Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Psychological disorders in children'
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1
Titman, Penelope Susan. "The psychological impact of skin disorders on children and their families." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.270496.
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Shoop, Christine Desiree. "Examining Maternal Psychological Recollections of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1936.
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Mothers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and despair stemming from the challenges of raising offspring with behavioral, communicative, and socioemotional impairments. Researchers have shown that children diagnosed with ASDs exhibit symptoms within the first year of life (early-onset), while some exhibit normal development until the second year (regressive-onset), and some exhibit normal development until the second year but display abnormalities in the first year (mixed-onset). Despite the wealth of research on ASDs, there are few examinations of ASD symptom onset groups and the impact of those onset groups on parental psychological experiences: stress, impact on family, and future hopes. This research compared the retrospective parent reports of 31 mothers across ASD onset groups (early-onset, n = 16, regressive-onset, n = 8, and mixed-onset, n = 7) with psychological experiences using Impact on Family Scale, the Vicarious Futurity Scale, and the Parent Stress Inventory. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance assessed the relationship between maternal groups and psychological experiences. No significant differences were found between the groups. However, significant correlations were found between stress, family impact, and perceived hope for the future. Mothers reporting high levels of stress also reported high levels of family impact and low levels of perceived hope for the future. There is a need for increased emotional support for mothers of children diagnosed with ASDs. It should be a standard practice for clinicians, upon diagnosing children with ASDs, to refer mothers and caregivers to therapy or support groups. This may alleviate key aspects of family stressors.
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Tang, Lisa Choy. "Psychological well-being in parents of children with pervasive developmental disorders and attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder." Diss., Connect to online resource - MSU authorized users, 2008.
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Andargachew, Sara. "The mechanisms of change in psychological interventions for children with emotional disorders." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.556151.
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There are significant variations in the effectiveness of psychological interventions for children with emotional problems and little is known about what makes them work. Nonspecific therapy factors are thought to be important to therapeutic outcome in psychological interventions for adults. However, literature in the area of child therapy is much more limited. The first paper critically reviews 14 empirical studies focusing on nonspecific factors in relation to therapeutic outcome of psychological interventions for children with emotional disorders. The nonspecific factors in question include therapeutic alliance factors, parent involvement, therapist factors and child involvement. The methodological strengths and weaknesses of these studies are considered in depth. Conclusions in this body of literature are tentative and there is limited evidence for a significant predictive relationship between nonspecific therapy factors and treatment outcome for children with emotional disorders. The purpose of paper B was to measure the relative impact of both specific and nonspecific therapy factors in relation to treatment outcome for 75 children (aged 7- 12) receiving cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders. The specific therapy factors included changes in the children's interpretations and plans in relation to hypothetically ambiguous scenarios. The nonspecific therapy factors included the therapeutic alliance, who the therapist was and adherence to a therapeutic manual. The results indicated that change in anticipated distress in response to hypothetically ambiguous scenarios (one of the specific therapy factors) was significantly associated with treatment outcome from the child's perspective. None of the nonspecific factors and none of the other specific factors were significantly associated with outcome. Perceived coping may be an important focus in psychological interventions for children with anxiety disorders. Clinical implications and considerations for future research are discussed in both papers.
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Herring, Caitlin. "School Stress in Young Children with Learning Disorders: Implications for Psychological Well-Being." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1523311430831368.
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Westover, Frances Marie. "Group intervention to modify undesirable behavior in children who have experienced parental loss." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1996. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1172.
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This study uses a cognitive group intervention approach in an attempt to alter anti-social behavior in elementary school children who experienced parental loss. The findings demonstrate improvement in some behaviors and worsening in others.
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Bretz, Sheila K. "A study of teacher perceptions of stuttering and dysphonic children." Virtual Press, 1985. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/426070.
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Olofsson, Emmie. "Children of Divorce : Long-Term Psychological Effects and Neurological Consequences." Thesis, Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för biovetenskap, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:his:diva-17474.
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This thesis has examined what long-term psychological and neurological effects that are apparent in children and adults who have experienced parental divorce. It was predicted that significantly more children and adult children from divorced families would have increased symptoms of mental disorders than children and adult children from married homes e.g., anxiety, depression, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. It was further predicted that parental divorce would negatively affect the neurological system in the offspring. The correlation between children of divorce and negative neurological effects was not found to be true. However, adult children of divorce have significantly lower baseline cortisol levels compared to adult children of marriage. Dysregulated cortisol levels are highly associated with the development of e.g., anxiety, depression, and brain damage. Parental divorce did not only influence how secretion of the hormone cortisol is regulated within adult children of divorce, but how both children and adult children of divorce psychologically adapt post-divorce. Children of divorce have for instance lower general well-being, more symptoms of anxiety and depression, lower self-esteem, and feel more stress than children of marriage. Adult children of divorce are more likely to experience marital discord, getting divorced themselves, anxiety and depression, lower academic performance, and substance abuse, etc. The result of the thesis suggests that children and adult children from divorced families are negatively affected, both psychologically and neurologically, regardless of age. Parental divorce and supplementary effects make it more likely for children and adult children to experience more symptoms of mental disorders.
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Holt, Kate Eloise, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "A clinical investigation of attachment theory and the manifestation of psychological disturbance." Deakin University. School of Psychology, 2005. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050825.093259.
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The affectional bond that develops between caregiver and child during infancy can lead to the development of emotional distress and the manifestation of psychological disturbance if the relationship is severed and a sense of loss is experienced. Furthermore, the caregiver-child relationship formed during infancy can have implications for the development of interpersonal relationships in later life. The secure or insecure attachment relationships developed influence the capacity to form affectional bonds in later life and may lead to the manifestation of psychological disturbance, such as depression.
The focus of this thesis is on four case studies of three children and one adolescent who have suffered negative early life experiences. Harrison is an 8 year old Koori boy who has suffered from maternal deprivation. Diana is a 10 year old girl who has a Mild Intellectual Disability and Epilepsy. The influence of second generational trauma on the caregiver-infant attachment relationship will also be explored in the case study of Diana. The third case study focuses on Melanie who is a 9 year old girl who has suffered from paternal sexual abuse and exhibits indiscriminate attachment relationships. Finally, the fourth case study focuses on Tammie who is a 16 year girl who exhibits depressive symptomatology which may have developed as a result of early insecure attachment relationships. The case studies are described with reference to attachment theory, the language and social deficits associated with negative early life experiences, and implications for therapeutic interventions.
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Ligthelm, Elizabeth. "Parental mental health and perceived parenting of children with disruptive behaviour disorders." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013.
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Disruptive behaviour disorders (DBDs) in children are among the most common referrals to mental health services and can lead to adverse psychosocial outcomes. There is consistent evidence that dysfunctional parenting, which has been associated with parental psychopathology, is a risk factor for the onset of these disorders. Yet, few studies have explored a wide range of parental pathology and parenting behaviours as well as perceptions of mental health and parenting of the parents of children with DBDs. This study, which took the form of a multiple case study, aimed to explore and describe the mental health and parenting of parents of pre-adolescent and adolescent children with DBDs. It also aimed to explore and describe parental perceptions of their own mental health and parenting and how (or if) they perceive their mental health as influencing their parenting. Purposive sampling was used to select participants and the sample size was determined through data saturation. Data was collected via the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory and a semi-structured interview. Thematic content analysis and cross-case synthesis were used to analyse the data. The participants’ personality profiles indicated the presence of moderate to severe pathology including personality disorders and clinical disorders. Parenting themes that emerged included a number of dysfunctional parenting behaviours. The parents showed an awareness of their mental health and perceived it as influencing their parenting. This study emphasised the importance of exploring mental health and parenting interventions for parents of children with DBDs. The biggest limitations of this study was the small sample size.
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Lunn, Douglas James. "Utilization of the Wisconsin card sorting test in the diagnostic discrimination of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and learning disorders in children." Virtual Press, 2001. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1213155.
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The purpose of this investigation was two-fold. First, to examine the level of diagnostic accuracy of psychologists when their decisions were subjected to statistical procedures that analyzed group differences and group membership predictions. Second, to examine the sensitivity of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST; Heaton, Chelune, Talley, Kay, & Curtiss, 1993) in differentially identifying children who experience ADHD and RD-LD symptoms. The diagnostic battery used to identify ADHD, RD-LD, and Normal subjects included intellectual, academic achievement, attention, and hyperactivity measures recognized as sensitive to these disorders. Performance on the WCST was then examined to determine its usefulness in discriminating between the aforementioned groups.Scores for the diagnostic variables for 115 subjects (mean age = 9.8 years; males = 80; females = 35) were analyzed using oneway ANOVAs to determine differences between groups. A subsequent cluster analysis was conducted using Ward's method to determine group membership of the subjects and resulted in a sample of 87. This cluster analysis resulted in a four cluster solution with the groups being identified as ADHD, RD-LD, Normal, and "Close Calls."Two linear discriminant analyses were performed with the first using the diagnostic groups diagnosed by the previous psychologists as groups and diagnostic variables as predictors. The second used the diagnostic groups diagnosed by evaluating psychologists and the WCST variables used as predictors to examine their ability to discriminate between groups and predict membership.The first linear discriminant analysis yielded two significant functions of three indicating confidence in the diagnoses provided by the evaluating psychologists. The second linear discriminant analysis yielded no significant findings when using the WCST variables as predictors. As a result, it appears the WCST provides little useful information in the differentiation between ADHD, RD-LD, and normals.Department of Educational Psychology
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Mirzamani, Bafeghi Seyed Mahmoud. "Psychological adjustment of parents to disaster striking their children." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.243766.
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余文蕙 and Man Wai Philippa Yu. "Stress and coping in parents of daughters with eating disorders: an evaluation of a coping-focusedintervention group." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2008. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B41715986.
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Memarzia, Jessica. "Psychological predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2018. https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/69039/.
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Background: The experience of trauma in childhood, for a minority of individuals, can lead to chronic and distressing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health difficulties. Cognitive models of PTSD demonstrate key factors involved in the development of symptoms, however, research evidence regarding the role of different pre- peri- and post-trauma predictors of PTSD in children and adolescents is limited and variable. Furthermore, there is scope to understand predictors of mental health outcomes other than PTSD. With the expected publication of ICD-11 in 2018, further research is also necessary to develop our understanding of the new diagnostic category of ‘Complex PTSD’ in children and adolescents. Methods: Firstly, a systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted, summarising the current evidence regarding the role of peritraumatic psychological risk factors in the development of PTSD. Secondly, empirical analysis of pre-existing data from a longitudinal study of children and adolescents experiencing a single-event trauma was conducted. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess four theory-derived predictive models of mental health outcomes (PTSD, CPTSD, depression and anxiety) of trauma in this sample. Results: Population estimates of effect size were moderate for peritraumatic subjective threat and fear as risk factors for PTSD. Effect size estimates for peritraumatic dissociation were small, and evidence for data-driven processing was limited. The empirical study indicated that a cognitive model of predictors was most powerful in predicting the development of all four disorders following trauma, and psychosocial and objective event severity models were weak predictors of mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Cognitive processes occurring during and after trauma may be valuable markers of which individuals may be at risk of developing PTSD, CPTSD, depression or anxiety after trauma. Further research of multiple predictors and outcomes of trauma is required in children and adolescents, particularly related to CPTSD.
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Albrecht, Susan F. "Assessing developmental competencies to identify students at risk for antisocial behavior." Virtual Press, 2003. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1272417.
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Chan, Wing-sau. "The concomitance of dyslexia and emotional/behavioral problems: a study on Hong Kong children." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B29791285.
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Graver, Ellen 1953. "Family stress, social support, and health beliefs as determinants of maternal compliance behavior in relation to the dietary management of the obese infant." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276747.
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Hypotheses explaining maternal compliance behavior in relation to maternal attitudes and motivations and family and social influences were explored retrospectively in families of 39 obese infants from six to twelve months of age. Maternal social support and infant characteristics were not strongly associated or predictive of maternal compliance behavior. Stressful life changes in the family were negatively associated with maternal compliance to the dietary regimen. Maternal perception of infant fatness was negatively associated with dietary compliance behavior and positively associated with study protocol compliance behavior. Demographic variables were positively associated with compliance to study protocol. Family stress, maternal health beliefs, and demographic variables outweighed social support in their power to predict compliance behaviors. Compliance to study requirements did not necessarily mean compliance to the dietary regimen. Clinical use of assessing family stress, maternal beliefs and demographic variables appears to provide additional understanding of compliance behaviors in mothers with infant feeding recommendations.
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Lowdermilk, John Lloyd. "A Deconstruction and Qualitative Analysis of the Consumption of Traditional Entertainment Media by Elementary-Aged Children Diagnosed with Emotional Disorders." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2004. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4594/.
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This qualitative study examined whether a connection exists between children with emotional disorders consumption of traditional entertainment media and their subsequent vegative/anti-social classroom behavior. Research participants included six first-grade children diagnosed with an emotional disorder and their teacher. They were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. The students were observed in the natural setting of their classroom for a total of twenty-four hours, over a four-day period. Transcripts and classroom observations were analyzed, looking for connections between behavior and consumption of traditional entertainment media. Findings from this study concluded that these students used traditional entertainment media as a method of temporally escaping from the environment of their respective households.
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Dinsman, Patricia L. "Social/emotional problems among children and youth with differing degrees of sensorineural hearing loss." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1991. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/738.
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Wark, Mary Jo. "Maternal psychological characteristics and parent-child relationships." Virtual Press, 2006. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1344196.
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This study compared the presentation of attachment quality and maternal psychological functioning among children diagnosed with a psychological/behavioral disorder to the presentation of attachment quality and maternal psychological functioning among children not diagnosed with a psychological/behavioral disorder.Participants included a clinical group composed of 8 Caucasian mothers of male children diagnosed with a behavioral/emotional disorder and a nonclinical group composed of 24 Caucasian mothers of male children not diagnosed with a behavioral/emotional disorder. The groups were compared on their responses to the Personality Assessment Screener, Parent/Child Reunion Inventory, and Relationship Questionnaire.Results found that mother psychological functioning was significantly related to ratings of insecure parent-child attachment. In addition, mother ratings of their adult attachment relationships were associated with ratings of parent-child attachment security/insecurity for 3 of 4 adult attachment styles. Information gathered during this study provided preliminary insight into the complex nature of parent-child relationships as they co-exist with maternal psychological functioning.Department of Educational Psychology
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Heckel, Leila D. "The relationship between parental divorce and the psychological well-being of children with AD/HD differences in subtypes, age, gender and comorbidity /." Access electronically, 2007. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/10.
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Bechor, Michele. "Identifying and Intervening on Neural Markers of Attention to Threat in Children with Anxiety Disorders." FIU Digital Commons, 2018. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3776.
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Objective: Attention Bias Modification Training (ABMT) for anxiety aims to train attention away from threatening stimuli and toward neutral stimuli. Although ABMT shows promising anxiety reduction effects in children and adolescents, no study has examined its influence on neural indicators of attention measured using event-related potentials (ERPs) in children or adolescents (i.e., youths). The present study examined the influence of ABMT on the P1, N170, P2 and P3 ERP components during completion of the emotional faces dot probe task in youths with anxiety disorders who failed to respond to cognitive behavioral therapy. Method: Thirty youths (M age = 11.97, SD = 2.89) with primary DSM-IV-TR anxiety disorders completed the dot probe task while undergoing electroencephalogram (EEG) to obtain ERPs before, immediately after, and eight weeks after eight sessions of either ABMT (n = 14) or a control task regimen (CT), (n = 16). Results: At post-treatment, statistically significant effects were found for P1 and P3 mean amplitudes: P1 was significantly higher during trials showing neutral-neutral (NN) face pairs in the ABMT arm than in the CT arm; P3 was significantly higher during trials showing NN face pairs than during trials showing neutral-threat (NT) face pairs in the ABMT arm, but not the CT arm. At eight-week follow-up, participants in both arms showed significantly higher (more negative) N170 responses for NN trials than for NT trials. Conclusions: Attention Bias Modification Treatment led to increases in neural processing of neutral stimuli in early and late stage attentional processing, as measured by the P1 and P3 components, respectively. These components during the dot probe task are promising neural markers of ABMT’s effects on attentional processing in youth with anxiety disorders.
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Taylor, Ruth. "Profiles of semantic-pragmatic disorder and the investigation of underlying psychological mechanisms." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.311817.
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Conte, Deborah A. (Deborah Ann). "Differences in Parenting Stress Between Parents of Children with ADHD, Children with Internalizing Behavior Problems, and Non-Referred Children." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1997. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278890/.
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Recently, researchers have begun to explore the associated impacts of ADHD on parent and family functioning, with an increasing focus on parenting stress. Accumulating empirical evidence is mixed, suggesting that parents of children with ADHD report increased levels of parenting stress when compared to parents of children with learning disabilities, and parents of non-referred children, but report equally stressful parenting levels when compared to parents of children with externalizing behavior problems. Results of the present study comparing reported parenting stress levels between
parents of children with ADHD, children with internalizing behavior problems, and nonreferred children, were partially supportive of results found in past studies indicating higher levels of parenting stress among parents of children with ADHD. However, strong gender effects were found between mothers and fathers, which mediated the overall results.
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Klaver, Jacqueline Marie. "Psychological and Genetic Contributions to the Development of Social Cognition in Children." OpenSIUC, 2014. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/957.
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This study examined the development of social cognition in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as the influence of behavioral and molecular genetics on these higher-order cognitive abilities. Specifically, it was hypothesized that children with ASD would perform more poorly on all social cognitive tasks compared with typically developing peers. In addition, it was hypothesized that typically developing children who performed better on a simpler social cognitive task at ages 3 or 4 would perform better at follow-up (i.e., one time between the ages of 6-10). Lastly, it was hypothesized that children who had at least one risk allele in both the DRD4 and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms would perform worse than those who had at least one risk allele in either polymorphism, who, in turn, would perform worse than children without any risk alleles. The twin sample included 62 families of multiples (twins, triplets, or quadruplets) who were recruited through the Southern Illinois Twins and Siblings Study (SITSS), and the ASD sample included 25 children who were recruited from the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at SIU. Significant group differences were found for children's performance on all of the social cognitive tasks. Furthermore, results showed that some areas of social cognition (theory of mind and the understanding of non-literal language) are more influenced by genetic factors than are other cognitive skills. Lastly, results from the molecular genetic analyses suggest that basic social cognitive skills (e.g., theory of mind) may be influenced by underlying biological factors in the serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways. The present study provided useful information on how psychological and genetic factors influence the development of social cognitive abilities in children with and without ASD.
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Vitanza, Stephanie A. (Stephanie Andrea). "A Causal Model of Parenting Distress: Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1995. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277906/.
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The purpose of this study was to functionally define and empirically test a model of psychological distress for mothers of children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This model delineates characteristics of the child, the parent, and the environment that may affect mothers' psychological symptomatology.
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Wilson, Claire. "Siblings of children with ADHD, chronic illness and developmental disorder : psychological impact and interventions." Thesis, University of Hull, 2009. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:3944.
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This portfolio thesis comprises three parts: a systematic literature review, an empirical study and a set of appendixes. Part one is a systematic literature review, in which the empirical literature relating to interventions for siblings of children with chronic illness and developmental disorder is reviewed. Siblings of children with such conditions have not been extensively studied within research and the review aimed to identify what interventions exist to support siblings in this area, to provide an overview of how rigorously these have been evaluated and to synthesise what findings have been documented with regards to the effectiveness of such interventions. An introduction to family and sibling research in this area is presented, followed by a rationale for why a review of intervention based literature in this area is considered to be a useful addition to the field. The paper goes on to specify the methods and search strategies used to identify suitable articles to meet the research aims and which satisfied set criteria for inclusion. Main findings are presented, conclusions made, and areas for further research identified. Part two is an empirical study of siblings of children with ADHD. Part one highlighted the paucity of research in the domain of siblings and developmental disorder. The cross-sectional study examines the level of empathy, self-esteem, and the sibling relationship quality factors of warmth/closeness and conflict reported by a sample of siblings of children with ADHD, and compares these variables to a sample of children who have siblings with no diagnosed disorders. The paper reports the between groups outcomes for these variables, along with an examination of whether children�s individual characteristics such as empathy and self-esteem predict reports of warmth/closeness and conflict, based on Furman and Buhrmester�s (1985) model of the determinants of sibling relationship quality. This is followed by an explanation of the clinical implications, the limitations of the study and consideration of further areas of research. Finally, part three is a set of appendixes to support the work in the previous parts of the portfolio thesis. It contains a reflective account of the research process and documents the experiences and lessons learned in planning, implementing and writing this document.
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Martin, Fiona Barbouttis. "Self-understanding in high-functioning males with autism spectrum disorders : relationship with social functioning and theory of mind." University of Sydney, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/4990.
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Doctor of PhilosophyAim. This study aims to investigate self-understanding in young males with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to determine whether self-understanding is related to social functioning and theory of mind (ToM). In addition, this study aims to examine the characteristics and abilities of young males with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger’s disorder (AD) to determine whether there are significant differences in selfunderstanding and whether self-understanding is related to social functioning and ToM between these two groups. The results have important implications for social skills interventions for young people with ASD. Method. Forty three young males diagnosed with one of the ASD (25 diagnosed with HFA and 18 diagnosed with AD) were compared with 38 TD males. Participants were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised (ADI-R), the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT), the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- Third Edition (PPVT-III), Damon and Hart’s Self-understanding Interview, and two false-belief ToM tasks. Results. Children with ASD had difficulties recognising and attributing their own mental states and failed to integrate various aspects of the self. Specifically, the ASD group produced fewer self-statements that reflected agency (the awareness and understanding that one is in control of their actions), social aspects of self (such as personality characteristics and group membership) and psychological aspects of self (such as emotions, thoughts and cognitive processes). Instead, children with ASD produced more concrete physical self-statements (such as body characteristics and material possessions). A significant positive relationship was found between selfunderstanding and social functioning for the ASD group. Within the ASD group, the relationship held for the HFA group only. In terms of ToM, children with ASD were less able to correctly answer the second-order false-belief ToM question compared to the TD group. For the ASD group, there was a significant positive correlation between self-understanding and ToM. Within the ASD group, the relationship held for the HFA group only. Conclusions. The results show young males with high-functioning ASD are less aware of their own and others’ mental states perhaps reflecting a general delay in the development of self-understanding and ToM. Furthermore, a more developed self-understanding may translate to improved social functioning and ToM ability for young males with high-functioning ASD. For young males with HFA, self-understanding and ToM may stem from a common underlying cognitive framework. Consequently, treatments aimed at improving self-understanding may simultaneously improve ToM, or vice versa. For individuals with AD there may be a separate cognitive mechanism responsible for self-understanding and another for ToM. Therefore, different interventions may be required; one to improve self-understanding and another to improve the understanding of others’ minds. Overall, these results may assist in the development of practice parameters for social skills training for those with ASD.
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Theron, Tania. "Resilience in families living with a child diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/655.
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Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is not a new phenomenon. Researchers have studied children with restless, inattentive and impulsive types of behaviours for over one hundred years. Although the primary distress of AD/HD falls mainly on the child’s shoulders, all family members experience the disorder’s negative effects. While the challenges that families have to face are many, families seem to have the ability to “bounce back” (i.e., they have resilience). There has been limited research to date focusing on the resiliency of families living with children diagnosed with AD/HD. Research on the construct of resilience, and more specifically, family resilience has surged in recent times. However, South African research on family resilience is limited. This study aimed to explore and describe the factors that facilitate adjustment and adaptation in families after a child has been clinically diagnosed with AD/HD. The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation, developed by McCubbin and McCubbin (2001) served as a framework to conceptualize the families’ adjustment and adaptation processes. Non-probability purposive sampling was used in order to gain participants for the study. Twenty-two families participated in this study, providing a total of 44 participants. Participants consisted of the caregivers of a family living with a child diagnosed with AD/HD, between the ages of seven and 12. The study was triangular in nature, with an exploratory, descriptive approach. A biographical questionnaire with an open-ended question was used in conjunction with seven other questionnaires to gather data. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the biographical information. Quantitative data were analyzed by means of correlation and regression analysis, and content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data obtained from the biographical questionnaire. The results of the quantitative analysis indicated six significant positive correlations with the FACI8. These variables were relative and friend support, social support, problem solving and behavioural strategies, family hardiness, family problem-solving communication and family time and routines. The results of the qualitative analysis revealed that social support, adherence to a treatment regime, information and knowledge about AD/HD, a supportive family unit, the caregiver’s acceptance of the disorder as well as communication were the most important strength factors identified. The findings of the research could assist parents in managing their children diagnosed with AD/HD more effectively and has helped create further insight into what resiliency areas they could improve upon. Furthermore, this study could be used as a stepping stone for future research on resilience in families living with a pervasive psychological disorder and will contribute to the broader context of family resilience research in the South African context.
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Sam, Sam Ka Lam. "Effects of exercise-based interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): a systematic review and meta-analysis." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2015. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_oa/249.
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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurological syndrome observed even in childhood stages. Children with autism have a certain range of deficits on social interaction, communication and coordination. Exercise program has been commonly adopted as an intervention for ASD children on developing both of their motor and social skills, as well as maintaining a certain fitness level. This project is a systematic review and meta-analysis study which summarizes the recent fifteen years (2000-2015) of control-trial exercise-based interventions for ASD children and evaluates their effectiveness from three aspects (according to the outcome measures): 1) Exercise Performance & Sport/Skill-related Fitness (EXE); 2) Physiological & Biometric Indicator (PHY); and 3) Social Cognition & Psychological Well-being (SOC). The results showed a positive effect in all three aspects: .763, .412, and .505 respectively. Further studies were recommended on investigating the mechanism explaining the psycho-social and physiological effects of exercise programs on ASD children.
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Niklasson, Mats. "Sensorimotor Therapy: Assessing Quantitative and Qualitative Expressions of Physiological and Psychological Development in Children." Licentiate thesis, Karlstads universitet, Institutionen för sociala och psykologiska studier, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-26869.
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The first purpose of this thesis was to examine whether sensorimotor therapy utilizing the training program ”Retraining for Balance” might be an appropriate technique for sensorimotor proficiency. The second purpose was to gain increased understanding of the effects of sensorimotor therapy on the physical and psychological development of children and youth. A third purpose was to put sensorimotor therapy in a wider perspective through a somewhat novel extension of the theoretical framework. Two naturalistic studies were conducted. Paper I was quantitative and comprised 232 children (181 boys and 51 girls) divided into three groups (1) a younger group (7 years or younger, n=65), (2) a middle group (8 to 10 years old, n=91) and, (3) an older group (11 years old or older, n=76). The participants presented attentional and motor difficulties before starting therapy. The treatment period was in average close to 3 years. Results indicated significant improvements concerning sensorimotor skills in all age groups. Paper II was a qualitative study, which included the records of 8 children (7 boys and 1 girl) randomly selected from the cohort of 232 children. The analysis used the EPP-method and yielded 3 overarching themes, which together formed “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model”. The model illustrated how Introductions of sensorimotor exercises pushed the therapy process forward due to periods of Regression and Transformation. The results were generalized to the remaining 224 children in the cohort by comparing each participant’s records with “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model”. The tentative conclusion was that sensorimotor therapy according to the method “Retraining for Balance” might constitute a complement to treatment of ADHD, DCD and LD but controlled studies are necessary before more decisive conclusions can be drawn.Baksidestext This thesis had three purposes. (1) to examine whether sensorimotor therapy (SMT) using the training program ”Retraining for Balance” might be a proper technique for sensorimotor proficiency. (2) to gain increased understanding of the effects of SMT on physical and psychological development and, (3) to put SMT in a wider perspective by an extension of the theoretical framework. Two naturalistic studies were conducted. Paper I, which was quantitative, comprised 232 children who presented attentional and motor difficulties. The cohort was divided into three groups depending on age and results after therapy indicated improvements in all groups. Paper II, a qualitative study, selected records of 8 children from the cohort. Analysis yielded 3 overarching themes, which together formed “the kinesthetic-vestibular developmental model” illustrating how Introductions of exercises pushed the process forward due to Regressions and Transformations. The results were generalized to the remaining 224 children. The tentative conclusion of this thesis was that SMT might constitute a complement to treatment of ADHD, DCD and LD but controlled studies are necessary before decisive conclusions can be drawn.
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Hinds, Patricia L. "Correlation of continuous performance test variables with teacher ratings of behavior among referred and nonreferred students." Virtual Press, 1999. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1137587.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of the relationship between a continuous performance test (CPT) and teachers' ratings of behavior. Assessment data were archival in nature. One hundred-one children from one rural, middle-class, predominately Caucasian school district in a Midwestern state were selected who had taken the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) and whose teachers had completed the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation ScaleSchool Version (ADDES) and the Child Behavior ChecklistTeacher Report Form (TRF). Of this group 46 had been referred for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and/or learning difficulties and 55 had participated in a local norming project for the TOVA.Descriptive statistics were found for CPT variables and teachers' ratings of behavior for all participants, boys and girls separately, and referred and nonreferred separately. The research question was investigated using a matrix of partial correlations controlled for age. TOVA variables included Omissions, Commissions, Response Time, Response Time Variability, Anticipatory Responses, and Multiple Responses. Teacher's rating scale variables included the ADDES Total and subscales Inattention, Impulsive, and Hyperactive as well as the TRF Attention Problems, and Aggressive Behavior.Research provided support that TOVA Omissions and Commissions are valid indicators of ADHD as measured by teachers' ratings of behavior. Response Time Variability and Multiple Responses may be valid indicators of generalized behavior dysfunction as measured by teachers' ratings of behavior. Anticipatory Responses and Response Time may aid in distinguishing ADHD with and without hyperactivity but further research is recommended.Department of Educational Psychology
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Sopiadou, Anna. "Perceived physical competence and participation in physical activity of children with developmental coordination disorder." Thesis, McGill University, 1995. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=23735.
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The purpose of this study was to explore perceived physical competence and participation in physical activity of children with physical awkwardness. Children with physical awkwardness are those without known neuromuscular problems but who have difficulty in learning and performing motor skills. Participants were 135 children, 31 with physical awkwardness and 104 without any motor deficiency. The age ranged from 5 to 11 years. It was hypothesized that children with physical awkwardness would have lower levels of perceived physical competence and would participate less in physical activity than their nonawkward peers. Finally, a positive relationship between motor performance and perceived physical competence was expected.There were no significant differences found in perceived physical competence between the two groups. However, nonawkward children participated significantly more in community sports and were significantly more active during free play than children with physical awkwardness. The results also indicated that the relationship between motor performance and perceived physical competence was very low in both groups. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
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Paillard, Alise M. Berg. "Validity and utility of a child-find system for the early identification and referral of young children at risk for mental health disabilities /." view abstract or download file of text, 2003. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3113021.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 215-234). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
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Mengler, Elise Dione. "Neurophysiologically mediated auditory processing insensitivity in children with specific language impairment : behavioural discrimination and the mismatch and late discriminative negativities." University of Western Australia. School of Psychology, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0154.
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[Truncated abstract] Some children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) show poor performance on behavioural tasks designed to measure rapid auditory processing, such as the Repetition Test developed by Tallal and colleagues. Stemming from concerns about whether this task reflects higher-order, cognitive variables, this thesis sought to determine whether the performance deficits SLI children show were evident at the neurophysiological level, with minimal cognitive influences, such as attention, using paradigms designed to elicit the mismatch negativity (MMN) and late discriminative negativity (LDN). In the first two studies, a MMN paradigm, equivalent to the Repetition Test, was trialled with a group of 8 adults. In this paired paradigm, the second tone of a pair of pure tones ascending in frequency ('low'-'high') was occasionally replaced with a 'low' tone. The aim was to determine a 'long' and 'short' intra-pair interval (IPI) with which MMN was generated utilizing this paradigm and that were congruent with the Repetition Test findings (i.e., a long IPI at which SLI were able to perform the task, and a short IPI at which SLI children's performance was selectively impaired). In Study One, MMN to a within-pair frequency change was generated with the 30 ms IPI, but not the 700 ms IPI. The grouping parameters of the temporal window of integration (TWI) and temporal distinctiveness were considered less than optimal for the grouping of the pairs presented at 700 ms IPI for the pre-attentive system to register the within-pair frequency change. ... The frequency difference limens (DLs) of the SLI group were significantly higher than a group of 18 normally developing age- and intelligence-matched peers, but there was no significant difference between the groups in their performance on a control intensity discrimination task. The iii SLI group also showed poorer reading skills, yet frequency discrimination was related to oral language ability only. In the final study, MMN was measured to examine the pre-attentive neurophysiological basis of the SLI group's frequency discrimination deficit. Two frequency deviants that were just above each group's 75% DL on the frequency discrimination task were employed in a simple frequency change paradigm: 40 Hz difference for the control group, and 80 Hz difference for the SLI group. MMN and LDN were elicited in the group of 15 normally developing children to their 40 Hz suprathreshold frequency difference and to the 80 Hz difference. A significant MMN was not observed in the group of 13 SLI children to the 40 Hz difference, which was below their threshold level. However, despite discrimination at the behavioural level, MMN did not reach significance in the SLI group to their 80 Hz suprathreshold frequency difference, yet LDN was observed. MMN was larger in both groups for the 80 Hz difference. Furthermore, MMN and LDN amplitude to the suprathreshold deviants were predictive of both frequency and intensity DLs. These results suggested that SLI children have a pre-attentive neurophysiologically mediated insensitivity to small frequency differences, and that MMN (and LDN) to suprathreshold frequency deviants is a sensitive indicator of group discrimination differences and brain-behaviour relationships in children with and without SLI.
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Harden, Philip W. (Philip Walter). "Pre-adolescent boys at high risk for alcoholism : neuropsychological and psychophysiological dimensions." Thesis, McGill University, 1995. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=29038.
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This thesis encompasses studies that examine autonomic reactivity and neuropsychological function in preadolescent boys who are at-risk for developing alcoholism and conduct disorder. The literature suggests an association between cognitive impairments and behavioural undercontrol, and that autonomic hyperreactivity may facilitate the use of alcohol to dampen stress. Thus, either factor may contribute to early alcohol use. In the first study, preadolescent sons of male multigenerational alcoholics were found to be cardiovascularly reactive during cognitive stress, and impaired on tests of executive function. Furthermore, reactivity was correlated with anxiety, and executive function deficits with conduct problems. In the second study, reactivity during a laboratory aggression task was monitored and cognitive functions (attentional or memory processes and executive functions) were assessed among aggressive boys rated as disruptive, or anxious-disruptive. During the aggression task, anxious-disruptive boys, unlike disruptive boys or controls, moderated their aggression when their opponent engaged in retaliatory behaviour. Anxious-disruptive boys were more highly aroused throughout the task, and the neuropsychological assessment found they were impaired on tests of executive function, independent of attention and memory. In the third study, anxious-disruptive boys exhibited greater cardiovascular, electrodermal, and muscle tension reactivity than disruptive or control boys during cognitive stress, while disruptive boys were electrodermally underaroused. These studies suggest it is possible to delineate specific neuropsychological profiles among at-risk youth, using either a behavioural genetics model, or selecting for personality traits. There were consistent autonomic reactivity patterns across tasks among groups defined by similar behavioural profiles. Thus, while cognitive impairments and hyperreactivity may comprise a vulnerability among sons of alcoholics, thes
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O'Keefe, Aimee Marie. "The effectiveness of play therapy in a school-based counseling program." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2000. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1686.
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This research project attempted to determine whether play therapy used to treat elementary and junior high school children in a School-Based Counseling program is effective. There is conflicting evidence in the literature as to the effectiveness of therapy with children, especially play therapy. This project used a qualitative design to evaluate play therapy used in a School-Base Counseling program (SBC). Randomly selected case files from the 1998-99 academic year were analyzed using questions considering demographic information for each child, the reason the child was referred to the program, the intervention used by the therapist, and the outcomes of therapy. The results of this project are inconclusive, but support the need for more research to be conducted in the area of play therapy.
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Holt, Kate, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Preventing weight and muscle concerns among preadolescents." Deakin University. School of Psychology, 2005. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050825.094217.
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The high level of weight and shape concerns amongst preadolescent children has prompted interest in the development of prevention programs for this age group. In the 1990s weight and shape concerns were considered primarily an adolescent phenomenon. However, prevention programs which have been designed with adolescent and adult populations have been found to show limited success. Some researchers have argued that programs which target preadolescent children are more likely to be effective than programs that target adolescents, as by adolescence many attitudes and behaviours have become entrenched so they may be more difficult to modify. On the other hand, children's weight and shape concerns are believed to be more malleable and amenable to change. To date there have been limited controlled studies implementing prevention programs designed to reduce weight and shape concerns with preadolescent populations.
The new study conducted as part of this thesis involves the development and implementation of the Everybody s Different, Nobody Else Is Me preadolescent prevention program. The program was designed to address some of the methodological biases of past research and incorporate three risk factors, social comparisons, negative affect, and self-esteem, to reduce and/or prevent the development of weight and muscle concerns among children. These three risk factors have been found to be associated with weight and shape concerns of adolescents and adults, and there is also increasing evidence that they are important factors among children. Research also suggests that social comparisons, negative affect, and self-esteem are interrelated, which highlights the importance of targeting the variables in one program.
The new five session prevention initiative was implemented with 156 grade four children. Both the treatment and control conditions consisted of 78 children. Preliminary evidence from the new prevention initiative indicated that the program reduced muscle bulk and exercise (ie. An over-emphasis on exercise to lose weight rather than health promotion), and negative affect in the long term as assessed by the six month follow-up. At the six month follow-up, children in both the treatment and control conditions reported reduced negative affect, dieting, and muscle bulk and exercise scores and increased positive affect. Consistent with short term follow-up results, boys reported greater muscle bulk and exercise scores than girls at the six month follow-up. Girls, in both conditions, were also found to report greater positive affect than boys. These findings are discussed in relation to past research, and suggestions for future prevention initiatives are highlighted.
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Mariani, Mia. "Predictors of long-term psychological maladjustment in children hospitalised following a single-incident traumatic stressor : a 2-year follow-up study /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe17734.pdf.
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Lo, Hay-ming, and 盧希皿. "Father absence and behavioural problems of primary school students in Hong Kong: a systems perspective." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1994. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31249851.
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Storer, Jennifer L. "Perceptions of Diagnostic Assessment and Feedback, and Response to Treatment Recommendations among Parents of Children Newly Diagnosed with Developmental Disorders." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1417089311.
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Phipps, Valerie Lily. "The psychological effects of road traffic accidents on children and adolescents following admission to an Accident and Emergency Department." Thesis, Open University, 2000. http://oro.open.ac.uk/58073/.
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Objectives: - The present research attempts to elicit children's perceptions and experiences of enduring a road traffic accident (RTA). It also examined their parents experiences of parenting such children and their own experiences and perceptions of the accident. Participants: - The study focussed on 14 children, aged from 9 years 9 months - 14 years and 4 months of age who had endured a RTA from between 9-33 months previously and their parents. Design: - The study employed a non-experimental design with a combination of quantitative and qualitative paradigms. Method: - The participants were identified via the hospital database of all children who had endured a RTA from between 6-24 months previously. Both the children and their parents were interviewed on specifically designed semi-structured interview schedules. Each interview was then tape-recorded and transcribed in its entirety. These transcripts then provided the universe of material for subsequent qualitative analysis. Results:- The results of this study demonstrated that approximately half of the children who had experienced a RTA were suffering from a post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, the PTSD case children differed from the non-case children on factors such as awareness of the inpending RTA, feelings of self-blame regarding the accident, and more negative thoughts regarding their experience immediately after the impact and at the time of the assessment. In addition, the parents of the case children displayed similar responses to that of their children. Conclusion: - A theoretical Model was presented to account for the main findings in response to the research questions, also drawing on existing research. It is emphasised that this model is speculative due to the small sample size insofar as it draws upon the present findings, and as such can only relate to this study sample and further research would be required to fully test and validate it. In addition, recommendations were made for service delivery and clinical practice.
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Wallace, Brett. "Sentence recall in children with autism spectrum disorder." UNF Digital Commons, 2017. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/769.
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There is an age-shift in neurotypical children: younger children tend to remember information in a verbatim manner so they store item-specific surface characteristics; between nine and ten children engage in gist recall where they store meanings of presented information. The aim of the present study was to explore false memory in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as some research suggests that they develop gist recall at a later age than neurotypical children. We are also interested in the role of working memory.
One approach to understanding false memory creation is activation-monitoring (AM) theory. Working memory can play a role during both the activation (encoding) phase, as well as during the monitoring retrieval phase. When working memory is overloaded or suboptimal, source monitoring is compromised at the encoding phase.
In this study, we tested high-functioning children with ASD on working memory capacity. In addition, simple sentences were presented to be recalled, each one followed by a short word list that contained a thematically related distractor item. If a child used gist memory to recall the sentence, they would likely substitute the target (e.g., rabbit) word with the distractor (e.g., bunny). However, if they depended on verbatim recall, the distractor would not affect sentence recall performance. Children with lower working memory scores were more likely to incorrect answers to gist questions than those with high working memory. These findings have important implications for everyday social functioning. Though debatable, working memory impairments may encourage false memories in children with ASD.
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Wagner, Stephanie M. "Motivation to change parenting in mothers of children with and without ADHD associations with demographic and psychological characteristics /." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 2008. https://eidr.wvu.edu/etd/documentdata.eTD?documentid=5560.
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Keppel-Benson, Jane M. "Posttraumatic stress among children in automobile accidents." Diss., This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-02052007-072442/.
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Besly, Katherine Dobbs. "Stable attributions of child behavior and parenting stress in parents of ADHD children." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2002. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3266/.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in how parents of ADHD children and non-ADHD parents attribute undesirable and prosocial child behavior, and to determine if attributions about undesirable child behavior influence parents' perceived levels of parenting stress. Parent attributions from 69 parent-child dyads, half with a child ADHD diagnosis, were measured coding videotaped interactions. Results indicated that parents of ADHD children do not make significantly more stable attributions about undesirable child behavior than non-ADHD parents. Additionally, compared to non-ADHD parents, parents of ADHD children did not make significantly more unstable attributions about their children's prosocial behaviors. Regarding parenting stress, individuals who generated higher frequencies of stable attributions also appeared to maintain more negative views of their children's behaviors in comparison to other children.
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Hollingsworth, Denise Jo. "Special education needs among children exposed to domestic violence." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2002. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2378.
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The purpose of the study is to discover whether exposure to domestic violence leads to higher rates of special education placement. The problem of concern is the effect of domestic violence exposure to children, which results in psychological and behavioral problems that may lead to school difficulties and placement in special education programs.
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Baker, Susan Colleen Rozanne. "The performance of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Griffiths Mental Development Scales - extended revised." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/388.
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Research has shown that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the commonest neurodevelopmental disorders which has a negative impact on a child. However, to date limited research has been conducted on learners, and specifically those learners with ADHD, within a National Education stream. Furthermore, running concurrently with this are new developments in education in South Africa. An inclusive educational policy favours the incorporation of all children into a mainstream scholastic setting, regardless of their diverse needs. In addition to educational changes for children with ADHD, many parents are presently unable to afford the medication commonly used to treat the disorder, resulting in both parents and teachers having to manage these children with limited professional support. It is widely accepted that early assessment and intervention are necessary in order to maximise a child’s potential. For this reason, the primary aim of this study was to explore and describe the developmental profile of children with ADHD on the Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Extended Revised (GMDS-ER). Further aims were to compare the performance of the clinical sample to a normal South African sample. In order to achieve these aims, a quantitative, exploratory-descriptive research design was employed. The sample (N = 38) of ADHD were selected by means of a non-probability, purposive sampling procedure, from various pre-school and primary schools in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The normal sample (N = 38) was drawn from an existing database created during the revision of the Scales. Information was collated using the Conners 39 Item Teacher Rating Scale, biographical data, as well as the results of an assessment from the GMDS-ER. In this study the general performance of the ADHD sample on the GMDS-ER was found to be above average. Furthermore the performance of these children on the six Subscales of the GMDS-ER ranged from average to superior, with the poorest performance being on the Eye and Hand Co-ordination Subscale, and the best performance being on the Performance Subscale. Significant differences between the ADHD and normal sample were found on the General Quotient (GQ) as well as three of the six Subscales, namely, the Hearing and Speech, Eye and Hand Co-ordination and Performance Subscales. Generally, the results of the study suggest that a specific developmental profile for children with ADHD exists. Additionally, the study highlighted the success with which the GMDS-ER can be utilised on a specific clinical population.
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Morin, Mariko Anne. "The effect of prenatal maternal stress on the development of attention problems in five-year-old children /." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=83132.
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Research indicates a relationship between prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) and attention levels in children. Studies with non-human primates suggest that both exposure to PNMS and the timing of a stressor during pregnancy are associated with greater attention problems in offspring; however, this has not been sufficiently tested in humans because of methodological constraints. We explored the relationship between objective and subjective measures of PNMS for 85 women who were pregnant during the 1998 Quebec Ice Storm and attention levels in their 5.5 year-old children, while controlling for socioeconomic status, child's sex, and maternal state anxiety. As a group, children in the study displayed significantly less attentive behaviour compared to a standardized norm. Boys in this group were significantly less attentive than girls. Objective PNMS exposure during 1st trimester correlated positively with attention problems in the children, accounting for 15.2% of the variance in attention levels as rated by Kindergarten teachers. In a behavioural task to detect sustained attention difficulties and Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms, children exposed during the 3rd trimester obtained significantly worse scores compared to children exposed in other trimesters. However, in this case, objective and subjective PNMS appeared to act as protective factors, raising the possibility of the presence of another unknown mechanism that negatively affected the attention variables.
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Hall, Heather Roberts. "The relationships among adaptive behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorder, their family support networks, parental stress, and parental coping." View the abstract Download the full-text PDF version, 2008. http://etd.utmem.edu/ABSTRACTS/2008-037-Hall-index.htm.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 2008.Title from title page screen (viewed on January 29, 2009). Research advisor: J. Carolyn Graff, Ph.D. Document formatted into pages (v,111 p. : ill.). Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-97).