Development of emotional skills through videomodeling: A case study with a non-verbal participant

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-218
Author(s):  
Angelo Rega ◽  
Federica Somma ◽  
Luigi Iovino

BACKGROUND: Videomodeling is an effective technological tool for intervention and rehabilitation of children with autism spectrum disorders in different contexts. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to verify whether a videomodeling intervention is effective for the acquisition of social and emotional behaviour and skills of children with ASD using tablet PC. METHODS: One 6-year-old child with ASD, who does not use verbal communication, was involved in a multiple baseline across behaviours design: the independent variable was the videomodeling intervention, instead the dependent variable was the participant behaviour. Intervention was preceded by a pre-session of Functional Communication training. An intersubject analysis was used to evaluate participant percentage of response through the sessions. RESULTS: The participant showed a marked improvement in his emotional skills. The intersubjective analysis carried out shows the sharp increase in response in many target behaviours from the baseline to the intervention phase. A limitation of the study was the lack of time: there were only two inversion sessions, no follow-up evaluation, no generalization and no double-blind study. CONCLUSIONS: It would be interesting for future research to extend it to everyday life scenarios, to enhance generalization in other contexts, involving a larger number of people with ASD.

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Niemeyer ◽  
Konstantin Mechler ◽  
Jan Buitelaar ◽  
Sarah Durston ◽  
Bram Gooskens ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Low recruitment in clinical trials is a common and costly problem which undermines medical research. This study aimed to investigate the challenges faced in recruiting children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and to analyze reasons for non-participation. The trial was part of the EU FP7 project TACTICS (Translational Adolescent and Childhood Therapeutic Interventions in Compulsive Syndromes). Methods Demographic data on pre-screening patients were collected systematically, including documented reasons for non-participation. Findings were grouped according to content, and descriptive statistical analyses of the data were performed. Results In total, n = 173 patients were pre-screened for potential participation in the clinical trial. Of these, only five (2.9%) were eventually enrolled. The main reasons for non-inclusion were as follows: failure to meet all inclusion criteria/meeting one or more of the exclusion criteria (n = 73; 42.2%), no interest in the trial or trials in general (n = 40; 23.1%), and not wanting changes to current therapy/medication (n = 14; 8.1%). Conclusions The findings from this study add valuable information to the existing knowledge on reasons for low clinical trial recruitment rates in pediatric psychiatric populations. Low enrollment and high exclusion rates raise the question of whether such selective study populations are representative of clinical patient cohorts. Consequently, the generalizability of the results of such trials may be limited. The present findings will be useful in the development of improved recruitment strategies and may guide future research in establishing the measurement of representativeness to ensure enhanced external validity in psychopharmacological clinical trials in pediatric populations. Trial registration EudraCT 2014-003080-38. Registered on 14 July 2014.


2020 ◽  
pp. 153465012098345
Author(s):  
Mirela Cengher ◽  
Joy C. Clayborne ◽  
Adrianna E. Crouch ◽  
Julia T. O’Connor

Over 60% of children diagnosed with selective mutism are also diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Previous research established that behavioral interventions are effective at increasing speech in children with both diagnoses. However, few studies conducted assessments to determine environmental variables that inhibit speech, and such assessments are necessary for the development of effective and efficient treatments. This case study describes an assessment that evaluated the function(s) of selective mutism. The results confirmed that the participant did not talk to avoid social interaction and that mutism occurred primarily in the presence of multiple, unfamiliar people. Our first treatment focused on increasing tolerance for social interaction, demonstrated by an increase in speech production in the presence of unfamiliar people. Our second treatment focused on increasing qualitative aspects of the participant’s speech (i.e., both responses and initiations). Finally, we taught the participant’s parents to implement the treatment in naturalistic settings, and the participant demonstrated generalization of treatment effects across people and settings. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol LXXXI (3) ◽  
pp. 200-212
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Stefanow

The functioning of a student with the autism spectrum is determined not only by disorders and deficits of a social nature, but also sensory, which are not included in didactic and educational work by teachers based mainly on behavioural concepts. These concepts allow you to control your child's undesirable behaviour without referring to its aetiology. By ignoring sensory disorders, school becomes a place for students that does not create an environment for their optimal development. The cognitive goal of the article is to describe the functioning of the autism spectrum student in the integration class in terms of sensory disorders. The practical and implementation goal is to propose effective solutions that teachers could use in their didactic and educational work with an autism spectrum student in a public school, taking into account his sensory needs. The research method was a case study of a student with the autism spectrum (Asperger Syndrome), implemented using the modified Sensomotor Development Questionnaire by Zbigniew Przyrowski (2014). By face-to-face contact, it was possible to avoid over-interpreting the data received from the questionnaire and to make sure that the respondent correctly understood the questions. The case study was supplemented with techniques for observing and analysing school documents. While implementing study method in case of the boy, it was noticed that his functioning in school is strongly determined by sensory processing disorders, which are the result of dysfunction of individual sensory systems. The boy manifested disorders in both modulation and discrimination in individual sensory channels. Sensory motor disorders were also present. All these dysfunctions impaired the boy's cognitive processes, social and emotional development, which was the foundation of the occurrence of undesirable behavioural actions. In the last part of the article, didactic and educational activities are proposed taking into account the sensory processing disorder of the student with the autism spectrum, which can be successfully applied at every stage of education of a student with ASD and in any type of educational institution.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen E. Angell ◽  
Hedda Meadan ◽  
Julia B. Stoner

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and identify their self-reported support needs. We conducted in-person semi-structured interviews with 12 siblings aged 7 to 15 of children aged 6 to 15 with ASDs. Employing a qualitative collective case study research method, we conducted cross-case analyses to address our research questions. Three major themes emerged: (a) descriptions of the sibling subsystem (b) cohesion between and among the siblings, and (c) adaptability of the participant siblings to having family members with ASDs. Discussion of these findings and recommendations for future research contributes to the existing literature on siblings of children with disabilities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 434-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret M. Barry ◽  
Aleisha Mary Clarke ◽  
Katherine Dowling

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical perspective on the international evidence on promoting young people’s social and emotional well-being in schools. The challenges of integrating evidence-based interventions within schools are discussed and the need for innovative approaches to research and practice are considered in order to support more sustainable approaches that can be embedded into the everyday practice of school systems. Design/methodology/approach A common elements approach to intervention development and implementation is explored. A case study is presented on piloting this approach with post-primary students, based on consultations with students and teachers concerning their needs in supporting youth social and emotional well-being. Findings The integration and sustainability of evidence-based social and emotional skills programmes within the context of whole school systems is far from clearly established. Research on the use of a common elements approach to evidence-based treatment and youth prevention programmes is presented and the application of this method to the development and implementation of social and emotional learning interventions is considered. Preliminary case study findings are presented exploring this approach in school-based intervention development for post-primary school students. Research limitations/implications The potential of adopting a common elements approach is considered; however, more rigorous research is needed to identify the most potent strategies for social and emotional skills development. Originality/value Identifying a common set of evidence-based strategies for enhancing adolescents’ social and emotional skills could lead to innovative approaches to intervention delivery that would extend the impact and reach of evidence-based practice across diverse educational systems and school settings.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document