Evaluating the effectiveness of a computer based intervention, The Transporters, on both recognition and understanding of emotions in young children with Autism

Social impairments may be the most striking deficit in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A common social impairment in individuals with ASD is difficulty interpreting and or predicting emotions of others. This difficulty can affect an individual's ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with others. Two boys and one girl, 4-8 years in age, who are educated in self-contained classrooms for students with communication and social skills deficits, participated in this study. A multiple probe across participants design was utilized to assess the effects of using a computer based intervention designed to teach young children to recognize and understand emotions in others. Episodes from the software program, The Transporters were shown three times daily with a quiz immediately following the third viewing each school day for a period of roughly four weeks (based on attendance). In addition, participants were tested on emotion recognition skills in live settings pre and post-intervention. All participants showed marked improvements in measures assessing their recognition of both basic and complex emotions in faces following a four week computer-based intervention in the school setting. Specifically, gains in performance on emotion recognition tasks in both quizzes and live scenarios were observed in all participants during and following the intervention.Doctor of Philosoph

Identification of Opportunity Barriers and Supports for Individuals Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Stakeholders

Individuals using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are supported by many AAC stakeholders and communication partners. Clinical decision making and AAC assessment models consider the capabilities and access needs of the individual using AAC, as well as opportunity barriers and supports imposed by communication partners and environments. The purpose of this research was to investigate opportunity barriers and supports identified by two critical AAC stakeholders: speechlanguage pathologists and caregivers. The first study investigated characteristics of AAC service provision reported by post-professional speech-language pathologists. Speech-language pathologists reported lack of perceived knowledge related to AAC service delivery, inconsistent use of AAC modalities, and persistent barriers to AAC service provision. The second study analyzed parent, guardian, and caregiver perceptions of AAC interventions for school-aged children. Caregivers preferred family-centered rather than patient-centered service delivery models to facilitate AAC use by their child. The third study investigated experiences and contributing factors of stress in adult caregivers of children using AAC. Caregivers’ stress was impacted by the multiple enveloping systems. Within the family, caregivers’ experiences of stress were predicted by number of children and the caregivers’ educational level. Stress was mitigated by support systems which meet caregivers’ needs and expectations. This research reveals opportunity barriers and supports are a critical component to AAC service delivery and clinical decision making as perceived by speech-language pathologists and caregivers. Sustainable and adequate AAC service delivery requires AAC stakeholders to recognize opportunity barriers and implement supports to facilitate the long-term participation and communication of individuals using AAC. Augmentative and alternative communication service delivery in the absence of explicit consideration for communication partners and environments does not address opportunity barriers for the individual using AAC

The Neurodevelopment Of Basic Sensory Processing And Integration In Autism Spectrum Disorder

This thesis presents three studies that together explore the neurophysiological basis for the sensory processing and integration abnormalities that have been observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since the disorder was first described over half a century ago. In designing these studies we seek to fill a hole that currently exists in the research community‟s knowledge of the neurodevelopment of basic multisensory integration -- both in children with autism and as well as in those with typical development. The first study applied event related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral measures of multisensory integration to a large group of healthy participants ranging in age from 7 to 29 years, with the goal of detailing the developmental trajectory of basic audiovisual integration in the brain. Our behavioral results revealed a gradual fine-tuning of multisensory facilitation of reaction time which reached mature levels by about 14 years of age. A similarly protracted period of maturation was seen in the brain processes thought to underlie to multisensory integration. Using the results of this cross-sectional study as a guide, the second study employed a between groups design to assess differences in the neural activity and behavioral facilitation associated with integrating basic audiovisual stimuli in groups of children and adolescents with ASD and typical development (aged 7-16 years). Deficits in basic audiovisual integration were seen at the earliest stages of cortical sensory processing in the ASD groups. In the concluding study we assessed whether neurophysiological measures of sensory processing and integration predict autistic symptom severity and parent-reported visual/auditory sensitivities. The data revealed that a combination of neural indices of auditory and visual processing and integration were predictive of severity of autistic symptoms in a group of children and adolescents with ASD. A particularly robust relationship was observed between severity of autism and the integrity of basic auditory processing and audiovisual integration. In contrast, our physiological indices did not predict visual/auditory sensitivities as assessed by parent responses on a questionnaire

An Intellectual Property Food Fight: Why Copyright Law Should Embrace Culinary Innovation

In the United States, dining has become an increasingly popular form of leisure and entertainment, generating an estimated $537 billion in 2007. However, dining represents only one aspect of the modern food economy; cooking and dining are regularly featured in newspapers and magazines, while celebrity chefs tout their own brands on television. Eating has been transformed from a mere perfunctory activity into big business. Increasing competition for the attention and money of restaurant patrons has prompted chefs of grande cuisine to differentiate their menus by creating unique dishes. The time and labor that chefs sink into this form of innovation represents a substantial investment, and some have turned to the law to protect their original dishes from competing chefs. Yet, copyright law fails to protect chefs\u27 recipes from copyists. Historically, the law has viewed recipes as uncopyrightable subject matter because of their functional and utilitarian nature. This note illustrates why, in today\u27s food culture, copyright law should embrace chefs\u27 innovative dishes as original works of authorship, amenable to copyright protection. First, the author describes the transformation of eating from a perfunctory activity into one done for entertainment and explains how this phenomenon created competition among chefs. Second, the author traces the current law on the copyrightability of culinary dishes and recipes. Next, the author discusses the legal, doctrinal, and sociological reasons why the law has not protected recipes as works of authorship in the past. Finally, the author argues that chefs\u27 original menu items, as expressed in recipes, should be considered copyrightable subject matter as works of applied art

Computers as an environment for facilitating social interaction in children with autistic spectrum disorders

Autism is a developmental condition that affects communication, imagination and social interaction. Of these three impairments, it is the last which has the greatest negative impact on the life of children with autism and their families. Different intervention programs have attempted to address social interaction difficulties but there is clearly a need for a school-based program that helps develop social interaction and promote social skills within educationally 'natural' settings.Teachers, parents and researchers widely believe that children with autism enjoy using computers and in most western countries, most children with autism have access to them at home or at school. Drawing from communication theory, this thesis explores the hypothesis that computers can provide a motivating, real-life environment in which social interaction in children with autism can be facilitated.In a series of staged studies, the ways in which computers might be used to facilitate social interaction are investigated. The first phase established the level of access to computers that children with autism typically now have and how educators currently use computers with this group of children. The experience of those working in non-school based programmes aimed at developing social interaction in children with autism was also explored. It was also necessary to explore any inherent constraints on the development of software specifically aimed at children with autism.Having established available resources and constraints, the thesis then explored the social behaviours of children with autism within a computer-based environment, using play-based activities. In a number of interlinking studies, differences and similarities in social interactions were explored when i) working on a paper-based versus computer-based version of the same two player game, ii) playing the same game at the computer, either against a partner or alone, and iii) working with a partner on a series of graded, computer-based jigsaw puzzles, with the partner acting either as a collaborator or competitor.The findings presented illustrate the potential for eliciting increased social interaction in children with autism when working alongside other with computers, and suggest the possibility that time spent with computers by children with autism may help them to gravitate from a solitary activity towards a social one. The relevance of the findings of these studies to practice are discussed and the need for further studies highlighted

IPAD IN LANGUAGE PEDAGOGY: TEACHERS ATTITUDE

Despite the benefits technology brings to English learning at school, few teachers were still taking advantage of it. Not only was the iPad was a learning medium with short and medium-term used, it also serves as a device that helps improved student education. The objective of the research is to identify the types of the English teachers attitude towards iPad in teaching and learning processes. However, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted to investigate the attitude of English teachers towards iPad in teaching and learning process at IT Harapan Mulya Junior in Palembang. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. Data analysis was processed in the form of reduction data, display data, and conclusion drawing and verification data. The results showed that the English teachers provided 90 utterances consisting of 31 cognitive attitudes, 26 conative attitudes, 24 affective attitudes, and 9 evaluative attitudes. Cognitive attitudes was most often exhibited by the teachers. While the lowest was the evaluative attitude