DOCSLIB.ORG

Well-Being in Adults with High Functioning Autism Characteristics

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Well-Being in Adults with High Functioning Autism Characteristics University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2017 Well-Being in Adults with High Functioning Autism Characteristics Beler, Janice Marie Beler, J. M. (2017). Well-Being in Adults with High Functioning Autism Characteristics (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28683 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3580 doctoral thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Well-Being in Adults with High Functioning Autism Characteristics by Janice Marie Beler A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION GRADUATE PROGRAM IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH CALGARY, ALBERTA JANUARY, 2017 © Janice Marie Beler, 2017 WELL-BEING IN ADULTS WITH HFAC Abstract This study sought to examine well-being in adults with characteristics of high functioning autism. Drawing on first-, second-, and third-person perspectives, this study explored how autistic traits affect well-being. Integral methodological pluralism (IMP) was employed as a framework towards achieving a more balanced, comprehensive understanding of both background knowledge and issues germane to the topic of well-being in high functioning autism. The themes examined include the role of self in autism, relationships and autism, cognitive science and autism, and the approach to teaching learners with high functioning autism recommended by the Ministry of Education in the province of Alberta. Autism is a complex developmental disorder that is marked by its heterogeneity of symptoms, severity, and etiology. It has become a major field of research in multiple disciplines. Increased awareness has led to new methods for educating this growing population of learners. In spite of Alberta’s movement towards evidence-based teaching, much of our effort currently focuses on managing and controlling symptoms in order to promote positive behavior and immediate academic success. There is evidence that this approach amounts to short-term interventions designed to meet the more immediate needs of the child within the school setting, possibly at the expense of identifying and imparting skills and understandings that will contribute to long-term success and wellness. In the spirit of backward design models of educational planning, this study investigated understandings of well-being in high functioning autism. By improving the understanding relating to how adults with high functioning autism interpret and experience well-being, the findings can be used to provide curricular direction for youth that are less likely to be able to recognize and articulate the phenomena than adults. ii WELL-BEING IN ADULTS WITH HFAC This thesis is dedicated to my family. My husband Kirk pushed me to move forward with my curiosity because he knew before I did that it was something I needed to do. Without his support, none of this could have happened. My sons, Kody and Jared, keep the fire burning in me to contribute what I can to help make the world a better place for our children, our future. My parents have always believed in me, even when I didn’t. My siblings have supported me in countless ways including providing me with lodging, asking important questions, making me laugh and always reminding me what really matters. iii WELL-BEING IN ADULTS WITH HFAC Acknowledgements Dr. Veronika Bohac Clarke has been the ideal thesis supervisor. She brilliantly guided me towards examining, focusing in on and understanding critical issues and important understandings from my research. She did this with such precision and skill that I frequently found myself reaching into the depths of my consciousness to uncover understanding and direction that I otherwise would not have been aware existed. She challenged me to explore avenues that I thought would lead nowhere. Then, when those magical moments of breakthrough occurred, she would simply smile and acknowledge my progress like she knew it was always there, just waiting for her to tease it out of me. I also want to thank Dr. Brent Davis, bad cop to Dr. Bohac Clarke’s good cop. He somehow mastered the contrary qualities of being patient and demanding simultaneously. He asked difficult and important questions that even now haunt me, because I am still working towards finding those answers. His sage advice at the beginning of my studies, that my research should be built around a problem that already kept me awake at night, was instrumental to my ability to finish this dissertation. iv WELL-BEING IN ADULTS WITH HFAC Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Chapter 1: Research Problem.......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background and Context....................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Problem Statement ................................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Statement of Purpose and Research Questions ..................................................................... 4 1.5 Research Approach ............................................................................................................... 5 1.6 Research Design Overview ................................................................................................... 6 1.7 Definition of Terms ............................................................................................................... 7 1.8 Rationale and Significance ................................................................................................. 13 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature ............................................................................................. 14 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Purpose Statement ............................................................................................................... 14 2.3 Search Terms and Parameters ............................................................................................. 15 2.4 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................... 16 2.5 Integral Methodological Pluralism and Multi-Methods Approach ..................................... 16 2.6 Ontology, Epistemology, and Enactment ........................................................................... 18 2.7 Well-Being .......................................................................................................................... 21 2.8 Autism ................................................................................................................................. 25 2.9 Identification and Diagnosis ............................................................................................... 27 2.10 Cognitive Theories of Autism ........................................................................................... 28 2.11 The Role of Self in Autism ............................................................................................... 37 v WELL-BEING IN ADULTS WITH HFAC 2.12 Interpersonal Relationships and Autism ........................................................................... 38 2.13 Alberta Education and High Functioning Autism ............................................................ 39 2.14 Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................. 47 Chapter 3: Research Methodology ............................................................................................... 48 3.1 Introduction and Overview ................................................................................................. 48 3.2 Research Paradigm and Methodology ................................................................................ 48 3.3 Description of Methodologies ............................................................................................. 48 3.4 Setting and Context of Study .............................................................................................. 54 3.5 Research Population ............................................................................................................ 57 3.6 Methodology and Research Questions ................................................................................ 59 3.7 Methods and Procedures ..................................................................................................... 61 3.8 Methods for Data Analysis and Synthesis .......................................................................... 63 3.9 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • May 9-12 Rotterdam Netherlands
    2018 ANNUAL MEETING MAY 9-12 ROTTERDAM NETHERLANDS PROGRAM BOOK www.autism-insar.org INSAR 2018 Sponsors We thank the following organizations for their generous support of the INSAR Annual Meeting. Platinum Sponsor Level Gold Sponsor Level Silver Sponsor Level Autism Science Foundation Hilibrand Foundation Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation TABLE OF CONTENTS Sponsorship .................................Inside Front Cover TABLE OF CONTENTS Special Interest Groups Schedule .......................... 6 Speaker Ready Room ............................................ 6 De Doelen Floor Plans ........................................ 7-9 Meeting Information Schedule-At-A-Glance .................................... 10-12 In-Conjunction Events .................................... 13-14 Keynote Speakers .............................................. 15 Awardees ..................................................... 16-19 INSAR MISSION Acknowledgments .......................................... 20-21 STATEMENT To promote the highest quality INSAR Summer Institute .................................... 22 research in order to improve the Abstract Author Index ...................................... 134 lives of people affected by autism. General Information .......................................... 208 Exhibitors ....................................................... 210 Strategic Initiatives Setting the Bar: Increase the quality, AM diversity and relevance of research promoted through annual meetings, journal, Keynote Address ...............................................
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Available for Case Identification in Autism Research in Mainland China?
    Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 7 (2013) 579–590 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders Jo urnal homepage: http://ees.elsevier.com/RASD/default.asp What is available for case identification in autism research in mainland China? a,b, b b c b Xiang Sun *, Carrie Allison , Bonnie Auyeung , Fiona E. Matthews , Simon Baron-Cohen , a Carol Brayne a Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, CB2 0SR, UK b Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, CB2 2AH, UK c MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, CB2 0SR, UK A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Little is known about research on Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) in mainland China. Article history: Received 22 August 2012 The few available studies in mainland China have shown the screening and diagnostic Received in revised form 26 November 2012 instruments for ASC used in mainland China were different from the West. Literature on Accepted 27 November 2012 screening and diagnostic instruments and criteria were reviewed and current available instruments were identified and evaluated. Eight screening instruments and two Keywords: diagnostic instruments were identified. The Clancy Autism Behaviour Scale (CABS), the Autism Autism Behaviour Checklist (ABC) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) were the Screening instrument most frequently used instruments in mainland China. They were adopted from the West Diagnostic instrument more than two decades ago for detecting individuals with Childhood Autism but not the Mainland China whole autism spectrum.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Identification of Autism by the Checklist
    JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE Volume 93 October 2000 Early identi®cation of autism by the CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers CHAT) Simon Baron-Cohen PhD Sally Wheelwright MSc Antony Cox FRCPsych1 Gillian Baird FRCPCH1 Tony Charman PhD2 John Swettenham PhD3 Auriol Drew MA1 Peter Doehring PhD4 J R Soc Med 2000;93:521±525 The CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers CHAT) is a syndrome are present, together with a history of language screening instrument that identi®es children aged 18 delay de®ned as not using single words by two years old or months who are at risk for autism. This article explains phrase speech by three years old). how the CHAT was developed and how it should be used. First we offer a brief introduction to autism. EARLY DETECTION Until recently, autism was seldom detected before the age WHAT IS AUTISM? of three years. This is not surprising since it is a relatively Autism, ®rst described by Kanner in 19431, is one of a uncommon condition and can have subtle manifestations. family of `pervasive developmental disorders2. The most No specialized screening tool exists and most primary severe of the childhood psychiatric conditions, it is healthcare professionals have little training in the detection characterized by a triad of impairmentsÐin socialization, of autism in toddlers. However, the earlier a diagnosis can communication and ¯exible behaviour. The exact cause is be made, the sooner family stress can be reduced; unclear but family and twin studies suggest a genetic basis3±5; moreover, intervention can improve outcome12.In molecular genetic studies are underway6.
    [Show full text]
  • Sensory Perception in Autism
    REVIEWS Sensory perception in autism Caroline E. Robertson1,2,3* and Simon Baron-Cohen4 Abstract | Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition, and little is known about its neurobiology. Much of autism research has focused on the social, communication and cognitive difficulties associated with the condition. However, the recent revision of the diagnostic criteria for autism has brought another key domain of autistic experience into focus: sensory processing. Here, we review the properties of sensory processing in autism and discuss recent computational and neurobiological insights arising from attention to these behaviours. We argue that sensory traits have important implications for the development of animal and computational models of the condition. Finally, we consider how difficulties in sensory processing may relate to the other domains of behaviour that characterize autism. Cognitive empathy The ability to reflect on our own and others’ thoughts However, the issue of primacy is key. Is autism, as The ability to understand and and emotions (that is, theory of mind) is a defining often posited, a disorder of the ‘social brain’ (REF. 15), with respond appropriately to characteristic of human cognition. Children with sensory differences representing either secondary con‑ others’ mental states and autism spectrum conditions (ASCs; henceforth ‘autism’) sequences after a lifetime of reduced social interaction emotions (unlike affective 1 empathy, the ability to respond show delays in the development of this capacity , with or alterations in domain‑general mechanisms (such as 2 with an appropriate emotion to knock‑on consequences for cognitive empathy across attention) that affect both social processing and sensory others’ mental states or the lifespan.
    [Show full text]
  • This Article Appeared in a Journal Published by Elsevier. the Attached Copy Is Furnished to the Author for Internal Non-Commerci
    (This is a sample cover image for this issue. The actual cover is not yet available at this time.) This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier’s archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright Author's personal copy Research in Developmental Disabilities 34 (2013) 440–451 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Research in Developmental Disabilities Service provision for autism in mainland China: A service providers’ perspective Xiang Sun a,b,*, Carrie Allison b, Bonnie Auyeung b, Fiona E. Matthews c, Stuart Murray d, Simon Baron-Cohen b, Carol Brayne a a Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SR, UK b Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, University of Cambridge, CB2 2AH, UK c MRC Biostatistics Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SR, UK d Leeds Centre for Medical Humanities, School of English, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with service providers regarding Received 4 June 2012 the current healthcare provision and education services for children with Autism Received in revised form 14 August 2012 Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and their families in mainland China.
    [Show full text]
  • A Mother's Journey to Unlock Her Autistic Son's Mind
    First run Features presents A MOTHER’S JOURNEY TO UNLOCK HER AUTISTIC SON’S MIND “WITNESS A MIRACLE AS IT HAPPENS! A Mother’s Courage will allow people to once again have hope.” -rosie o’Donnell “A mystery replete with miracles! Will leave audiences stunned and rethinking what has long been considered a disorder devoid of hope.” -John anderson, VARIETY narrated by Kate Winslet Narrated by Oscar® winner Kate Winslet and directed by Oscar® nominee Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, this inspiring film follows one woman’s quest to unlock her autistic son’s mind. Margret, whose ten-year-old son Keli is severely autistic, has tried a number of treat- “A Mother’s Courage does not sugarcoat autism, or ments to help her son. Consumed by an unquenchable thirst for knowledge about celebrate it, or cure it. Its strength lies in that it shows this mysterious and complex condition, she travels from her home in Iceland to the the heart-wrenching reality of what families have to United States and Europe, meeting with top autism experts and advocates. go through – the pain they feel when their bubbly, verbal child regresses and becomes autistic. She also connects with several other families touched by autism, whose struggles echo her own: the endless doctor visits and experiments with different treatments, It is a good resource for promoting community the complication of doing everyday tasks, and the inability to communicate – perhaps awareness that families can share with relatives and the most painful and frustrating aspect of autism. neighbors to gain a better understanding of what those affected by autism go through every day.” But as she comes across innovative new therapies with the potential to break down -Chantal sicile-Kira (author of 41 things to Know about autism), the walls of autism, Margret finds hope that her son may be able to express himself Huffingtonp ost on a level she never thought possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Book of Abstracts
    12th Autism-Europe International Congress September 13-15th 2019 ABSTRACT BOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword by Zsuzsanna Szilvásy - President of Autism-Europe p. 1 Foreword by Danièle Langloys - President of Autisme France p. 1 Scientific Committee p. 2 Honorary Scientific Committee p. 3 Index by session p. 4 First author index p.17 Index by Keywords p.26 Abstracts p.28 We are glad to invite you to the 12th In- how to shape better lives for autistic people. have happy and fulfilling lives. ternational Congress of Autism-Europe , which is organized in cooperation with Au- On the occasion of this three-day event With kindest regards, tisme France, in the beautiful city of Nice. people from all over the world will come Our congresses are held every three years, together to share the most recent deve- and we are delighted to be back in France, lopments across the field of autism. The 36 years after the congress of Paris. It will congress will address a wide range of is- be a great opportunity to take stock of the sues, including: diagnostic and assess- progress achieved and look at the opportu- ment, language and communication, ac- nities ahead. cess to education, employment, research and ethics, gender and sexuality, inclusion The 2019 congress’ motto is “A new Dyna- and community living, mental and physical mic for Change and Inclusion”, in keeping health, interventions, strategic planning with our aspiration that international scienti- and coordination of services as well as fic research on autism should be translated rights and participation. into concrete changes and foster social in- clusion for autistic people of all ages and We hope you will enjoy this Congress, needs.
    [Show full text]
  • Sex-Specific Serum Biomarker Patterns in Adults with Asperger's Syndrome
    Molecular Psychiatry (2010), 1–8 & 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 1359-4184/10 www.nature.com/mp ORIGINAL ARTICLE Sex-specific serum biomarker patterns in adults with Asperger’s syndrome E Schwarz1, PC Guest1, H Rahmoune1, L Wang1, Y Levin1, E Ingudomnukul2, L Ruta2,3, L Kent2,4, M Spain5, S Baron-Cohen2 and S Bahn1,6 1Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; 2Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; 3Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; 4Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK; 5Rule Based Medicine, Austin, TX, USA and 6Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Autism spectrum conditions have been hypothesized to be an exaggeration of normal male low-empathizing and high-systemizing behaviors. We tested this hypothesis at the molecular level by performing comprehensive multi-analyte profiling of blood serum from adult subjects with Asperger’s syndrome (AS) compared with controls. This led to identification of distinct sex-specific biomarker fingerprints for male and female subjects. Males with AS showed altered levels of 24 biomarkers including increased levels of cytokines and other inflammatory molecules. Multivariate statistical classification of males using this panel of 24 biomarkers revealed a marked separation between AS and controls with a sensitivity of 0.86 and specificity of 0.88. Testing this same panel in females did not result in a separation between the AS and control groups. In contrast, AS females showed altered levels of 17 biomarkers including growth factors and hormones such as androgens, growth hormone and insulin-related molecules.
    [Show full text]
  • A Cross-Cultural Study of Autistic Traits Across India, Japan and the UK
    Carruthers et al. Molecular Autism (2018) 9:52 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-018-0235-3 RESEARCH Open Access A cross-cultural study of autistic traits across India, Japan and the UK Sophie Carruthers1, Emma Kinnaird1, Alokananda Rudra2, Paula Smith3, Carrie Allison3, Bonnie Auyeung4, Bhismadev Chakrabarti5, Akio Wakabayashi6, Simon Baron-Cohen3, Ioannis Bakolis1 and Rosa A Hoekstra1* Abstract Background: There is a global need for brief screening instruments that can identify key indicators for autism to support frontline professionals in their referral decision-making. Although a universal set of conditions, there may be subtle differences in expression, identification and reporting of autistic traits across cultures. In order to assess the potential for any measure for cross-cultural screening use, it is important to understand the relative performance of such measures in different cultures. Our study aimed to identify the items on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)-Child that are most predictive of an autism diagnosis among children aged 4–9 years across samples from India, Japan and the UK. Methods: We analysed parent-reported AQ-Child data from India (73 children with an autism diagnosis and 81 neurotypical children), Japan (116 children with autism and 190 neurotypical children) and the UK (488 children with autism and 532 neurotypical children). None of the children had a reported existing diagnosis of intellectual disability. Discrimination indices (DI) and positive predictive values (PPV) were used to identify the most predictive items in each country. Results: Sixteen items in the Indian sample, 15 items in the Japanese sample and 28 items in the UK sample demonstrated excellent discriminatory power (DI ≥ 0.5 and PPV ≥ 0.7), suggesting these items represent the strongest indicators for predicting an autism diagnosis within these countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Neuroanatomy of Individual Differences in Language in Adult Males with Autism
    Cerebral Cortex October 2015;25:3613–3628 doi:10.1093/cercor/bhu211 Advance Access publication September 23, 2014 Neuroanatomy of Individual Differences in Language in Adult Males with Autism Meng-Chuan Lai1,2, Michael V. Lombardo1,3, Christine Ecker4, Bhismadev Chakrabarti1,5, John Suckling6,8, Edward T. Bullmore6,7,8, Francesca Happé9, MRC AIMS Consortium, Declan G. M. Murphy4 and Simon Baron-Cohen1,8 1Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK, 2Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei 10051, Taiwan, 3Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia CY 1678, Cyprus, 4Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, PO23, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, UK, 5School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AL, UK, 6Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK, 7GlaxoSmithKline, Clinical Unit Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK, 8Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB21 5EF, UK and 9MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, PO80, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, UK Downloaded from Address correspondence to Dr Meng-Chuan Lai. Email: [email protected] One potential source of heterogeneity within autism spectrum condi- However, the elimination of diagnostic subtypes (lumping) tions (ASC) is language development and ability. In 80 high-function- does not resolve the problem of high heterogeneity (Lai, ing male adults with ASC, we tested if variations in developmental Lombardo, Chakrabarti et al.
    [Show full text]
  • A Machine Learning Approach to Reveal the Neurophenotypes of Autisms
    2nd Reading February 15, 2019 14:34 1850058 International Journal of Neural Systems, Vol. 29, No. 0 (2019) 1850058 (22 pages) c The Author(s) DOI: 10.1142/S0129065718500582 A Machine Learning Approach to Reveal the NeuroPhenotypes of Autisms Juan M. G´orriz∗,JavierRam´ırez, F. Segovia and Francisco J. Mart´ınez Department of Signal Theory, Networking and Communications University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain ∗[email protected]; [email protected] Meng-Chuan Lai Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada Department of Psychiatry University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada Michael V. Lombardo Department of Psychology University of Cyprus, 2109 Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus Simon Baron-Cohen, MRC AIMS Consortium† and John Suckling Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK Accepted 8 December 2018 Published Online 18 February 2019 Although much research has been undertaken, the spatial patterns, developmental course, and sexual dimorphism of brain structure associated with autism remains enigmatic. One of the difficulties in investi- gating differences between the sexes in autism is the small sample sizes of available imaging datasets with Int. J. Neur. Syst. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com mixed sex. Thus, the majority of the investigations have involved male samples, with females somewhat overlooked. This paper deploys machine learning on partial least squares feature extraction to reveal differences in regional brain structure between individuals with autism and typically developing partici- pants. A four-class classification problem (sex and condition) is specified, with theoretical restrictions based on the evaluation of a novel upper bound in the resubstitution estimate.
    [Show full text]
  • Finding Strengths in Autism
    Spectrum | Autism Research News https://www.spectrumnews.org DEEP DIVE Finding strengths in autism BY RACHEL NUWER 12 MAY 2021 Illustration by Margeaux Walter At 21, Dawn Prince-Hughes was homeless and destitute when she found her calling — at a zoo in Seattle, Washington. It was 1985. Prince-Hughes had fled to Seattle from rural Montana, where she had feared for her life after coming out as gay. She did not yet know she was autistic — she would be diagnosed with autism about 15 years later — but she knew she had trouble making friends. “I had failed miserably trying to connect with human beings,” she says. “They do not make sense to me.” One morning, pining for nature, Prince-Hughes visited Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. Wandering around the enclosures, she turned a corner and saw the gorillas. “It was just an instantaneous recognition,” she says. She felt she understood them almost right away. “It was really clear to me that they were used to communicating through silence and movement, which I considered my first language, too.” She began visiting the animals every day, all day, to observe their behavior. If a staff member walked by, she pumped the employee for information. Away from the zoo, she read and watched everything she could find about gorillas. Eventually, the zoo enlisted her as a volunteer and later hired her as an assistant animal steward, caring for the animals. Prince-Hughes worked her way through college and then graduate school, earning a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary anthropology. In the early 2000s, she authored two books on gorillas, one with a foreword by Jane Goodall.
    [Show full text]