid students with ASD when solving simple linear equations. With the goal of contributing to the current research base of mathematics interventions that can support students with ASD, for the final part of Thesis Project I worked with a local middle school teacher to assist her in implementing our COSMIC intervention with her student with ASD. Results indicated the student improved in his algebraic problem solving skills, which suggests additional interventions with students with ASD to be recommended as part of future research.
ContributorsCleary, Shannon Taylor (Author) / Barnett, Juliet (Thesis director) / Farr, Wendy (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
The purpose of this project was to research the expression of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children and create a children’s book that can help the peers of individuals with a diagnosis to understand what the disorder entails and potentially gain a new sense of empathy for peers of all levels of physical and mental abilities. The research component includes interviews with individuals deemed knowledgeable about ASD, including occupational therapists, behavioral analysts, and parents, as well as a literature review of research studies on the expression of Autism in children. This written portion of the project may also serve as a manual for individuals who have little to no knowledge of ASD, as it dives deeper into the content of the book and research, while remaining easily understandable and clear to those without any prior knowledge or experience with ASD. It could prove especially useful for those in professions that come into contact with individuals with Autism, but do not necessarily require psychology courses or training as a prerequisite for the role, such as teachers and some health professionals.
ContributorsSigna, Hope (Author) / Nelson, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Spinrad, Tracy (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
This research paper covers many topics related to autism, including causes, treatment, DSM changes, and more. It is a review of current literature and journals and aims to give the audience a better understanding of the disorders and to discuss the changes in diagnostic criteria and prevalence of ASD.
ContributorsPeters, Emily Morgan (Author) / Stenhoff, Donald (Thesis director) / Hahs, Adam (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
The goal of this study was to gain insights from adults on the autism spectrum regarding their recommendations for improving the accessibility of stores and restaurants. Four adults who indicated that they had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome volunteered to participate in a qualitative interview. The questions that participants were asked centered around their experiences in stores and restaurants, current accessibility guidelines, the impact of COVID-19 on their experiences, and their recommendations for increased accessibility. Recommendations fell into two main categories: changes to the environment and accommodations that could be provided. Participants suggested multiple ways to reduce their sensitivities to noise in stores and restaurants like lowering the music, creating a quiet hour, or providing noise cancelling headphones. Further efforts are needed to fully understand the issue of accessibility for autistic individuals.
ContributorsWall, Charlotte (Author) / Updegraff, Kimberly (Thesis director) / Puruhito, Krista (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor)
Created2021-12
Description
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that not only affects communication and behavior with often co-occurring gastrointestinal (GI) issues such as constipation and diarrhea. Recent studies have shown that many GI and behavioral symptoms in individuals with ASD are linked to dysregulated immune systems and altered gut microbiomes (bacteria and fungi). In fungal microbiota, a common GI commensal and opportunistic pathogen, Candida, has been found in higher abundance in children with ASD. Few studies have investigated total IgA and IgG levels in both blood and feces of ASD individuals with relatively mixed findings, showing either significantly higher or lower IgG and IgA abundance in ASD vs. TD (typically developing) individuals. Mixed results are likely due to a lack of a standardized method of immunoglobulin (Ig) quantification. In this study, we attempt to standardize an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) procedure to measure total IgA, total IgG, and anti-Candida albicans IgA and IgG levels in fecal samples of adults with ASD. Measuring Ig levels can reflect altered gut microbiota, GI tract, and immune status in ASD and potentially characterize Ig as a biomarker for ASD. Although we were unable to successfully standardize an Ig ELISA quantification method, SDS-PAGE confirmed the presence of IgA in fecal Ig extracts. Based on our ELISA results, we suspect that dilution factors of fecal Ig extracts need to be modified further to detect the IgA within the detection range. The experimental methodology in this study can be used as a reference to develop and improve a full-proof method of quantifying immunoglobulin from ASD fecal samples, which will help to reveal immune status in ASD.
ContributorsCampos, Nicole (Author) / Marwah, Mira (Co-author) / Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa (Thesis director) / Nirmalkar, Khemlal (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05