http://hdl.handle.net/1803/212 2013-05-22T07:13:35Z 2013-05-22T07:13:35Z Deisenroth, Lauren K. http://hdl.handle.net/1803/4728 2011-02-11T17:44:07Z 2011-02-07T06:00:00Z

Title: People or Video? What Do Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders Choose? Authors: Deisenroth, Lauren K. Abstract: Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by social, communication and behavioral challenges. This research follows up on reports that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) learn important skills better from a person on video compared to a person who is present and interacts with the child. The purpose of this study with children with ASD and typically developing (TD) controls is to examine visual preferences to two sights: a video of a person and a real person who is present. Children were simultaneously shown a short video of a person singing songs and playing games and an identical “live” presentation by the same person. Previous studies that examined visual preferences did not compare children’s preference for videotaped and live human behavior. This research may have implications both for theory regarding social deficits in autism, and practical applications for early detection and intervention.

2011-02-07T06:00:00Z Rabin, Alexa http://hdl.handle.net/1803/4727 2011-02-11T17:45:59Z 2007-04-01T05:00:00Z

Title: Orientation and affect directed towards social and nonsocial targets in infant siblings of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Authors: Rabin, Alexa Abstract: This study contributes to a growing body of work aimed at documenting and defining behavioral markers associated with early autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its broader phenotype. A total of 19 infants (sib-ASD), who have a sibling diagnosed with ASD were seen at 6.5 months, and 23 infants were seen at 9 months. Sib-ASD infants were matched in age and gender with low-risk infants (sib-TD), who have a typically developing sibling. Infants were simultaneously presented two stimuli, a person’s face (the social stimulus) and a brightly colored toy (the nonsocial stimulus). We found there were no significant differences between at-risk infants and low-risk infants in their responsiveness to and disengagement from the stimuli. However, a significant group difference did appear in the 9 month infants’ time smiling. Sib-TD infants spent more time smiling at the nonsocial as compared to the social stimulus relative to the sib-ASD infants, who showed no preference in time smiling for one stimulus over the other. This unexpected finding contradicted our initial predictions that sib-TD infants would prefer the social stimulus and thus spend more time smiling at the experimenter’s face, while sib-ASD infants would prefer the nonsocial stimulus, and thus spend more time smiling at the toy.

2007-04-01T05:00:00Z Levine, Gabrielle A. http://hdl.handle.net/1803/4026 2011-02-11T19:01:16Z 2010-04-01T05:00:00Z

Title: The Relation Between Family Resources, Child Severity and Parenting Stress in Parents Raising Young Children With Autism Authors: Levine, Gabrielle A. Abstract: This study examined the extent to which child severity and family resources are related to parenting stress in parents of 26 young children with autism. Bivariate correlations between family resources, autism severity, and parenting stress were conducted. Results revealed a significant negative correlation between parenting stress and family resources. A significant relation was also found between autism severity and child-focused aspects of parenting stress. Severity of autism symptoms was negatively correlated with total family resources. Importance of providing parents with appropriate therapies and supports is discussed.

2010-04-01T05:00:00Z McLean, Laura http://hdl.handle.net/1803/2964 2011-02-11T18:27:32Z 2009-05-01T05:00:00Z

Title: The Relation Between Early Joint Attention Responding and Later Theory of Mind in Younger Siblings of Children with Autism Authors: McLean, Laura Abstract: A link between early responding to joint attention (RJA) and later theory of mind (ToM) has been found in typically developing children but has not been examined in children at risk for autism. RJA at age 12 months was compared to ToM at age 60 months in younger siblings of children with ASD (SIBS-ASD) and younger siblings of typically developing children (SIBS-TD). Early RJA was found to be significantly correlated with ToM in SIBS-ASD when receptive language ability was controlled. A significant group difference on ToM between SIBS-ASD and SIBS-TD was also found when controlling for receptive language.

2009-05-01T05:00:00Z