Executive Functioning and ASD: A preliminary study of inhibition in a sample of students with ASD

Inhibition is a component of the executive functioning that allows to control automated responses. However, people with ASD might present problems in the inhibitory control. Objectives. ¿Firstly,we present a synthetic review of the recent scientific literature about executive functioning ¿and particularly about inhibition- in ASD. Secondly, from a sample of 10 children diagnosed of ASD in thepast, we evaluate which of these children support nowadays the diagnosis and we measure empirically inhibitory control, by means of a Stroop task (an adapted version of the Counting Stroop). Method. - 10 students (5-8 years ols) took part in this study. Tests administered were: GARS-2, Raven colour, Peabody and a task of inhibition, a Stroop task, measuring up time of reaction and mistakes in two conditions: a troubled (or conflicting) condition and a non-troubled (or non-conflicting) condition. Three groups of students were conformed: ASD with language, ASD without language and a group of students that nowadays don¿t meet criteria for being diagnosed of ASD(noASD). Regarding the Stroop task, analyses of repeated measures showed differences both in the reaction time and mistakes, in the conditions and between the groups

Analysis of Spanish Parents' Knowledge about ASD and Their Attitudes towards Inclusive Education

To make possible the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream settings, parental knowledge and attitudes towards the disorder play a key role between the home and the school setting. However, prior literature has not carried out an in-depth analysis of parents' knowledge about ASD and their attitudes toward the inclusion of children with this diagnosis. This study examined the parental attitudes towards inclusion and knowledge about ASD. Participants were parents of children with ASD (n = 75), parents of children without ASD whose children had prior or current contact with peers with ASD (n = 44), and parents of children with no previous interactions with a peer with ASD (n = 51). The Attitudes of Regular Educators Towards Inclusion for Students with Autism Survey and the Autism Knowledge Questionnaire were filled out. Nonparametric statistical tests were used. Results showed that parents of children with ASD have better knowledge about this disorder and hold more favorable attitudes towards the inclusion of children with ASD than the other parents. These findings suggest that the benefits of inclusive schooling are limited to the school setting and do not appear to affect families of children without ASD

Funcionamiento ejecutivo y TEA: estudio preliminar de la inhibición en una muestra de alumnos con TEA.

La inhibición es un componente del funcionamiento ejecutivo que permite controlar respuestas automatizadas. Sin embargo, los sujetos con TEA/TGD podrían presentar problemas en el control inhibitorio. Objetivos.- En la primera parte del trabajo presentamos una revisión sintética de la literatura científica reciente sobre el funcionamiento ejecutivo -y en particular sobre la inhibición- en los TEA. En la segunda parte, partiendo de una muestra inicial de 10 niños diagnosticados de TEA/TGD en el pasado, evaluamos cuáles de estos niños mantienen en la actualidad dicho diagnóstico y medimos empíricamente el control inhibitorio, mediante una tarea de tipo Stroop (variante Stroop numérico adaptada). Método.- Participaron 10 alumnos de entre 5 y 8 años de edad. Se administraron las siguientes pruebas: GARS-2, Raven color, Peabody y una tarea de inhibición, tipo Stroop, en la que se medía tiempo de reacción y errores en dos condiciones: conflictiva y no-conflictiva. Se conformaron tres grupos de sujetos: diagnóstico TEA/TGD con lenguaje, diagnóstico TEA/TGD sin lenguaje y sin diagnóstico en la actualidad (no TEA/TGD). En cuanto a la tarea tipo Stroop, se realizaron análisis mixtos de medidas repetidas, que mostraron diferencias tanto en el TR como en los errores, en las condiciones y entre los grupos

Conceptualización y análisis psicológico del error humano en la conducción de vehículos a partir de los desarrollos recientes del modelo de habilidades, reglas y conocimientos

The Skills, Rules and Knowledge model (Rasmussen, 1987, 1986, 1983) is a theoretical-conceptual model that falls within the framework of information processing of cognitive psychology, and constitutes one of the principal models within which the performance of tasks that form part of complex activities such as driving motor vehicles have been researched both theoretically and empirically. Within this theoretical framework, driving behavior is explained in tems of cognitive information processing: the notions of cognitive control in the perfonnance of tasks and the distinction between automatic and controlled processing constitute the basis of this explanation. This explanation also includes the functioning of basic psychological factors and processes that underlie driving behavior: attention, complex leaming (perceptional, attentional, motor), experience, memory, perceptive-motorprocesses, etc. During the 90's along these same lines and within this theoretic framework, errors in human behavior that precede trafic accidents were studied. In this way, the theoretical-conceptual basis of this model -and the perspective of cogrtitive information processing in general- has guided the greater part of the theoretical and empirical research that is conducted in order to prevent human errors and accidents within the field of Trafic and Road Safety Psychology today. Based on recent developments related to the Skills, Rules and Knowledge model (Reason, 1994, 1990, 1987), a theory of considerable complexity has been elaborated which provides un explanation for the occurrence of human errors in driving (especially unintentional errors) and, to a large extent, sheds light on the functioning of some basic psychological factors and processes that underlie such errors. The objective of this paper is to study these psychological factors and processes, as well as to provide a conceptual analysis and an analysis of the categories of human error in driving that are included within this theoretical framework.El modelo de habilidades, reglas y conocimientos (Rasmussen, 1987, 1986, 1983) es un modelo teórico-conceptual que se encuadra en el marco psicológico cognitivo del procesamiento de la información, y constituye uno de los principales modelos desde los cuales se ha investigado teórica y empíricamente la ejecución de las tareas que forman parte de actividades complejas como es la conducción de vehículos automóviles. Desde este marco teórico, el comportamiento humuno en la conducción se explica en términos cognitivos del procesamiento de la información: las nociones sobre control cognitivo en la ejecución de tareas y la distinción entre procesamiento automático y controlado constituyen la base de dicha explicación: ésta, además, se articula en tomo al funcionamiento de los factores procesos psicológicos básicos que subyacen al comportamiento humano en la conducción: atención, aprendizajes complejos (perceptivo, atencional y motor), experiencia, memoria, procesos perceptiva-motores, etc. De la misma manera, y a partir de planteamientos similares, en los aiios 90 se ha investigado desde este marco teórico el comportamiento humano erróneo que precede a los accidentes de tráfico, de manera que los planteamientos teórico-conceptuales de este modelo -y, en general, de la perspectiva cognitiva del procesamiento de la información- han guiado buena parte de la investigación teórica y empírica que se lleva a cabo actualmente para la prevención de los errores humanos y de la accidentalidad desde el ámbito de la Psicología del Tráfico y Seguridad Vial. Asi, desde los desarrollos recientes del modelo de habilidades, reglas y conocimientos (Reason, 1994, 1990, 1987) se ha llevado a cabo un planteamiento con un grado de elaboración considerable que permite explicar la ocurrencia de los errores humanos (no intencionales) en la conducción y esclarecer en buena medida el funcionamiento de algunos de los factores y procesos psicológicos búsicos que están detrás de tales errores. El estudio de dichos factores y procesos psicológicos, así como el análisis conceptual y de las categorizaciones del error humano en la conducción que se plantean desde este marco teórico, constituyen los objetivos básicos del presente trabajo

Joint attention and its relationship with autism risk markers at 18 months of age

(1) Joint attention is the ability to coordinate attention to share a point of reference with another person. It has an early onset and is a clear indicator of understanding the representations of others, and it is essential in the development of symbolic thought and the acquisition of language. Deficiencies in this prelinguistic early communication skill are strong markers of the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); (2) this longitudinal study aimed to evaluate joint attention skills in a group of 32 infants at two developmental moments (8 and 12 months) in order to explore whether their performance on this skill was related to the presence of early signs of ASD at 18 months. Logistic multiple regressions were carried out for the data analysis; (3) results of the analysis showed that the variables of initiating joint attention at 8 months and responding to joint attention at 12 months were linked to the risk of ASD at 18 months of age; (4) in conclusion, early joint attention skills had a pivotal role in defining early manifestations of ASD

Do labels matter? Analysis of teachers' self-efficacy towards the autism spectrum disorder depending on the diagnostic label used (ASD or Asperger's)

Changes in the classification of autism and Asperger's syndrome led to changes in social perception of ASD. Since last criteria, studies indicate higher levels of stigma towards ASD than towards Asperger's. These prejudices are barriers to inclusive education. Thus, it is relevant (1) to evaluate preservice teachers' self-efficacy towards the label of ASD; (2) to evaluate pre-service teachers' selfefficacy towards the label of Asperger's and (3) to compare those results to analyse whether the use of different diagnostic labels brings about different levels of self-efficacy. One hundred and eighty-six primary education pre-service teachers participated in the current study. Two adaptations of the Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (ASSET) were used: a version with the label of 'ASD' (n = 96) and another for 'Asperger's' (n = 90). The scores obtained by the group asked about ASD were high according to the ASSET score range, while the scores obtained by the group asked about Asperger's were medium. After comparing the results, participants asked about the label ASD showed higher levels of self-efficacy than participants asked about Asperger's. These results could be a consequence of the consolidation of the ASD diagnosis among society and the higher presence of children with ASD in schools and cultural products, among other factors

Análisis de la implantación de la política de publicación en acceso abierto en universidades españolas.

La publicación de trabajos científicos en acceso abierto (AA) se está convirtiendo en una alternativa a los sistemas de publicación tradicionales, en los que existe una comercialización y mercantilización del conocimiento. La popularización del movimiento AA está generando una ingente cantidad de herramientas y buscadores informáticos. En este trabajo se explica de manera detallada el funcionamiento y finalidad de algunas de las herramientas más utilizadas, y se valora la implantación de las políticas de AA en universidades y centros de investigación españoles

The impact of sensory processing on executive and cognitive functions in children with autism spectrum disorder in the school context

Theoretical approaches propose a hierarchical organization of sensory and higher­order cognitive processes, in which sensory processing influence sorne cognitive and executive functions. Aims: The main objective of this study was to analyze whether sensory processing dysfunctions can predict the cognitive and executive dysfunctions evaluated in a group of children with leve! 2 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the school context. Methods and procedures: Two groups of children participated: an ASD group (n = 40) and a group of children with typical development (the comparison group, n = 40). The children's sensory processing was evaluated based on their teachers' perceptions, and the children's executive and cognitive functions were evaluated using direct performance measures. Resulcs: In the ASD group, the sensory processing difficulties predicted executive and cognitive dysfunctions in the specific domains of inhibitory control, auditory sustained attention, and short-term verbal memory, after controlling the possible effect of ASD severity. Moreover, the ASD group showed higher levels of sensory, executive, and cognitive dysfunction than the comparison group. Conclusions and implications: Future research should investigate whether adequate sensory in­terventions in children with ASD in the school context can improve these specific executive and cognitive functions

Descripción de una experiencia para el desarrollo de la competencia tecnológica de modo transversal en la formación inicial de los grados de maestro/a en educación infantil y en educación primaria

La adquisición de una competencia tecnológica que permita utilizar las TIC como herramienta educativa es uno de los objetivos que se plantean en los planes de estudio de la formación inicial de los futuros maestros y maestras. Sin embargo, entre estos planes de estudio, son pocas las asignaturas que se dirigen específicamente a analizar cómo utilizar esas TIC como herramienta educativa, por lo que este tema debe tratarse de manera transversal durante todas las asignaturas de estos estudios. En este trabajo se describe una experiencia en que se implementan diferentes actividades y se utilizan materiales educativos orientados al desarrollo de la competencia tecnológica en estudiantes de los grados de maestro/a en educación infantil y maestro/a en educación primaria desde la asignatura de Necesidades Educativas Especiales en la Universitat de València. Estas actividades y materiales no están directamente relacionadas con el contenido de la asignatura, sino que sirven de medio de apoyo para el abordaje de los contenidos propios de la asignatura. Entre las estrategias utilizadas para desarrollar esta competencia tecnológica se incluyen: el empleo durante las clases de la pizarra digital interactiva, la creación de sitios web y blogs relacionados con el contenido de la asignatura, el diseño de mapas conceptuales digitales que reflejen gráficamente los contenidos estudiados, la creación de pósters interactivos en los que se aborden los contenidos trabajados, o el diseño de actividades educativas creadas para la educación de estudiantes con necesidades educativas especiales en soporte informático gracias al uso de herramientas informáticas de autor

Herramientas TIC para la intervención educativa en estudiantes con altas capacidades

Gifted students process information differently, as they have a high creativity and involvement in the task. This fact implies the need to perform a specific education. Some theoretical models have demonstrated the effectiveness of using ICT in the intervention of this type of students, so in this article there have been included some ICT tools that can be useful for teachers. The described tools are: webquests, Open Course Ware (OCW) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), as well as several creative resources to represent information such as map minds, word clouds and infographics. All students can use these resources but they are particularly useful for gifted students, as all of them allow the possibility of expanding knowledge, besides being able to conduct a more selfemployment work and focused on personal interests.Los estudiantes con altas capacidades procesan la información de manera distinta, ya que estos poseen una elevada creatividad e implicación en la tarea. Este hecho implica la necesidad de llevar acabo una intervención educativa específica. Algunos modelos teóricos han demostrado la efectividad del uso de las TICs en la intervención de este tipo de alumnado, por lo que en el presente artículo se incluyen diferentes herramientas TIC que pueden ser de gran utilidad para los docentes. Entre estas herramientas se incluyen: las webquests, los cursos en abierto conocidos como Open Course Ware (OCW) y los Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS), además de diferentes recursos creativos para representar la información como los mapas conceptuales, las nubes de palabras y las infografías. Todos los alumnos pueden utilizar estos recursos pero son particularmente útiles para los alumnos con altas capacidades, ya que todos ellos permiten la posibilidad de ampliar los conocimientos, además de poder llevar a cabo un trabajo más autónomo y centrado en los intereses personales