scholarly journals The “Muscles of the Psyche”: From Body Literacy to Emotional Literacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Vulcan
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Dance Movement ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Concrete Body ◽  
Therapeutic Encounter ◽  
Disciplinary Matrix

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental condition, which requires a multi-disciplinary matrix of treatments, including functional, educational, and emotional interventions. The latter mode of treatment entails particular difficulties, inasmuch as the core deficits of this condition seem to challenge the very premises of traditional psychotherapy. Reciprocity, verbal, and symbolic expression and inter-subjective dynamics are often difficult to attain with clients diagnosed with ASD, and emotional treatment thus often turns out to be a frustrating process, which may well elicit questions as to the efficacy of psychotherapeutic emotional interventions. These core challenges, described in the literature, become particularly acute in view of the increasing number of clients diagnosed on the autistic spectrum in recent years, and the growing need for qualified therapists who have trained for working specifically with this condition. It seems, therefore, that it is high time for systematic research into the lived experience of therapists working with these clients in order to attain a better clinical and theoretical understanding of the condition itself and broaden the range of effective interventions. This study, informed by a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach which guided both the collection of data and its subsequent analysis, aims to address these issues by exploring the particular challenges faced by therapists in this field, the questions that come up in the process, modes of personal and professional coping, and the insights elicited by the therapeutic encounter. The research consisted of in-depth interviews with 28 practicing therapists from a broad range of clinical orientations, including dance/movement, arts, music, and drama therapists, clinical psychologists, and clinical social workers. The essential themes that emerged from the participants’ responses and the analysis of the findings lend support to theoretical and developmental approaches, which focus on the primacy and the foundational role of the concrete body in inter-subjective relationships and in the therapeutic process, and indicate the potential efficacy of somatic and kinetic interventions. The clinical implications of this study are thus highly relevant to the training and support of therapists working with ASD, who should be encouraged to develop greater receptivity to non-verbal modes of interaction in the therapeutic process.

scholarly journals Extending the Field of Extended Language: A Literature Review on Figurative Language Processing in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Chahboun ◽  
Ø. Kvello ◽  
A. G. Page
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Effective Interventions

Figurative and extended uses of language are nonliteral utterances such as irony, sarcasm, and idioms and comprise a core part of social interaction. Children with typical development (TD) show a progressive adultlike understanding of figurative language around the age of ten. In contrast, individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or developmental language disorder often display difficulties with figurative language. However, these difficulties are a puzzle in that the actual underlying causes remain unclear. Those individuals who struggle with understanding figurative language need support through effective interventions. These should be based on solid research findings, which is often problematic as research in this field is characterized by conflicting and incomplete findings. The intention of this study is to conduct a literature review of both available studies and those intervention programs that seek to improve figurative language abilities in these atypical populations. This review will not only provide an overview of available intervention programs but also reveal the research gaps through critically appraising earlier studies. This is done as, in a manner of speaking, research reflects our theoretical understanding of the topic at hand, while interventions reflect the ways in which they are manifested into practice. This will serve to give the reader a more complete overview of the state of knowledge on figurative language and neurodevelopmental disorders. This article may be read for an overview of the field, but it also aims to point out the areas where additional research is needed. For instance, while figurative language takes many forms, there is a disproportionate scholarly focus on metaphors compared to other types. We will ultimately highlight promising approaches and make suggestions for future directions in terms of research and practice.

The secure-enough base: a response to "the need for something more than a secure base: is a secure base always enough?"

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-202
Author(s):  
Debbie Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Parallel Process ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Transitional Space ◽  
Key Aspects

In this response to Michaela Chamberlain's article, I engage with some of the key aspects of her thinking in her exploration of the concept of the secure base and how the theory of its "provision" is tested by her lived experience of working with patients whose attachment-related trauma has compromised their capacity to experience her as a secure base. In particular, I explore the idea of the secure base as a two-person relational construct. I use an attachment lens to consider the complexities and challenges in facilitating attachment security when working with disorganised attachment. I explore the question of the need for an earlier "holding" phase as a precursor to the capacity to relate to a secure base and consider the expansion of the concept of the term secure base to incorporate this earlier "holding" dimension. I also question the possibility and desirability of "complete holding" in working towards attachment security, engaging with Winnicott's theories to explore the ideas of the transitional space of illusion and disillusion, of "good-enough", and of internalisation in the therapeutic process of building attachment security. Finally, I consider the parallel process of the therapist's development of their internal secure base.

scholarly journals Evaluating the efficacy of psychodynamic treatment on a single case of autism. A qualitative research

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Vecchiato ◽  
Chiara Sacchi ◽  
Alessandra Simonelli ◽  
Nicola Purgato
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Adaptive Behavior ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Behavioral Patterns ◽  
Rehabilitation Centre ◽  
Psychodynamic Treatment

Autism spectrum disorder refers to a group of diseases determined by multiple conditions and primarily defined on the basis of behavioral patterns. The literature and guidelines provide indications regarding adequate treatments, underlying how psychologically and behaviorally structured interventions, should be considered the best programs. Anyway, there is still a scarcity of studies evidencing the effectiveness of therapeutic and developmental approaches situated in a psychodynamic framework and researches aimed to evaluate the quality of psychodynamic interventions on autism are rare. The present study illustrate a qualitative research on the single-case intervention with an autistic adolescent, admitted to the Educational - Rehabilitation Centre Antenna 112. The Centre bases its intervention on a specific psychodynamic approach, Lacanian Psychoanalysis, named Pratique à Plusieurs. The efficacy of the psychodynamic intervention is evaluated by monitoring the therapeutic process with the adolescent from his admission. The evaluation took place in three different stages of the intervention: at the beginning of the treatment, after 6 months and after 12 months. In particular, the level of adaptive behaviors (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale), Social Communication (Social Communication Questionnaire), and the seriousness of behavioral patterns, specific for the autism disorders (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) have been assessed. Results highlight that the psychodynamic setting of the Centre and the therapeutic intervention, which takes place in it, foster an improvement of adaptive behavior, such as life skills and socialization. Limitations of the present study and clinical implications regarding residential psychodynamic treatments in cases of autism disorders are discussed.

scholarly journals Your Voice Counts: Listening to the Voice of High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Saggers ◽  
Yoon-Suk Hwang ◽  
K. Louise Mercer
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Student Perspective ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
School Students ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Students With Autism

AbstractSupporting students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in inclusive settings presents both opportunities and significant challenges to school communities. This study, which explored the lived experience of nine students with ASD in an inclusive high school in Australia, is based on the belief that by listening to the voices of students, school communities will be in a better position to collaboratively create supportive learning and social environments. The findings of this small-scale study deepen our knowledge from the student perspective of the inclusive educational practices that facilitate and constrain the learning and participation of students with ASD. The students' perspectives were examined in relation to the characteristics of successful inclusive schools identified by Kluth (2003). Implications for inclusive educational practice that meets the needs of students with ASD are presented.

scholarly journals Neural Substrates of the Drift-Diffusion Model in Brain Disorders

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankur Gupta ◽  
Rohini Bansal ◽  
Hany Alashwal ◽  
Anil Safak Kacar ◽  
Fuat Balci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Model ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Functional Impairments ◽  
Drift Diffusion Model ◽  
Drift Diffusion ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Compulsive Disorder

Many studies on the drift-diffusion model (DDM) explain decision-making based on a unified analysis of both accuracy and response times. This review provides an in-depth account of the recent advances in DDM research which ground different DDM parameters on several brain areas, including the cortex and basal ganglia. Furthermore, we discuss the changes in DDM parameters due to structural and functional impairments in several clinical disorders, including Parkinson's disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia. This review thus uses DDM to provide a theoretical understanding of different brain disorders.

scholarly journals Aquatic Therapy Interventions and Disability: A Recreational Therapy Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Scott ◽  
Angela Wozencroft ◽  
Vincenzo Nocera ◽  
Kelsey Webb ◽  
Jodi Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Therapeutic Recreation ◽  
Recreational Therapy ◽  
Aquatic Therapy ◽  
Intensive Training ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Therapy Interventions ◽  
The Impact

Aquatic therapy interventions are critical for individuals with disabilities and the role of the therapist is just as critical for successful and effective interventions. The field of therapeutic recreation trains students to develop and implement evidence-based facilitation techniques including the use of aquatic therapy to assist in helping clients achieve a change in functional status. This review of the literature examined the impact of aquatic therapy interventions on a variety of disabilities including osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, Cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and mental health from a recreational therapy (RT) perspective. This review provides a variety of information on the positive benefits that may occur using aquatic therapy for diverse conditions. Examples include relaxation, stretching, and aerobic exercise and each has the ability to improve strength. It does appear that aquatic therapy interventions can provide a wide array of benefits that may reduce the burden associated with a variety of disabilities. These benefits may be useful in increasing the overall quality of life of a diverse group of disabilities. Likewise, due to the nature of RT, recreational therapists are in a unique position to provide plan and develop aquatic therapy interventions. However, it is the authors’ suggestion that those providing this service attend intensive training in order to provide aquatic therapy effectively. Additional research may be necessary to provide a more cohesive understanding of the impact of aquatic therapy on a variety of populations. Nonetheless, the information gleamed from this review, justify that aquatic therapy has benefits for a diverse clientele and thus may be useful in the implementation of RT programs.

Effect of physical therapy on 7- to 10-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder: A retrospective study in a university day hospital

2021 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-404
Author(s):  
Jokthan Guivarch ◽  
Elisabeth Jouve ◽  
Elodie Avenel ◽  
François Poinso ◽  
Laura Conforti-Roussel
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
The Body ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Dance Movement ◽  
Cascading Effect

More than half of children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suffer from motor impairment. In a retrospective study, the authors investigated the effect of a body-mediated workshop with dance movement therapy (DMT) on the motor skills and social skills of children with ASD by comparing 10 autistic children aged 7 to 10 years who benefited from DMT with 10 autistic children in a control group. Scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale were compared. The body-mediated workshop had significant benefits for motricity, especially manual dexterity, and for relational skills. A body-mediated workshop may have a multimodal effect and requires transmodal training. Regarding the mechanisms that explain the benefits and the cascading effect, the roles of imitation and multimodal connections are important.

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