Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Psychology

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are more prevalent in males than in females, at an estimated rate of 5:1. Consequently, women and girls were neglected from much of the early ASD research. Recently, there has been an increased focus on how ASD affects females in symptom presentation and in social and emotional functioning. Some recent studies suggest that while females with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) may present with better observable social skills than males with HFASD, they may experience more problems in developing appropriate peer relationships. Understanding gender differences in the typically developing (TD) population is an important aspect of understanding this relationship among individuals with HFASD. In general, females place more emphasis on emotional intimacy, while males place more emphasis on interest-based relationships, which could impact the ability of women with HFASD to maintain relationships with TD peers. The current study examined gender differences in ASD symptoms, social relationships, loneliness and emotions in 56 adults diagnosed with HFASD and 56 TD adults. Participants with HFASD included 28 women and 28 men with a previous diagnosis of an ASD, who did not differ on age, ethnicity, education level, or cognitive ability. The TD participants included 28 women and 28 men who did not differ from participants with HFASD on age, ethnicity, or education level. Individuals with HFASD participated in two researcher administered assessments, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence – Second Edition (WASI-II). Both HFASD and TD participants completed the following self-report questionnaires: A Demographic Questionnaire, the Autism Spectrum Quotient, the Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire, the UCLA Loneliness Scale: Version 3, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), and a Friendship Activity Report, which was designed for the study to determine the natur (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Betsey Benson Ph.D. (Advisor); Steven Beck Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2023, Molecular Medicine

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders for which there is no direct treatment. Understanding the disease mechanisms may lead to future therapeutic targets. In this thesis, we performed bi-directional CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from individuals with ASD with macrocephaly as well as controls, and uncovered that in addition to PTEN p.Ile135Leu variant, ASD genetic backgrounds also contributed to dysregulating cortical neurogenesis in both 2D neural progenitor cells and 3D cortical organoid models. Surprisingly, ASD specifc PTEN p.Ile135Leu variant dysregulates cortical neurogenesis in an ASD genetic background dependent fashion, as we found that this variant led to overproduction of neural progenitor cell (NPC) subtypes including intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) and outer radial glia cells (oRGs) as well as neuronal subtypes such as deep and upper layer neurons in the ASD genetic background but not in the control genetic background in the cortical organoids. This study provides strong evidence that both an ASD-specifc PTEN p.Ile135Leu variant and autism genetic background are contributing to the cortical neurogenesis dysregulation. We also developed a lineage tracing system to track neurogenesis in human cortical organoids and applied this system to a control iPSC line as well as autistic isogenic CTNNB1 iPSC lines, we uncovered that the majority of the cortical neurons in the cortical organoids were indirectly generated through IPCs, and neurons derived from diferent lineages were transcriptionally distinct. An ASD-linked CTNNB1 p.Gln76* variant altered the lineage specific production of deep and upper layer neurons as well as the landscape of gene expression profiles among and within different neural progenitor lineages of both deep and upper layer neuron production. Overall, this thesis provides direct evidence that variants in the PTEN and WNT pathways as well as ASD (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Anthony Wynshaw-Boris M.D., Ph.D. (Advisor); Justin Lathia Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Tara DeSilva Ph.D. (Committee Member); Fulai Jin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Charis Eng M.D., Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Genetics; Neurosciences

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2020, Health, Fitness and Sport

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) effects 1 in 54 Children in the United States alone. Without a specified test to identify ASD in children, it can be difficult to diagnose, leaving the individual without important early intervention and therapies. Diagnoses requires developmental screening and a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation in order to identify common symptoms and plan for proper intervention strategies. There is no known cure to ASD and while intervention can greatly benefit individuals with the disorder, even with necessary aid, symptoms can extend into adulthood. Through this compilation of research, varying intervention techniques, such as early intervention, behavior and communication intervention, and occupation, physical, and speech therapies are explored. Within each category, the identification of certain beneficial programs, including the ABA and Early Start Denver Model, and their effectiveness are discussed.

Committee: John Thistlewaite (Advisor); Hung-Sheng Hsu (Committee Member); Matthew Collier (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Health; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Therapy

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

Interest in using virtual reality technologies as a means to provide therapeutic and educational platforms for individuals with ASD has been growing for decades. The contents of this article-based dissertation are related to the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a virtual reality intervention called Virtuoso. Virtuoso is a suite of virtual reality technologies designed to promote the acquisition of adaptive skills related to catching public transportation for individuals with autism in an adult day program. This article-based dissertation addresses both pragmatic research to practice gaps, and the advancement of theory that underpins design considerations of the intervention. The first article presents a design and development case study that describes how interdisciplinary processes were utilized to create a multi-user virtual environment for adults with autism. While research points to the difficulty of developing virtual environments, few studies have articulated the process in detail which leaves a gap in the literature. The second article presents findings from a user-centric evaluation of the first prototype of Virtuoso. Evaluation focused on the users' perceptions of acceptance, feasibility, ease-of-use, user experience, and relevance of the system. The third article examines the character of cybersickness symptoms that participants experienced while undergoing three virtual reality research sessions that evolved in visual fidelity and task complexity. The nature of learner experiences while using commercial head-mounted displays including the Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard are also reported.The fourth article presents findings from a systematic review of the literature that was conducted in the spring of 2020. This review of the literature examines how virtual reality interventions for individuals with autism have been designed from the early work in the field to the present day. Six scholarly databases were queried to synthesize rele (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Matthew Schmidt Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Christopher Atchison Ph.D. (Committee Member); Miriam Raider-Roth Ed.D. (Committee Member); Carla Schmidt (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Software

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Psychology

Abstract Sleep disturbance is prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs), and may be associated with increased impairment. However, given heterogeneity of ASD and other NDDs, it is challenging to characterize mechanisms of impairment. Studies of genetic copy number variants (CNVs), including 16p11.2, provide one means of reducing heterogeneity. Phenotypes of 16p11.2 CNVs are currently being characterized, and may include sleep disturbance. This study is a secondary data analysis of 16p11.2 CNVs in a well-characterized national sample, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) database of children and adults. The primary aim is to extend understanding of ASD phenotypes by characterizing sleep disturbance in carriers of 16p11.2 CNVs and examine associations between sleep and previously reported symptom correlates. First, I developed pediatric and adult indices for measuring sleep based on the Simons VIP sleep questionnaires. Fit indices from exploratory factor analysis suggested that the factors fit well and internal consistency of the indices was acceptable. All 16p11.2 groups (deletion carriers, duplication carriers, family controls) had elevated sleep disturbance scores relative to community controls. In addition, after controlling for genetic effects, sleep disturbance predicted cognitive function, autism symptoms, adaptive behavior, language skills, caregiver stress, and psychopathology symptoms in the pediatric sample, and some ASD and psychopathology symptoms in the adult sample. Sleep disturbance in Phase I did not predict examined variables in Phase II. Overall, these findings suggest that sleep may be disturbed among 16p11.2 families. Furthermore, sleep disturbance is associated with functional impairment and warrants further investigation in this CNV.

Committee: Theodore Beauchaine Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Andrea Witwer Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Luc Lecavalier Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Vasey Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2019, Neurosciences

A fundamental goal of neuroscience is to understand how behavior is controlled by specific neural circuitry, and how abnormalities in such circuity can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Autism Spectrum Disorders are of increasing global concern, and while much is known about the behavioral and cognitive deficits in these disorders, little is known about the underlying brain circuitry abnormalities. This is due, in part, to the lack of good models used for basic science. Fortunately, mouse models with high face and construct validity do exist for several syndromic forms of Autism and can be used to provide insight into Autism Spectrum Disorders as a whole. To this end, my thesis has used a mouse model of Rett syndrome to ask fundamental questions about specific cortical circuits and their role in the abnormal behavior observed in this disorder. My first study produced a map of activity abnormalities in the Mecp2 mutant which helped bring my focus to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a hub region that receives inputs from many regions and projects widely throughout the brain allowing it to play a role in diverse behavioral domains. Subsequently, we demonstrated that the mutant mPFC displays reduced excitatory drive onto excitatory neurons and fewer dendritic spines on excitatory pyramidal neurons. Therefore, my first study sought to further define deficits in pyramidal neuron dendritic spine density and maturity as a surrogate for excitatory synaptic connectivity. We found that the mutant mPFC displayed reduced spine density and abnormal spine morphology maturity that were reversed by the NMDAR antagonist ketamine. The second study in my thesis sought to determine whether or not hypofunctional pyramidal neurons of the mPFC contribute to behavioral deficits in core symptom domains of Rett syndrome. To answer this question, I used a virally mediated chemogenetic approach to increase activity specifically in excitatory neurons of the mPFC (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Katz (Advisor); Broihier Heather (Committee Chair); Deneris Evan (Committee Member); Dick Thomas (Committee Member) Subjects: Neurobiology; Neurosciences

Bachelor of Arts, Walsh University, 2018, Honors

This literature review examined the efficacy of adding Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder to the DSM-V. The similarities and differences between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder were discussed. Possible treatment options and the benefits of speech-language therapy were examined. This literature review addressed who is at risk for the devastating effects of social impairments.

Committee: Bob Humphries Ph.D (Advisor); Jo Anna Kelly Ph.D (Other); Ty Hawkins Ph.D (Committee Chair) Subjects: Language; Psychology; Speech Therapy

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2016, Gerontology

This qualitative, descriptive study illuminates the experiences of adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and their challenges and successes in receiving quality healthcare services. This population is challenged by a triple jeopardy of age, intellectual disability and autism symptomology (social/sensory/behavioral/communication challenges) and may experience negative health outcomes and suboptimal relationships with healthcare providers due to their communication deficits and behavioral impairments. Additionally, this population may suffer from increased morbidity and even premature death. Through semi-structured interviews with adults diagnosed with ASD and/or their guardians/caregivers, this study explored their perspectives and impressions of their healthcare experiences for 12 adults. In addition to their ASD diagnosis, many of the adults were impacted by major physical and mental health co-morbidities that require regular medical attention such as epilepsy, diabetes, sleep disturbances, depression, sedentary lifestyle and gastrointestinal problems. Individuals with developmental disabilities, such as ASD, often experience health issues associated with aging at earlier ages and at higher rates than the general population. The goals of this project were to understand how well their health care providers understand autism, including the sensory, behavioral, social and communication needs required of an adult with autism; explore their experience with how well their care is coordinated between primary health care and other specialty or ancillary services, and identify factors which could impact access to care; and to discover what other barriers (e.g. access to available health services, policy concerns, such as health insurance and residency location, advocacy, aging guardians and others) which may potentially influence the health for ASD adults. Some of the adults interviewed experienced negative health out (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Suzanne Kunkel PhD (Committee Chair); Kate de Medieros PhD (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Gerontology; Health Care

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Psychology

In the assessment of psychological functioning in youth, it is considered a gold standard to elicit information from multiple informants. However, agreement between informants is not perfect, typically falling in the moderate range. These discrepancies between informants reflect, in part, contextual variations in children's behavior. However, for typically developing (TD) youth, several variables predict these discrepancies, including child and parent demographic characteristics. Despite being widely studied in TD youth, few consistent predictors have been identified, which may be related to differences in methodology across studies. Additionally, limited information is currently available regarding predictors of informant agreement in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study utilized data from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC), which provided a large and well-characterized sample of youth with ASD and their TD siblings. Parent-teacher agreement was investigated on the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Agreement consistently fell in the moderate range for both scales. While parent-teacher agreement was higher for externalizing problems than internalizing problems for TD siblings, agreement was fairly consistent across these types of behavioral concerns for youth with ASD. Three types of parent-teacher discrepancy scores were investigated; the standardized difference score showed equivalent agreement with both parent and teacher original ratings, while the raw and residual difference scores showed differential agreement. A variety of clinical and demographic variables were considered as predictors of these discrepancy scores, and results varied across youth with ASD and their TD siblings. For children with ASD, child IQ, parent reported emotional and behavioral problems, and parent and teacher reported ASD symptoms predicted parent-teacher agreement on the ASEBA scales. On the SRS, ch (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Luc Lecavalier (Advisor); Michael Vasey (Committee Co-Chair); Theodore Beauchaine (Committee Member); Andrea Witwer (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2016, Speech Language Pathology

Word learning requires the ability to integrate auditory information (e.g., an object's name—the label) and visual information (e.g., an object itself—the referent). Previous research has shown that children with typical development preferentially weight auditory information when auditory-visual stimuli is placed into conflict and that this weighting is advantageous for word learning. Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are described as visual learners; however, no comparable test has been administered to children with ASD. The purpose of this study is to determine whether children with ASD follow the same pattern of information processing as children who are typically developing. In the present study, four children with ASD and four typically-developing (TD) children matched to the children with ASD on the basis of receptive language abilities were tested on a computerized preferential looking task. During the computerized task, the children were presented with auditory-visual stimuli on a television screen and trained to look for an auditory-visual “prize” that appeared in specific locations corresponding with the stimulus presented. The children's eye gazes were recorded and coded frame-by-frame. Given the evidence of children with ASD's relative strength in visual processing, it was predicted that the children with ASD would differ from their receptive-vocabulary mates and give greater weight to the visual component of auditory-visual stimuli. Study findings did not support this prediction; the majority of participants with typical development weighted visual information, while participants with ASD demonstrated no stimulus preference as a group. These findings call into question the commonly held assumption that all children with ASD are “visual learners.” Additionally, the cognitive and linguistic profiles of the participants with ASD (determined via scores on standardized assessments of cognition and language) revealed that stronger cognitive (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Allison F. Bean Ellawadi PhD, CCC-SLP (Advisor); Rebecca J. McCauley PhD, CCC-SLP (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Psychology; Speech Therapy

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2016, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

This manuscript describes an exploratory study that assessed whether play with typically developing peers increased the use of symbolic play in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A version of a sandplay intervention previously investigated by Lu, Petersen, Lacroix, and Rousseau (2010), and modified to include peer-mediated play was used. The intervention explored the effects of sandplay with typically developing peers on engagement in symbolic play by children with ASD. A multiple-case intervention design was used with three children with ASD with varying degrees of severity in functioning. While use of symbolic play by two of the children did increase from baseline with the introduction of the peer-mediated sandplay intervention, these effects were inconsistent. Furthermore, only one of the children demonstrated a continued increase in symbolic play at the follow-up phase. While the results of the intervention are inconclusive, these results necessitate further investigation into this method of intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder, specifically in regard to ASD severity. Theoretical and treatment implications are offered, as well as directions for future research.

Committee: Kathi Borden PhD (Committee Chair); William Slammon PhD (Committee Member); Gina Pasquale PsyD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2015, Psychology

This study provides an in-depth look at the current state of employment for adults with intellectual disability (ID) with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Down syndrome (DS), and each groups' choice-making abilities as it pertains to short-term choices (i.e., choosing their daily schedule, choosing what to do in their free time, choosing what to do with their spending money), and long-term choices (i.e., choosing where they live, choosing their roommate, and choosing their service coordinator). This study conducted secondary data analyses using the National Core Indicator's Adult Consumer Survey datasets from years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 on three populations of interest, adults with ASD and ID, adults with DS and ID, and adults with ID and no ASD or DS, to address the following research questions: Do age, ID severity level, behavior problems and/or number of mental health conditions for taking medication predict employment status in individuals with an ASD, DS, or other groups of ID? Do individuals with an ASD differ from those with DS or other groups of ID in their employment status when controlling for those variables that showed high correlations from the previous research question? Do individuals with an ASD differ from those with DS or other ID in regards to the extent to which they are involved in making short-term choices and long-term choices? Does the extent to which individuals make short-term and long-term choices correlate with employment status in people with an ASD, DS, or other ID? Of the individuals with jobs, does having been involved in the decision of where you work relate to employment status in individuals with ASD, DS or ID? Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to derive the latent variables of short-term and long-term choices from the choice making section of the Adult Consumer Survey. Median analyses were used to indicate group differences in demographic variables, as well as employment status and choice making, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Marc Tasse PhD (Advisor); Susan Havercamp PhD (Committee Member); Luc Lecavalier PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2014, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

The purpose of the current study was to explore parent perceptions of and adherence to feedback and recommendations following child assessment by (1) characterizing the experiences of parents receiving assessment feedback and treatment recommendations, (2) examining the profile of adherence to treatment recommendations following assessment and feedback and variables associated with adherence, and (3) examining which services parents pursued most consistently, and how parents decided which services to prioritize. Seventy-two parents of children ages 2 to 12 (82% boys) newly diagnosed with developmental disorders and related difficulties completed Phase 1 of the project; 42 of these provided feedback about the assessment process (Phase 2); 22 provided information about adherence rates 3 months following the feedback session (Phase 3). Largely, parents were satisfied with the feedback process, but the data highlight areas for improvement. Parents reported feeling “relieved” and “overwhelmed;” many parents reported both positive and negative emotions. Most parents felt that their concerns were addressed well, and that they received enough information, but 42% of parents reported that they would have liked more information, specifically about prognosis. About 30% of parents expressed doubts about their ability to care for and help the child. On average 2 diagnoses were made per child and 12 recommendations were made per family. Most parents rated recommendations as helpful and took action steps toward 58% of recommendations made; many parents cited barriers to adherence (e.g., finances, location). Parenting stress variables were related to parenting efficacy, confidence knowing how to help the child, and perceived capability of caring for the child. Perceived emotional sensitivity of the provider was associated with several other important outcomes. Implications are discussed.

Committee: Julie Owens Ph.D. (Advisor); Steven Evans Ph.D. (Committee Member); Christine Gidycz Ph.D. (Committee Member); Julie Suhr Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joann Benigno Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Educational Psychology; Psychological Tests; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Special Education; Speech Therapy

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2014, Curriculum and Instruction: Special Education

Elementary students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit aggressive behavior, causing disruption of the classroom-learning environment. Disruptive students are at risk of being removed from the classroom and being excluded from valuable class time. Remediating and reducing aggression in students with ASD requires intervention strategies to address social, communication, and anger management skills. The study examined the effectiveness of the Aggression Replacement Training (ART) (Glick & Gibbs, 2011) in reducing verbal and physical aggression for nine students with ASD. ART teaches students to use effective communication and anger management techniques to prevent conflicts, maintain self-control, and manage stressful situations in an appropriate manner. ART is a 10-week program, and was implemented with three groups of students with ASD using a multiple baseline across groups study design. The study used visual inspection of data to determine if the ART program decreases levels of aggression in students with ASD. The purpose of the study was to decrease frequency of verbal and physical aggression and increase prosocial skills. Results of the study found ART to be an effective intervention for reducing verbal and physical aggression in elementary students with Autism. All participants also demonstrated acquisition and increased use of social skills.

Committee: Edward Cancio PhD (Committee Chair); Laurie Dinnebeil PhD (Committee Member); William McInerney PhD (Committee Member); Ronald David PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Cognitive Psychology; Early Childhood Education; Educational Psychology; Elementary Education; Neurosciences; Psychological Tests; Psychology; Special Education; Teacher Education

Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, Youngstown State University, 2014, Department of Psychological Sciences and Counseling

The current study examined the effects of an independent group contingency behavior plan, that included a token economy using punch cards on a fixed duration schedule, and the effects of increasing the ratio of approvals to disapprovals on destructive, disruptive, and aggressive behaviors in a fourth grade classroom at an alternative school for children with AD/HD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and other related behavior challenges. The independent group contingency intervention greatly reduced all problem behaviors almost immediately and the teachers adopted it for continued use despite initial resistance. Increasing the rates of approvals in the classroom also reduced problem behaviors and greatly improved the overall classroom environment and student/teacher relationship. These findings indicate that independent group contingencies and increasing the rates of approvals should be more widely adopted and researched.

Committee: Stephen Flora Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Clayton Ph.D. (Committee Member); Corinne Milentijevic (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Educational Psychology; Psychology; Special Education

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2014, Communication Sciences and Disorders

The purpose of this study was to explore the benefits and challenges of using music to help children with ASD meet their communication goals. Also, roles that augmentative and alternative communication systems have played in Music Therapy were discussed. Finally, information was gathered in order to help Speech-Language Pathologists incorporate music into therapeutic sessions as well as to help make collaboration easier between Speech-Language Pathologists and Music Therapists. Ten Music Therapists, who had been Board Certified for at least 5 years, were currently working with a non-speaking child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and had a high self-rank skill of using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) participated in an online focus group. Over six weeks, participants discussed topics including the impact of Music Therapy on children with complex communication needs and ASD as well as advice for Speech-Language Pathologists. Thematic analysis revealed seventeen different themes that fell into 5 different categories. These categories included benefits, challenges, roles AAC play, advice, and other. The results of this study focused around the benefits and challenges of using music with children with complex communication needs, the roles AAC plays in therapy sessions, and advice Music Therapists have for Speech-Language Pathologists. Under these four categories, there were seventeen themes, which include: Motivation and Reinforcement, Total Improvement, Neurological, Motor, Life and Social Skills, Capturing the Benefits, Learned Behavior vs. Communication, Generalization, Dividing Attention Between AAC and Music, Serves as an Individual’s Voice, Provides Control, Provides Choices, Keep It Simple, Collaborate Effectively with a Music Therapist, Be Confident, Not Self-Conscious, Maintain Appropriate Expectations and Considerations, Use Resources, and Other. Motivation and reinforcement, along with neurology seem to have a big par (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John McCarthy (Advisor) Subjects: Music; Speech Therapy

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2012, Psychology

This study explored the demographic and clinical characteristics of children referred and evaluated for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This study was conducted using the clinical records of 510 children ages five years and younger referred to a specialty clinic at a large, Midwestern children's hospital in 2008 and 2009. One goal of this study, which was primarily exploratory in nature, was to add to a small but growing body of literature addressing the demographic factors associated with an ASD diagnosis. It was hypothesized that children referred with communication concerns would be significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an ASD, when demographic factors were controlled. Exploratory analyses were conducted to determine which demographic and clinical variables were significantly associated with a final diagnosis of ASD. Results showed that children diagnosed with ASD (n = 291) were more likely to be referred with communication concerns than those not diagnosed on the autism spectrum (n = 219). Children in the ASD group were also found to be significantly younger than those in the Not ASD group. No significant differences were found between the two groups on the variables race or sex, or the remaining referral concerns. Results of logistic regression indicated that probability of being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder increased for children referred with communication concerns as compared to those referred with other types of concerns. The results of this study are discussed, as well as implications for future research.

Committee: Janet Schultz Ph.D., ABPP (Committee Chair); Kathleen Hart Ph.D., ABPP (Committee Member); Kimberly Kroeger-Geoppinger Psy.D. (Committee Member); Cynthia Molloy M.D., M.S. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Communication Disorders

There is substantial research evidence to support the positive effects of maternal responsiveness on the language, social, communicative, and cognitive development of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Further, research has focused on the effects of children with ASD on maternal / caregiver mental health and family well-being. Very few investigations have explored the effects of children with autism on maternal responsiveness, an important component of mother-child interactions. This study was a preliminary attempt to understand the factors related to children with autism that influence maternal responsiveness. The study adopted a mixed-methods design. Mother-child interactions were recorded in a free play context to code for maternal responsiveness, and three child-related variables, namely children's intentional communication, joint engagement, and temperament. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain mothers' perspectives regarding the impact of a child with autism on their daily dyadic interactions. Converging results from the quantitative and qualitative phases revealed a possible association between the proportion of time children spent in coordinated joint engagement and maternal responsiveness. Mothers reported children's limited communication ability, restricted topics and activities of interest, the need for topic control, the inability to gain the child's attention, and limited compliance, as reasons for perceived negative impact and challenges in their daily interactions. A unique finding from this study was the perceived positive impact of raising a child with autism.

Committee: Lynne Hewitt (Advisor); Gregory Garske (Other); Virginia Dubasik (Committee Member); Emily Rusnak (Committee Member) Subjects: Speech Therapy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, Neuroscience Graduate Studies Program

Autism spectrum disorders are complex and polygenic in nature. Twin studies indicate a role for genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of autism. Environmental influences during prenatal period could adversely affect fetal development. We have attempted to study the effect of different environmental factors on the susceptibility to develop autism. First, we looked at effect of prenatal exposure to diesel exhaust particles on autism spectrum disorders. We hypothesized that exposure to diesel exhaust particles during pregnancy can induce autism-like behaviors in offspring. In order to test this, we exposed pregnant mice to high concentration of diesel exhaust particles. We found that mice exposed to diesel exhaust particles during pre and postnatal development showed increased basal locomotor activity. These mice also display increased rearing behaviors and elevated levels of repetitive self-grooming in the presence of an unfamiliar mice. However, no deficits in social interaction, social communication or anxiety-like behavior were found. These results suggest that perinatal exposure to diesel exhaust particles have an impact on mouse development leading to observable changes in mouse behavior, however it may not affect fetal development in a manner that leads to very obvious deficits in social behaviors. Second, we tested if exposure to food additives during pregnancy induced autism-like behavior in the offspring. We fed pregnant mice with different kinds of food additives and tested the offspring for autism-like behavior. We report that a subset of mice exhibit reduced social interaction following additive treatment, although there were other groups of additives that had no effect on mouse social behaviors. These findings are preliminary and studies are currently on-going to consolidate these findings. Third, we generated a knockin mouse of protein tyrosine phosphatase protein (PTPRT). PTPRT is a transmembrane receptor protein that is expressed in high le (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Howard Gu Dr (Advisor) Subjects: Neurosciences

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2012, School of Professional Psychology

This study aims to serve as a deconstruction of the experience of parenting a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The increasing number of families with children affected by ASDs has led to many questions about the impact of ASDs on the family unit; however, the voice of parents is sorely missing in the extant research. The history of ASDs and disability in general continues to impact the ways families, society, and professionals treat families affected by ASDs, and particularly the ways they view and value the parent-child relationship. Six mothers of children with ASDs were interviewed about their experience parenting a child on the autism spectrum and their relationship with their child. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to give voice to the parents' collective experiences. Clinical implications and limitations of this study, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.

Committee: Julie Williams Psy.D., CRC, ABPP (RP) (Committee Chair); Heather Wilder Psy.D. (Committee Member); Erendira Lopez-Garcia Psy.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Psychology