DOCSLIB.ORG

The Impact of a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Nonmedical Treatment Options in the Learning Environment from the Perspectives of Parents and Pediatricians

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Impact of a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Nonmedical Treatment Options in the Learning Environment from the Perspectives of Parents and Pediatricians St. John Fisher College Fisher Digital Publications Education Doctoral Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education 12-2017 The Impact of a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Nonmedical Treatment Options in the Learning Environment from the Perspectives of Parents and Pediatricians Cecilia Scott-Croff St. John Fisher College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd Part of the Education Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited ou?y Recommended Citation Scott-Croff, Cecilia, "The Impact of a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Nonmedical Treatment Options in the Learning Environment from the Perspectives of Parents and Pediatricians" (2017). Education Doctoral. Paper 341. Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations. This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/341 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at St. John Fisher College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Impact of a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Nonmedical Treatment Options in the Learning Environment from the Perspectives of Parents and Pediatricians Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the impact of a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder on treatment options available, within the learning environment, at the onset of a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of parents and pediatricians. Utilizing a qualitative methodology to identify codes, themes, and sub-themes through semi-structured interviews, the research captures the lived experiences of five parents with children on the autism spectrum and five pediatricians who cared for those children and families. The researcher utilized the theoretical frameworks of behaviorist and psychologist, B. F. Skinner, as well as psychologist Uri Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. The research study results conclude that the parents had little to no information available to them at the onset of their children’s diagnosis. Furthermore, the parents were unable to identify what treatment options were available within their children’s learning environments at the point of diagnosis. The research also notes that the pediatricians were dependent upon outside resources to fully determine the child’s autism spectrum diagnosis, and they conceded that they did not provide information to parents at the onset of the diagnosis nor did they give treatment recommendations. Additional results of the study indicate that the initial training received by the pediatricians was not enough to address the needs of the children diagnosed with autism. The recommendations include: (a) hands-on training for parents, (b) ongoing additional professional development for pediatricians, (c) support groups for parents, and (d) resources immediately available for parents at the time of diagnosis. Document Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Education (EdD) Department Executive Leadership First Supervisor Jennifer Schulman Second Supervisor Janet B. Lyons Subject Categories Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/341 The Impact of a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Nonmedical Treatment Options in the Learning Environment from the Perspectives of Parents and Pediatricians By Cecilia Scott-Croff Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Ed.D. in Executive Leadership Supervised by Dr. Jennifer Schulman Committee Member Dr. Janet B. Lyons Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education St. John Fisher College December 2017 Copyright by Cecilia Scott-Croff 2017 Dedication This journey has taught me the true meaning of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.” I dedicate this work to my son, Matthew Scott Croff, a precious gift from God. To my husband, Patrick Croff III, thanks for your patience and understanding of the many nights I did not make it home on time. Your tolerance of my cantankerous moods is a testament, in itself, to your unyielding devotion. To my wonderful niece, Mamie Juanita Croff, I thank you for being such a light and for your dedication to your cousin. Without your support to your uncle and me, this would not have come to fruition. I thank my mother, Agnes Scott, for always believing in me. To my siblings, I thank each of you for your patience during this trying time. I would like to take this time to thank the chair of my dissertation committee, Dr. Jennifer Schulman, for her continuous support throughout this process. I would also like to thank Dr. Janice Lyons, my committee member. In addition, I would like to give thanks for the hard work and efforts of my editing team. Lastly, and very importantly, I would like to thank the parents and the pediatricians, who volunteered to be participants in my research, for their insight and support. Your contributions were invaluable to this study. iii Biographical Sketch Cecilia Scott-Croff is currently the Executive Director of the Early Childhood Center at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and Past Chair of the Child Care Council at City University of New York (CUNY). A New York State- certified early childhood special educator and administrator, Mrs. Scott-Croff has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of early care and education, special education, and advocacy. Mrs. Scott-Croff has two graduate degrees, one in Early Childhood Education and the other in Administration and Supervision from City College of New York/City University of New York. She is a level-three credentialed trainer with the New York State Association of the Education of Young Children. She holds the New York State Certified Professional Administrator Credential (CPAC) and has also completed the Leadership Development Institute with the National Black Americans Council. She is also a Borough of Manhattan Community College Leadership Fellow. She came to St. John Fisher College in the summer of 2016 and began doctoral studies in the Ed.D. Program in Executive Leadership. Mrs. Scott-Croff pursued her research on the impact of nonmedical treatment options in the learning environment from the perspectives of parents and pediatricians for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Schulman and Dr. Janet B. Lyons and received the Ed.D. degree in 2018. iv Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the impact of a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder on treatment options available, within the learning environment, at the onset of a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of parents and pediatricians. Utilizing a qualitative methodology to identify codes, themes, and sub-themes through semi-structured interviews, the research captures the lived experiences of five parents with children on the autism spectrum and five pediatricians who cared for those children and families. The researcher utilized the theoretical frameworks of behaviorist and psychologist, B. F. Skinner, as well as psychologist Uri Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. The research study results conclude that the parents had little to no information available to them at the onset of their children’s diagnosis. Furthermore, the parents were unable to identify what treatment options were available within their children’s learning environments at the point of diagnosis. The research also notes that the pediatricians were dependent upon outside resources to fully determine the child’s autism spectrum diagnosis, and they conceded that they did not provide information to parents at the onset of the diagnosis nor did they give treatment recommendations. Additional results of the study indicate that the initial training received by the pediatricians was not enough to address the needs of the children diagnosed with autism. The recommendations include: (a) hands-on training for parents, (b) ongoing additional professional development for v pediatricians, (c) support groups for parents, and (d) resources immediately available for parents at the time of diagnosis. vi Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Biographical Sketch ........................................................................................................... iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................ 44 Theoretical Rationale ...................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Autism Practice Parameters
    American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry AACAP is pleased to offer Practice Parameters as soon as they are approved by the AACAP Council, but prior to their publication in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP). This article may be revised during the JAACAP copyediting, author query, and proof reading processes. Any final changes in the document will be made at the time of print publication and will be reflected in the final electronic version of the Practice Parameter. AACAP and JAACAP, and its respective employees, are not responsible or liable for the use of any such inaccurate or misleading data, opinion, or information contained in this iteration of this Practice Parameter. PRACTICE PARAMETER FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by patterns of delay and deviance in the development of social, communicative, and cognitive skills which arise in the first years of life. Although frequently associated with intellectual disability, this condition is distinctive in terms of its course, impact, and treatment. ASD has a wide range of syndrome expression and its management presents particular challenges for clinicians. Individuals with an ASD can present for clinical care at any point in development. The multiple developmental and behavioral problems associated with this condition necessitate multidisciplinary care, coordination of services, and advocacy for individuals and their families. Early, sustained intervention and the use of multiple treatment modalities are indicated. Key Words: autism, practice parameters, guidelines, developmental disorders, pervasive developmental disorders. ATTRIBUTION This parameter was developed by Fred Volkmar, M.D., Matthew Siegel, M.D., Marc Woodbury-Smith, M.D., Bryan King, M.D., James McCracken, M.D., Matthew State, M.D., Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Gesnerus 2020-2.Indb
    Gesnerus 77/2 (2020) 279–311, DOI: 10.24894/Gesn-de.2020.77012 Vom «autistischen Psychopathen» zum Autismusspektrum. Verhaltensdiagnostik und Persönlichkeitsbehauptung in der Geschichte des Autismus Rüdiger Graf Abstract Der Aufsatz untersucht das Verhältnis von Persönlichkeit und Verhalten in der Defi nition und Diagnostik des Autismus von Kanner und Asperger in den 1940er Jahren bis in die neueren Ausgaben des DSM und ICD. Dazu unter- scheidet er drei verschiedene epistemische Zugänge zum Autismus: ein exter- nes Wissen der dritten Person, das über Verhaltensbeobachtungen, Testver- fahren und Elterninterviews gewonnen wird; ein stärker praktisches Wissen der zweiten Person, das in der andauernden, alltäglichen Interaktion bei El- tern und Betreuer*innen entsteht, und schließlich das introspektive Wissen der ersten Person, d.h. der Autist*innen selbst. Dabei resultiert die Kerndif- ferenz in der Behandlung des Autismus daraus, ob man meint, die Persönlich- keit eines Menschen allein über die Beobachtung von Verhaltensweisen er- schließen zu können oder ob es sich um eine vorgängige Struktur handelt, die introspektiv zugänglich ist, Verhalten prägt und ihm Sinn verleihen kann. Die Entscheidung hierüber führt zu grundlegend anderen Positionierungen zu verhaltenstherapeutischen Ansätzen, wie insbesondere zu Ole Ivar Lovaas’ Applied Behavior Analysis. Autismus; Psychiatriegeschichte; Wissensgeschichte; Verhaltenstherapie; Neurodiversität PD Dr. Rüdiger Graf, Leibniz-Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam, Am Neuen Markt 1, 14467 Potsdam, [email protected]. Gesnerus 77 (2020) 279 Downloaded from Brill.com09/27/2021 01:45:02AM via free access «Autistic Psychopaths» and the Autism Spectrum. Diagnosing Behavior and Claiming Personhood in the History of Autism The article examines how understandings of personality and behavior have interacted in the defi nition and diagnostics of autism from Kanner and As- perger in the 1940s to the latest editions of DSM and ICD.
    [Show full text]
  • Autism Society History
    Feature | Autism Society History Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going The Autism Society’s Proud History s the nation’s oldest grassroots autism organization, the Autism Society has Abeen working to improve the lives of all affected by autism for 46 years. When the organization was founded in 1965, the autism community was very different than it is today: the term “autism” was not widely known, and doctors often blamed the condition on “refrigerator mothers,” or parents who were cold and unloving to their children – a theory that we now know to be completely false. Perhaps even more discouraging than the blame and guilt placed upon parents of children with autism at this time was the complete lack of treatment options. Parents were often told that their child would never improve, and that he or she should be institutionalized. “All practitioners we saw had one characteristic in common – none of them was able to undertake treatment,” wrote Rosalind Oppenheim, mother to a then-6-year-old son with autism, in an article in the June 17, 1961, Saturday Evening Post. “‘When will you stop running?’ one well-meaning guidance counselor asked us along the way. When indeed? After eighteen costly, heartbreaking months we felt that we had exhausted all the local medical resources.” Oppenheim’s article garnered many letters from other parents of children with autism who had had similar experiences. She sent them on to Dr. Bernard Rimland, another parent of a child with autism who was also a psychologist. Not long after, Dr. Rimland published the landmark book Infantile Autism, the first work to argue for a physical, not psychological, cause of autism.
    [Show full text]
  • Autism and New Media: Disability Between Technology and Society
    1 Autism and new media: Disability between technology and society Amit Pinchevski (lead author) Department of Communication and Journalism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel John Durham Peters Department of Communication Studies, University of Iowa, USA Abstract This paper explores the elective affinities between autism and new media. Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) provides a uniquely apt case for considering the conceptual link between mental disability and media technology. Tracing the history of the disorder through its various media connections and connotations, we propose a narrative of the transition from impaired sociability in person to fluent social media by network. New media introduce new affordances for people with ASD: The Internet provides habitat free of the burdens of face-to-face encounters; high-tech industry fares well with the purported special abilities of those with Asperger’s syndrome; and digital technology offers a rich metaphorical depository for the condition as a whole. Running throughout is a gender bias that brings communication and technology into the fray of biology versus culture. Autism invites us to rethink our assumptions about communication in the digital age, accounting for both the pains and possibilities it entails. 2 Keywords: Autism (ASD), Asperger’s Syndrome, new media, disability studies, interaction and technology, computer-mediated communication, gender and technology Authors’ bios Amit Pinchevski is a senior lecturer in the Department of Communication and Journalism at the Hebrew University, Israel. He is the author of By Way of Interruption: Levinas and the Ethics of Communication (2005) and co-editor of Media Witnessing: Testimony in the Age of Mass Communication (with Paul Frosh, 2009) and Ethics of Media (with Nick Couldry and Mirca Madianou, 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • Becoming Autistic: How Do Late Diagnosed Autistic People
    Becoming Autistic: How do Late Diagnosed Autistic People Assigned Female at Birth Understand, Discuss and Create their Gender Identity through the Discourses of Autism? Emily Violet Maddox Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Sociology and Social Policy September 2019 1 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................... 5 ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 7 CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................................. 8 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 8 1.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................................ 8 1.2 TERMINOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................ 14 1.3 OUTLINE OF CHAPTERS ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Best Kept Secret a Film by Samantha Buck
    POV Community Engagement & Education Discussion GuiDe Best Kept Secret A Film by Samantha Buck www.pbs.org/pov LETTER FROM THE FILMMAKER The first question i get about Best Kept Secret is usually “What is your personal relation - ship to autism?” until making this film, i always thought the answer was “none.” What i learned is that we are all connected to it. Autism is part of who we are as a society. Across the country, young adults who turn 21 are pushed out of the school system. They often end up with nowhere to go; they simply disappear from productive society. This is what edu - cators call “falling off the cliff.” While i was on the festival circuit with my last feature documentary, 21 Below , i saw many films about young children with autism. These films were moving and important, but they only spoke of a limited population—predominately caucasians from financially stable fam - ilies. But what happens to children with autism who grow up in other circumstances? i began to research public schools in inner-city areas all over the united states, and the best kind of accident of fate brought me to JFK in newark, n.J. and Janet Mino—a force of na - ture who changed my life. she has been a constant reminder to have faith, value every member of society and believe in people’s potential. Best Kept Secret on the surface could seem like a straightforward vérité film, but we tried to accomplish something different—a subtle and layered story that takes on issues of race, class, poverty and disability through a different lens than the one to which many people are accustomed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism Packet of Information for Professionals (PIP) – Revised (2008)
    The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development The University of Iowa College of Education The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism Packet of Information for Professionals (PIP) – Revised (2008) Susan G. Assouline Megan Foley Nicpon Nicholas Colangelo Matthew O’Brien The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism The University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism Packet of Information for Professionals (PIP) – Revised (2008) This Packet of Information (PIP) was originally developed in 2007 for the Student Program Faculty and Professional Staff of the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (B-BC). It has been revised and expanded to incorporate multiple forms of special gifted programs including academic year Saturday programs, which can be both enrichment or accelerative; non-residential summer programs; and residential summer programs. Susan G. Assouline, Megan Foley Nicpon, Nicholas Colangelo, Matthew O’Brien We acknowledge the Messengers of Healing Winds Foundation for its support in the creation of this information packet. We acknowledge the students and families who participated in the Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic. Their patience with the B-BC staff and their dedication to the project was critical to the development of the recommendations that comprise this Packet of Information for Professionals. © 2008, The University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center. All rights reserved. This publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the authors. The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism Purpose Structure of PIP This Packet of Information for Professionals (PIP) Section I of PIP introduces general information related to both giftedness was developed for professionals who work with and autism spectrum disorders.
    [Show full text]
  • Autism: a Generation at Threat Review Article
    April 2009 JIMA:38486-IMANA.qxd 4/27/2009 10:10 AM Page 28 Review Article Autism: A Generation at Threat Sabeeha Rehman, MPS, FACHE President and Founding Member of National Autism Association New York Metro Chapter New York, New York Fellow of American College of Healthcare Executives Abstract A generation of children is at risk as the incidence of autism increases. No consensus exists on the causes of autism or its treatment. A wide range of poten- tial factors such as genetics, vaccines, and environmental toxins is being explored. Some clinicians offer a combination of behavioral, educational, and pharmaceutical treatments, whereas allied health professionals stress diet, bio- medical interventions, and chelation. With a lack of an organized approach to diagnosis and treatment and a lack of trained professionals, children are not receiving timely interventions. Curing autism has to be made a national priori- ty. National programs should conduct research, standardize treatments, and offer public and professional education. Key words: Autism, autism spectrum disorders, health planning. Purpose impact the normal development of the brain in the he incidence of autism spectrum disorders areas of social interaction, communication skills, and (ASD) is becoming an epidemic. This phenome - cognitive function. Individuals with ASD typically non, not unique to the United States or Europe, have difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communi - Tis fast emerging as a worldwide problem. This paper cation, social interactions, and leisure or play activi - reviews the gains made and obstacles faced in the ties. Individuals with ASD often suffer from numer - diagnosis and treatment of ASD and proposes a com - ous physical ailments, which may include, in part, prehensive plan to deal with this phenomenon.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Decision
    BEFORE THE OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS STATE OF CALIFORNIA In the Consolidated Matters of: PARENT ON BEHALF OF STUDENT, OAH CASE NO. 2013080387 v. LAS VIRGENES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, LAS VIRGENES UNIFIED SCHOOL OAH CASE NO. 2013071203 DISTRICT, v. PARENTS ON BEHALF OF STUDENT. DECISION Las Virgenes Unified School District (District) filed a Request for Due Process Hearing in OAH Case No. 2013071203 with the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), State of California, on July 29, 2013, naming Student. Student filed a Request for Due Process Hearing in OAH Case No. 2013080387 with OAH on August 8, 2013, naming District. OAH consolidated the matters on August 16, 2013, and ordered the 45-day timeline for issuance of the decision to be based on the date the complaint was filed in Student‟s case (OAH Case Number 2013080387). OAH continued the consolidated matter for good cause on September 6, 2013. June R. Lehrman, Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), heard this matter on October 28- 31, 2013, and November 4-6, 2013, in Calabasas, California. Jane DuBovy, Attorney at Law, and Carolina Watts, educational advocate, represented Parents and Student (collectively, Student). Student‟s mother (Mother) attended the hearing on all days. Student‟s father (Father) attended the hearing on October 28, November 4, and November 5, 2013. 1 Wesley B. Parsons and Siobhan H. Cullen, Attorneys at Law, appeared on behalf of District. Mary Schillinger, Assistant Superintendent, and Sahar Barsoum, Coordinator of Special Education, attended the hearing on all days. On the last day of hearing, a continuance was granted for the parties to file written closing arguments and the record remained open until November 20, 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fragile X Syndrome–Autism Comorbidity: What Do We Really Know?
    REVIEW ARTICLE published: 16 October 2014 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00355 The fragile X syndrome–autism comorbidity: what do we really know? Leonard Abbeduto 1,2*, Andrea McDuffie 1,2 and Angela John Thurman 1,2 1 MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA 2 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA Edited by: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common comorbid condition in people with fragile Anne C. Wheeler, Carolina Institute X syndrome (FXS). It has been assumed that ASD symptoms reflect the same underlying for Developmental Disabilities; University of North Carolina at psychological and neurobiological impairments in both FXS and non-syndromic ASD, which Chapel Hill, USA has led to the claim that targeted pharmaceutical treatments that are efficacious for core Reviewed by: symptoms of FXS are likely to be beneficial for non-syndromic ASD as well. In contrast, we Molly Losh, Northwestern present evidence from a variety of sources suggesting that there are important differences University, USA in ASD symptoms, behavioral and psychiatric correlates, and developmental trajectories Dejan Budimirovic, Kennedy Krieger Institute/The Johns Hopkins between individuals with comorbid FXS and ASD and those with non-syndromic ASD. We University, USA also present evidence suggesting that social impairments may not distinguish individuals *Correspondence: with FXS with and without ASD. Finally, we present data that demonstrate that the Leonard Abbeduto, MIND Institute, neurobiological substrates of the behavioral impairments, including those reflecting core University of California, Davis, 2825 ASD symptoms, are different in FXS and non-syndromic ASD. Together, these data suggest 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA that there are clinically important differences between FXS and non-syndromic ASD e-mail: leonard.abbeduto@ucdmc.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction Contents
    Select Committee on Autism, Department of the Senate, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600. To the Committee, Introduction My name is David Cameron Staples. I am a son, a husband, a father, a professional worker in IT, I have lived in Melbourne my whole life, and I am on the Autism spectrum. Or, as we autists tend to prefer, I am “autistic”. Since I received my Asperger’s Syndrome diagnosis in 2010 at the age of 37, I have been reconciling myself with this new revealed identity, relearning how to better manage myself and my relations with others, and, over the last few years, attempting to advance the cause of Autism advocacy and access in my workplace at the University of Melbourne. Please note that what follows is based on my own experience and understanding. I am not a researcher (although I do make an effort to stay abreast of the research), and I do not speak for the University of Melbourne. I speak as an advocate for myself, and for my autistic kin, including those who aren’t so lucky as to be able to speak on their own behalf, easily or at all. I have tried to highlight key points below by bolding the main point and applying callout marks in the margins, as in this paragraph. I would make more recommendations for where to go next, but I think the main problem is that either we still don’t understand the question well enough yet, or else that it’s blindingly obvious what the answer is, but no-one’s done anything to implement it yet.
    [Show full text]
  • CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Growing up with ASD (Autism Spectrum
    Psychology in Russia: State of the Art Russian Lomonosov Psychological Moscow State Volume 12, Issue 3, 2019 Society University CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Growing Up with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder): Directions and Methods of Psychological Intervention Igor A. Kostin* Federal State Budget Scientifc Institution “Institute of Special Education of the Russian Academy of Education”, Moscow, Russia * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Background. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong pervasive develop- Keywords: mental disorder afecting subjects’ emotions, will, and cognition, and inhibiting ASD (autism their social adaptation. spectrum Objective. To defne directions and methods for psychological assistance to disorder); autistic people that would let them achieve higher self-actualization and inde- qualitative pendence, and avoid social maladaptation. longitudinal Design. Te following methods were used: analysis of the life histories and search; social catamneses of autistic individuals; participant observation of their behavior; maladaptation; analysis of materials (text summaries) of psychological consulting with families social who have autistic members; analysis of materials from remedial sessions with environment; people with autism and developmental disorders. psychological Research participants were autistic individuals age 12 years or more at the remediation beginning and up to 38–40 years at the end. Results. Te long-term manifestations of autistic development in emotions, will, and cognition are described. Tese manifestations afect subjects’ adapta- tion and independence negatively, even in cases of remarkable progress. Two important aspects of psychological assistance are: a) mastering of skills; and b) improving comprehension of social relationships, one’s own psychologi- cal world, and other people’s minds. Te author proposes some methods of psy- chological remedial work and insists that rules for social interaction should not be learned mechanically.
    [Show full text]