First-hand experiences of body and movements in autism

Aims:To explore young adults´ own experiences about body and movements.Method: Eleven young adults (15-22 years) with autism were interviewed face-to-face, with picture support available.Results:The results are preliminary, pointing towards the importance of assessing movement quality in persons with autism

Närproducerat foder till svenska mjölkkor

En stor del av fodret till svenska mjölkkor utgörs av kraftfoder. I detta kraftfoder ingår ofta råvaror som sojamjöl och palmkärnexpeller som man vet ger stora miljökonsekvenser. Några exempel på miljöeffekter av dessa importerade råvaror är hög pesticidanvändning, minskad biologisk mångfald, erosionsproblem, resursuttag av fosfor och kalium, stora inflöden av kväve samt hög energikostnad för torkning och transport. Dessutom kan negativa etiska aspekter finnas i samband med odlingen. Denna problematik har ingående beskrivits i rapporten ”Närproducerat foder” (Emanuelson, m.fl., 2006). Där har det undersökts om det är möjligt att övergå till mer närproducerat foder till de svenska korna. Det innebär bl.a. en ökad användning av vallfoder och lokalt producerade kraftfoderråvaror som ärter och raps, men även nyare biprodukter från energiframställning som t.ex. agrodrank. Fokus i det ovan nämnda arbetet var produktionsbiologiskt och ekonomiskt. Slutsatsen var att det finns stora möjligheter att utfodra korna med närproducerat foder och samtidigt bibehålla en hög mjölkavkastning med god kvalitet. Som en fortsättning på det arbetet behöver man även analysera miljökonsekvenserna av att övergå till mer närproducerat foder. Dels från foderframställning, som omfattar allt ifrån odling tills fodret når foderbordet. Dels fodrets väg genom djuret tills produkterna lämnar gården. Det är den senare aspekten som kommer att beskrivas i föreliggande arbete

Moved by my body

Objectives: Young adults with autism have a different way to develop in body and movement. Do the experiences of body and movement consist with physiotherapeutic findings, in order to guide understanding and interventions?Method: The study involved eleven participants with autism, 16-22 years old, who told about their experiences. They were also examined concerning motor proficiency with Bruininks Ozeretskys test version 2 (BOT2), and concerning body awareness ability with Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience (BAS MQ-E). Results: Everyday experiences of body and movement were reported by the participants. Their ability to build a body self was reported as well as observed. Physiotherapeutic findings were illustrated by quotations from the participants. Discussion: Movement quality seems to have more impact on how the participants feel in everyday life than movement quantity has. Conclusions: There is a need for a better understanding of bodily resources in young adults with autism. The need for bodily interventions is underlined

Understanding one’s body and movements - from the perspective of young adults with autism

Background: There are but a few studies of how persons with autism perceive and experience their bodies and movements. Having autism may mean difficulty with verbalizing these experiences. Difficulties in perceiving the surrounding world along with disturbed motor coordination and executive functions may affect physical and psychological development. Exploring possibilities to capture the experiences of body and movements with physiotherapeutic assessments appears as important in order to administer appropriate interventions. Purpose: The purpose was to explore the experiences of body and movements in young adults with autism from a first-hand account, and how two physiotherapeutic instruments may capture these experiences.Methods: Eleven young adults (16-22 years) with autism were interviewed and assessed using Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT2) and Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience (BAS MQ-E). Following a mixed-methods design, the interviews were deductively analyzed and conceptually integrated to the results of the two assessments. Results: Development of a bodily self-consciousness is hindered in persons with autism. A key finding was that an inactive movement center led to coordination and breathing difficulties. Experiencing conflicting feelings about their bodies/movements, led to low understanding of themselves. Positive experiences and better movement quality related to having access to more functional daily strategies. The combined assessments captured these experiences relatively well, presenting both movement quality and quantity.Conclusion: Combining motor proficiency and body awareness assessments was optimal to understand the participants’ experiences. The assessments gave good information about the experiences, i.e. describing the experiences of the participants. Future work needs to investigate the validity of the body awareness instrument and also to investigate the effects of body awareness interventions to persons with autism.Implications: To capture body and movement functions in persons with autism in this standardized manner is a way to describe body and movements for a group that may have difficulties verbalizing their experiences. In the physiotherapeutic clinic this will lead to improved and reliable diagnoses and administering tailored interventions. For the persons with autism this may lead to increased body awareness and activity, and enhanced quality of life

GearUp : Ett utvecklingsprojekt för ökad framkomlighet

Denna uppsats är ett examensarbete inom ämnet Biomekanik. Studenterna Ingrid Bertilsson och Viktor Larsson har utfört ett utvecklingsprojekt i samarbete med Hälsoteknikcentrum Halland (HCH). Projektet har med en användarcentrerad utvecklingsprocess arbetat fram en funktions prototyp av ett växlat rullstolshjul och en reglerande lösning. Funktionsprototypen har också möjliggjort tester. Denna prototyp är utvecklad för att avhjälpa de rullstolsburnas problem med lutande plan och svårmanövrerad terräng. I och med en workshop med användare togs problematiken med lutande plan och svårmanövrerade terräng upp som de största hindren. Projektgruppen arbetade fram koncept och dessa utvärderades i samarbete med brukare, arbetsterapeuter och hjälpmedelstekniker för att kunna få en så bra och komplett lösning som möjligt. Under konstruktionsarbetet har hänsyn tagits till användarvänlighet, medicintekniska föreskrifter och krav för att möjliggöra CE-märkning av produkten Resultatet är ett rullstolshjul med ett integrerat planetväxlat nav samt ett intuitivt och användarvänligt reglage. Utformning och funktion av reglaget kommer inte att beröras i denna rapport på grund av sekretess. Navväxeln baseras på cykelnavet SRAM I3-motions konstruktion, men har modifierats för att passa rullstolens drivning. De navväxlade hjulen har monterades på rullstolen Panthera S2 och möjliggjorde tester i backe med lutning på 8,5 %. Testerna gav en indikation på att ett växlat rullstolshjul kan minska ansträngningen för en rullstolsburen person vid klättring i backar. Förslag på slutgiltig konstruktion av nav och reglage har arbetats fram. Produkten behöver vidare utveckling och testas ytterligare innan produkten kan läggas i produktion.This paper is a Bachelor thesis in Biomechanics. The students Ingrid Bertilsson and Viktor Larsson have performed a development project in cooperation with Hälsoteknikcentrum Halland (HCH). With a user-centered development process has a functional prototype of a geared wheelchair wheel with a regulatory solution been developed. The function prototype has been tested. This prototype was developed to reduce the problems for wheelchair users with inclines and arduous terrain. A workshop with users clarified these problems and the users requested a product reducing the strain in these environment. The project elaborate concepts and these were evaluated in collaboration with users, therapists and assistive technologies to create the best and complete solution as possible. During the development process the project has regarded user friendliness, medical regulations and requirements to enable CE marking of the products. The result was a wheelchair wheel with an integrated planetary gear hub, and an intuitive and userfriendly control device. The function and design of the control device will not be affected in this report due to confidentiality. The gear hubs construction repose on the bicycle hub SRAM i3-motion design, but was modified to suit the sector of application for wheelchair. The gear hubs wheels are set up on the wheelchair Panthera S2 and enabled testing in an incline of 8.5 %. The tests indicated that geared wheelchair wheel can reduce strain for a wheelchair user, when climbing hills. Proposals for final design of the hubs and control device have been developed. The product needs further development and further testing before it can be added in production

Physiotherapists’ experiences of the meaning of movement quality in autism: a descriptive phenomenological study

Introduction: Movement quality, represented in unrestricted movements, flow and pleasure, is often lacking in people with autism. One aspect is the non-verbal expression of the present emotional and psychological state of an individual. Purpose: To describe the meaning of movement quality in autism, as experienced by specialized physiotherapists. Method: Ten physiotherapists were interviewed. The data were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Giorgi᾽s descriptive phenomenological method. Findings: The general structure of movement quality in people with autism included eight key constituents: 1) reduced postural control; 2) deviant muscle tone and tension; 3) deviant sensory processing; 4) a lack of conscious awareness; 5) difficulties with body boundaries; 6) coordinating movements (including breathing); 7) lack of anticipatory preparations of movements; and 8) need of cognitive thoughts to control movements. Conclusions: This study provide an understanding of how movement quality in people with autism is expressed. Their lived bodies constantly need to protect themselves from sensory impressions from within or the surroundings, causing emotional distress and obscuring the meaning of their movements. Their bodily expression becomes restrained, fragmented, and hesitant. Understanding movement patterns and emotional reactions following their struggle with movements may facilitate constructive interaction and communication, which give important implications when designing physiotherapy interventions

Internet-Based Support and Coaching With Complementary Clinic Visits for Young People With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism : Controlled Feasibility Study

Background: Individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can experience obstacles in traditional health care situations due to difficulties associated with their impairment. Objective: This controlled study aims to investigate the feasibility of an internet-based support and coaching intervention (IBSC), including 2 weekly chat sessions and 2 complementary clinic visits with coaches over the course of 8 weeks, for adolescents and young adults with ADHD and/or ASD in 2 naturalistic routine care settings. Methods: Individuals with ADHD and/or ASD aged 15-32 years were recruited in 2 clinical settings, where they received either IBSC (n=24) or treatment as usual (TAU; n=20). Outcome measures included self-report questionnaires assessing quality of life (Manchester Short Assessment for Quality of Life), sense of coherence (Sense Of Coherence 29), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), and anxiety and depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self-reported, respectively). Results: Significant between-group effects were observed in measures of anxiety (HADS) at postintervention (P=.02) as well as at the 6-month follow-up (P=.004). Significant between-group effects were also noted for depressive symptoms (HADS) postintervention (P=.04). The between-group effects were partially explained by a deterioration in the TAU group. A significant increase in self-esteem (P=.04) as well as a decrease in anxiety (P=.003) at the 6-month follow-up was observed in the intervention group following IBSC. Findings from a qualitative study of the intervention are consistent with the results. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that IBSC holds promise as a feasible complement or alternative to traditional face-to-face health care meetings

Understanding one's body and movements from the perspective of young adults with autism : A mixed-methods study

Background: There are but a few studies of how persons with autism perceive their bodies and movements. Difficulties in perceiving the surrounding world along with disturbed motor coordination and executive functions may affect physical and psychological development. Aims: To explore the experiences of body and movements in young adults with autism and how two physiotherapeutic instruments may capture these experiences. Procedures: Eleven young adults (16–22 years) with autism were interviewed and assessed using Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT2) and Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience (BAS MQ-E). Following a mixed- methods design, the interviews were deductively analyzed and conceptually integrated to the results of the two assessments. Results: Experiencing conflicting feelings about their bodies/movements, led to low understanding of themselves. The assessments captured these experiences relatively well, presenting both movement quality and quantity. Positive experiences and better movement quality related to having access to more functional daily strategies. Conclusion: Combining motor proficiency and body awareness assessments was optimal to understand the participants’ experiences. Implications: To capture body and movement functions in persons with autism in this standardized manner will lead to improved and reliable diagnoses, tailored interventions, increased body awareness and activity, and enhanced quality of life