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The purpose of this qualitative study was to effectively analyse connections between the needs of students diagnosed with ASD and accommodations made in the regular public school classrooms in New Providence, The Bahamas in addressing those needs. Furthermore, the purpose included determining whether the necessary training is provided for regular classroom teachers who are responsible for educating these students. Achieving this entailed exploring factors that influence the inclusive education programme implemented within the schools. Ten schools (five primary, three junior, one secondary and one senior high) were randomly selected. Consequently, the principals and teachers assigned to those schools were included due to their affiliation with the programme and the students with special needs. The qualitative research methodology findings led to data being classified into six themes, namely (i) provide teacher support, (ii) provide necessary resources, (iii) ensure quality education access, (iv) implement appropriate resources, (v) address behavioural concerns, and (vi) provide teacher training. These themes were used to discuss the findings. Findings revealed that (1) there is an urgent need to revise policy and properly implement inclusive practices; (2) the country's ministry of education provides minimal support to the schools; and (3) there is a severe lack of teaching and learning resources and appropriate training for teachers in the field of special education. The study then provides an analysis and interpretation of the results that informed the conclusion and recommendations of the research.

How do art educators find out if the art lesson they just taught made sense to every student in their classroom? Due to the increasing prevalence of inclusion and need for accountability in schools, art teachers need information about how students with special needs interact with assessments. However, the literature that highlights the debate over the need for and merit of art assessment does not include a single study that looks specifically at students with special needs. This action-based research study shines a light on this issue by combining research from the fields of art education and special needs to discover the impacts that formative process-oriented art assessment has on students with special needs in an inclusive classroom. This comparative case study illustrates how three students, one who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and two neurotypical students, responded to a variety of process-oriented pre-assessments, continuous assessments, and post-assessments and how their teacher used this framework to reflect on her teaching instruction and implement accommodations and modifications more effectively. This assessment framework offered multiple opportunities for the students to reflect on their artmaking throughout an art unit and allowed the teacher to revise material as each lesson progressed in order to account for students' unique learning needs, which ultimately made the lesson material more accessible for all students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how nature-inspired art education might foster a sense of connectedness and collaboration in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (hereinafter knows as ASD) in a day program. While many studies have uncovered such beneficial art education for children with ASD, there has been little research attempted for adults with ASD. Through a single instrumental case study the participatory researcher, an art educator in a day program for adults with ASD, explores the impact of a unit of nature-inspired collaborative art making on both the participants in the day program and on their paraprofessionals. Of particular interest to the researcher is if time spent in the natural world creating art could decrease the challenging behaviors, anxiety, and stress levels of adults with ASD through assisting them to experience a connection with nature. Also addressed in this research is how this experience could simultaneously increase a connection with others through collaboration. The diverse data collection tools the researcher employs are observations from the both the researcher and the paraprofessionals as well as interviews, student artifacts and surveys. Through a narrative analysis of the case study the researcher describes that after initial challenges, most participants did experience both a decrease in challenging behaviors and a sense of connection. The researcher concludes with advocating for further research on this topic, specifically, over a greater span of time during different seasons of the year.

AutismSpeaks.org estimated that a total of 1.1 million teens with autism will enter adulthood in the next decade (Autism Speaks, n.d.). Unfortunately, research shows many of those individuals will have bleak outcomes in life postsecondary (Lake et al., 2014; Posar & Visconti, 2018). This issue will compound without proper resources and programs designed for young adults to learn necessary skills for adulthood. Research also shows a lack of these programs (VanBergeijk, 2018; Lake et al., 2014) to teach individuals with ASD necessary life skills. The purpose of this mixed-methods single-subject study was to examine the effectiveness of technology in an intervention program designed to increase pragmatic skills in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD) through teaching job acquisition skills in a virtual asynchronous learning environment. The study's goal was to increase skills vital for individuals with HF-ASD to transition from secondary to postsecondary school or workforce. Phase one of this research study collected quantitative data through applied behavioral analysis consisting of three phases of observations. The quantitative phase was conducted using A-B-A, which consisted of three phases: baseline, intervention, and return to baseline. The baseline was established through three observations made prior to the intervention, with a mock interview being the most comprehensive. The intervention phase included a six-session intervention program delivered through Canvas with practice interview questions being recorded in Flipgrid. Finally, return to baseline observations were made one week after completing the sixth session, which included another mock interview. Phase one was completed by two participants. Visual analysis was the primary method for determining the program's effects on participants and was supported by calculating percent change and effect size using Tau-U and improvement rate difference (IRD). Phase two of the study was qualitative and employed semi-structured interviews with participants' parents through email to gain insight into the program's success. The primary researcher implemented thematic analysis to extract themes in data collected from parents. Invitations were sent to 31 Western Pennsylvania public school districts requesting participation in the study. Three school districts accepted the invitation. The school districts then contacted families with students who met the criteria for the study. A total of eight families completed the survey where four met all of the requirements. One participant was selected for the pilot study, and the other three agreed to complete the entire study. Unfortunately, one family withdrew from the study, and their data were not included in data analysis. Results of the study were positive, with participants earning increases in both social communication and job acquisition skills. Wyatt recorded significant increases in target behaviors from pre- to post-intervention mock interviews with a percent increase of 64%. Further supporting results for Wyatt, IRD was calculated at 100% and Tau-U at 1.0 (p < 0.05) with a 90% confidence interval [0.313, 1], which equates to a strong functional relationship between changes in behavior and the intervention. John's results were not as strong as Wyatt with a percent increase of 20%, IRD of 0.238, which equates to a low effect on target behaviors due to participation in the study, and Tau-u at 0.8571 (p < 0.05) with 90% confidence interval [0.170, 1] showing a medium effect on target behaviors. In addition, parent interviews supported changes in target behaviors in other contexts showing generalization occurred. The study demonstrated that technology could effectively increase pragmatic and job acquisition skills in individuals with ASD. The study's goal was to add to current literature focusing on teens and young adults and provide needed resources to fill the gap in programs available for those who have transitioned from secondary to postsecondary school or workforce to increase employment rates and independent living. Technology may be a logical delivery method for these resources. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The number of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing. The overall problem in this study focused on showing how a lack of teacher training in ASD-specific courses could result in a lack of competencies in meeting the educational needs of children with autism in an inclusive setting. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine if a difference exists in four teaching competencies among general education elementary teachers teaching children with autism in the general education classroom in the U.S. Virgin Islands based training. The theoretical framework was grounded in Medley's teaching competence theory that outlines how general education teachers use teaching competencies to help a student with autism learn in an inclusive setting. The independent categorical variable was the two groups of teachers: general education elementary teachers with training in ASD-specific courses and teachers with no training in ASD-specific courses. The dependent variables were continuous and represented the four teaching competencies: attitude, knowledge, skills, and agency. The four dependent variables were measured using Mu et al.'s Learning in Regular Classroom Teacher's Professional Competence Scale. A one-way MANOVA was used to analyze the significant difference between the variables in the study. Results suggest that training did not have any significant differences on the four teaching competencies. The results of this study have potential implications for positive social change by increasing awareness of the impact of teaching competencies in the academic functioning of children with ASD in the general education classroom. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Autistic people have issues with social skills, behavior, and communication (American Psychological Association, 2013) and have significant hurdles to sustained, paid employment (Hendricks & Wehman, 2009). Autistic people are often unemployed or underemployed; they work fewer hours and earn less money than neurotypical people and peers with other disabilities (Chiang et al., 2013). Autistic people also struggle with having their voices heard in their lives; they are frequently unable to determine their career paths and are directed by others into undesired work and goals. The present study answers: 1. What self-determination capacity variables predict gainful, high-quality employment for autistic students? 2. How do the individual capacities (volitional action, agentic action, and action-control beliefs) of self-determination affect employment outcomes for autistic people? 3. What self-determination skills do autistic people value the most in finding and maintaining high-quality employment? 4. What makes autistic people satisfied with their employment? 5. What do autistic adults say about employment and self-determination that would explain the regression analysis? Previous research has only measured employment in terms of wages and hours worked. Wages and hours worked are important measures of employment quality but they do not grasp what satisfactory employment is to autistic adults. Much of the available research does not collect the voices of autistic adults when discussing satisfactory employment outcomes. The present study uses mixed methods to gather the voices of autistic adults through surveys and interviews to answer the research questions. The research found seven themes of autism and employment common amongst autistic adults as well as many areas of silence between the survey and interview results. The findings suggest a new conceptual framework for how self-determination can impact employment outcomes and recommendations on how best to improve employment outcomes for autistic adults. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This qualitative research study explores autistic student sense of belonging in college using photovoice methodology. Belongingness is associated with feeling respected and important to others such as peers, faculty, and staff in the campus community (Strayhorn, 2019). Further, sense of belonging is a function of perceived support from peers, teachers, and family (Hoffman, et al., 2002-2003; Johnson et al., 2007; Strayhorn, 2008a). For neurodivergent college students, social relationships, self-advocacy, and mastery of student role foster sense of belonging (Vaccaro et al., 2015). Findings from this study confirm prior research that belongingness is found through trusted, supportive relationships and is associated with participation in campus activities and events which strengthens identity in their student role. This study expands the literature by giving autistic college students a new voice through an underutilized method, photovoice. This study finds that autistic college students' sense of belonging is greatly influenced by their sense of belonging in society especially as it pertains to events that have resulted in unbelonging. This study can inform policy and practice in higher education supporting the unique and diverse autistic college students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A lack of functional communication negatively impacts a student's academic and social-emotional success. Schools are in the position to create systems and protocols that would allow students to be taught a method to communicate functionally. This dissertation project sought to answer the question: How can early childhood students with no verbal communication skills be taught to functionally communicate by the end of their early childhood education? Implementation of a picture exchange communication system (PECS) that students use with their peers took place with four non-verbal students in the full-day 4-year-old early childhood classroom. This implementation took place in a Mid-Atlantic state public school from November 2021 through January 2022 to determine if having the students use PECS with their peers will increase their ability to develop functional communication. The findings of this study will provide information on how PECS impacts students' ability to communicate functionally who are non-verbal and have autism. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Autistic postsecondary students reportedly experience significant social anxiety and loneliness, which has become a growing concern for colleges and practitioners alike. The social-emotional experiences of autistic students entering postsecondary education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at 4-year institutions are not well understood. This study examined the degree to which autistic postsecondary STEM students experience loneliness and social anxiety, and explored how these aspects of social-emotional functioning are related to autism severity and adjustment to college. Data were from online surveys completed by STEM college students enrolled in an autism support program at a 4-year technology school (N = 78), who were also receiving support in the form of coaching. Surveys were distributed at two points in time, which resulted in cross-sectional data for two groups and repeated measures data for a smaller group. There were few significant differences between the cohorts' levels of loneliness and social anxiety, with over two-thirds of both samples reporting elevated loneliness and social anxiety. A large proportion (40%) of both cohorts met criteria for social anxiety disorder (SAD). More severe autism traits were associated with higher loneliness and social anxiety, and there was a compelling relationship between more severe autism traits and increased social anxiety. The repeated measures group did not show differences in loneliness or social anxiety from Time 1 to Time 2, suggesting that autistic students may experience social-emotional difficulties either chronically or at various times during college. Implications are discussed for postsecondary autism support programs, particularly regarding monitoring and intervention for reducing loneliness. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There is an increasing number of people with autism. Autistic women have a different presentation of autism than autistic men and may have different needs. As more autistic men and women go to college, they bring challenges and strengths. They have difficulties with persistence and completion of a degree. To improve the success of autistic students, more information is needed about what influences their success. This research looked at three autistic women who were successful in college. The three women and various people who supported them were interviewed. There were four themes that emerged regarding factors that contributed to the success of these young women. Their parents were involved with assisting them. They found a close-knit individualized environment in college. They were able to develop interests besides academics and they utilized services that were available to them. This study contributed to the literature of autistic women in college. Future research can develop these themes by exploring different populations and different schools. Other avenues for future research could be to explore men and women and gender-fluid autistic people to see if there is a difference in their needs, examining a population of autistic people that are not as forthcoming about their diagnosis and the participants in this study, and determining what kinds of training or activities can be done to make the university culture welcoming of neurodiversity. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

With the prevalence of autism continually on the rise, more Autistic people will enter the work force. Research and employment data demonstrate Autistic individuals have a difficult time securing and maintaining employment. One of the issues Autistic people face is a lack of effective and efficient vocational training. Although Autistic students are afforded a free and appropriate education, many leave school without sufficient vocational training. The one constant in Autistic people's lives are parents and caregivers. The current research focused on using Behavior Skills Training (BST) to teach parents how to correctly fade prompts when teaching their Autistic, adolescent and adult children to acquire vocational skills. Parents implemented a total-task analysis and used a least-to-most prompting technique to establish initial prompt levels. Three parent/student dyads were recruited to collect baseline data on a vocational task and complete BST on stimulus control, prompt hierarchy, and prompt fading. A multiple probe design was used to collect and analyze data. The study resulted in all the parent participants acquiring and maintaining prompt fading skills and their adolescent and adult children progressing on a vocational task faster than teaching as usual. Future research should focus on training interventionists and vocational coaches how to use and quickly fade prompts in order to teach more vocational skills. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study focuses on the stories shared by three young adults under the age of 30who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and an intellectual disability(ID). These young adults reflected on their transition from school to adult service options, including their experience with careers, relationships, and community supports. This study also explored the perspectives of the broader support networks that assisted the transitioning young adults. These support networks helped to define and provide a factual recollection of the events participants experienced. This ethnographic case study investigated the personal perspectives of young adults who transitioned from special education services to the adult service delivery options in their respective communities. The research describes the support provided and care designed by the student and support network. Data accrued from observations, conversations, interviews, field notes, and document reviews. The abilities of young adults differ, and their need for support ranges from few needs to very high needs. During the transition process, influencing factors, environment, and interpersonal supports produce activities, routines, and connections that assist young adults along their journey. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This qualitative research study's purpose is to garner a better understanding of the barriers and expectations of general and special education elementary teachers when teaching students with autism. Pervious research indicates that school aged children being identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder has significantly increased (Evans, 2016). According to federal law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004; No Child Left Behind, 2001) teachers are required to educate all students in their classroom including students with special needs. While several studies have been conducted on how to education and support students with autism in the classroom, few qualitative studies have been conducted from the educator's perspective. Through a grounded theory approach, the barriers and expectations of general and special education teachers allowed the participants to provide their own perspective and resulted in a better understanding of factors that influence teacher's view of students with autism. Additionally, these factors provide an introductory model of how to support teachers who instruct students with autism. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate changes in the strategies they use to cope with parenting stress, shifting from problem-focused to emotion-focused coping as their child ages (Gray, 2006). Once parents have resolved their child's diagnosis, they may manage their emotions through sharing social support with other families and engaging in advocacy activities. In this study, parents of children with ASD completed an online survey measuring stress, resolution of negative feelings associated with the disorder, coping strategies, and advocacy involvement. It was hypothesized that parents who were more resolved would use more adaptive, emotion-focused coping strategies and would demonstrate higher participation in advocacy groups. Findings indicated that resolution and emotional support were significant predictors of advocacy involvement and that parents who are more resolved experienced less stress than parents who were not. The following are appended: (1) Demographic Questionnaire; (2) Brief COPE; (3) Modified RDI Resolution Survey; (4) Advocacy Involvement; and (5) Consent Form for Online Survey.

As a part of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP), special education teachers work along with their student with special needs and their parent(s)/guardian(s) to create and implement Individualized Transition Plans (ITP) to assist the student with their transition to the post-school environment. As mandated by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ITPs are a component of the IEP for students 16 years old and over, who are eligible for special education services. Many special education teachers start the process at 14 years of age to better serve the student. At the non-public school setting of this study, it is considered best practice to do so. The problem is that assessments concerning transition to post-school environments do not appear to be geared towards students with moderate disabilities or to be readily available. The purpose of this study is to create a new assessment and present the findings of this assessment. Literary sources stressed the importance of an inclusive transition assessment, but gave little information concerning the questions. A few articles referenced the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI) assessment which addresses nine domains of transition and will provide information pertaining to the student's strengths and areas of need. However, from my own experience, this questionnaire is generalized and the moderate special needs population does not understand many of the questions. The authors described the importance of multidisciplinary approach, between the teacher/specialist(s), parent(s)/guardian(s), and student. This assists in the creation of the ITP that is based on the strengths and needs of the individual student. In most cases the creation and implementation of the transition assessment was designed by the special education teacher or specialist based on informal observation or was simply provided by the school district. This was a qualitative study using a pre-created assessment. The assessment was used to gather data pertaining to effective individual transition plans for students with moderate disabilities ages 14+ years of age. In this study all of the student participants were students in special education with moderate disabilities. The four students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) were interviewed to assess the present levels of the students in regards to their preparation for the transition to the post-school environment. This survey focused on daily living, functional skills, behavior, and general ideas concerning the post-school environment. The survey that was created will help to guide the ITPs of each of the students. Further collaboration between the teacher and the specialist(s) and therapist(s) is advised to create a more comprehensive list of questions for the individual student and the parent(s)/guardian(s) to assist in the transition process.

Elementary students who demonstrate accuracy and speed in handwriting are better equipped to generate higher quality, longer composition. Unfortunately, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to encounter significant difficulties with legibility, size, and speed of handwriting. The present study used a single-subject, multiple-baseline design across participants to examine the effects of CASL (Center for Advancing Student Learning) Handwriting intervention on handwriting accuracy and speed for three early elementary students with ASD. The dependent variable was correct letter points (CLP) and error letter points (ELP) as measured on a 90-s sentence copy probe. The intervention was delivered over eighteen, 20-min sessions which included alphabetic knowledge activities, explicit instruction in handwriting, and timed practice with goal-setting, praise, performance feedback, and self-graphing. After starting intervention, all students showed immediate increases in overall handwriting accuracy. Throughout intervention, handwriting accuracy continued to improve for each student, and handwriting speed increased for 2 of 3 students. However, the observed gains fell short of high levels of accuracy needed to achieve fluency as a learning outcome. Results extend prior research on handwriting intervention for students with ASD, the CASL Handwriting Program, behavioral fluency theory, the Instructional Hierarchy, explicit instruction, and timed practice. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to investigate Chinese-speaking families' perspectives of their advocacy for the education of their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and provided perspectives that enabled educational stakeholders to understand the barriers diverse families encounter. Children with disabilities had historically received unequal treatment in the public education system. Families of children with disabilities had difficulties navigating special education and related service and felt intimidated to understand special education regulations and non-adversarial advocacy knowledge and skills. The researcher employed a descriptive qualitative methodology to conduct interviews with nine Chinese-speaking parents of children with ASD in the Midwestern school districts. Interview data were coded with the cycle coding and a combination of basic coding methods. Microsoft Word and CAQDAS NVivo 12 programs were used to increase the rigor of the data analysis procedures. The findings showed that although the majority of participants perceived the importance of their roles in advocating for their children's education, most lacked knowledge in navigating educational system and resources to support their children. Negative experiences in advocacy involved teacher attitudes, expectations for a child, teacher competency, inclusion, and trust that influenced the education of their children. Barriers affecting their advocacy roles and communication with the schools included knowledge in special education, advocacy and educational school system, English proficiency, challenges in life, Chinese cultural differences and their involvement in decision making with the IEP teams. Participants indicated their reluctance to attend the parent workshops due to language barriers. To strengthen the results, a similar study could be conducted with different populations from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. This study could be replicated in different school districts and states to determine the areas of strength and weakness regarding perceptions and advocacy experiences of educational stakeholders that influence the education of children with ASD. In conclusion, Chinese-speaking families had limited English language skills when communicating with schools and teachers and faced barriers in cultural differences as well as knowledge in special education, autism, and advocacy. Developing culturally responsive practice for teacher-preparation programs and parent-education programs for Chinese-speaking families of children with autism are highly recommended. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Recent literature notes a significant increase in students being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Yet, no uniform testing protocol exists. It is vital for students and educators that a unified testing process be created and established. This study investigated which ASD testing instruments were currently used in Southern California public schools. Both survey questions and interview questions allowed the participants of this study to indicate which test was their preferred test based on ease of use and accuracy. The study found that the CARS [Childhood Autism Rating Scale] test was the preferred assessment tool. Based on the results of this study, recommendations were made for private schools that do not currently test students thought to have ASD characteristics. It is vital that private schools emulate their public counterparts in the realm of special needs. Thus, the implications of this study can be helpful in establishing a solid testing process that will benefit all parties involved. Appendixes present: (1) Autism Survey; (2) Informed Consent Form; and (3) Interview Questions and Request Email. (Contains 7 tables.)

Notions of accessibility bring to question the perceived deficits in narrative comprehension for autistic people. This deficit has been positioned as having a cognitive processing disposition towards local coherence, rather than global coherence. Rather than a unitary deficit in the individual, reduced performance on inferential narrative comprehension tasks may be an issue of modality. This dissertation adds to research that challenges this unitary deficit assumption, by situating cognitive processing dispositions in different narrative modalities. Furthermore, this project unifies several prominent inferential frameworks, conceptualizing inferential thinking as a continuum of integration, rather than a set of discrete skills. Repositioning Kintsch's (1988) construction-integration theory as an ordinal continuum provides a basis for integrating other inferential-thinking frameworks, and thus theorizing a new cognitive processing disposition. The Integrated Inferential Reasoning (IIR) continuum is anchored by Pearson and Johnson's (1978) text-implicit questions-answer relations (QARs; local), and script-implicit QARs (global). Building off of the idea of degrees of integration, a new level of QAR is introduced, in which the local and global clauses are integrated into one cohesive inferential response. In this study, the impact of narrative modality (comic plus text versus text-only) on inferential reasoning is compared between and among autistic (n=18) and neurotypical adolescents (n=112). Although the autistic respondents presented deficits in IIR when answering inferential reasoning items following narratives in a traditional text-only format, the situation with the comic plus text format was more nuanced. Considering format alone, the comic plus text did not promote IIR. However, autistic respondents with the highest level of self-rated comic experience performed comparably to their neurotypical peers on both formats. This is consistent with viewing comics not just as a format, but as a literacy. I present evidence that cognitive processing disposition varies as a function of context. Autistic respondents had a different experience when engaging with narratives in either the comic plus text and text-only format. This line of research provides alternate frameworks for thinking about autism and narrative meaning making. The work suggests that deficit explanations may not be as powerful as a neurodiversity lens in characterizing the experiences of neurotypical and autistic adolescents when they grapple with narrative accounts of social experiences. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This applied dissertation study compared the effectiveness of the iPad-assisted and traditional flashcard-assisted instruction for teaching receptive labeling skills to learners with autism. A lack of access to certified service providers and insurance coverage and the inability to receive a diagnosis of autism prevent families from accessing applied behavior analysis (ABA) services. The problem addressed in this applied dissertation was a lack of access to ABA services for children with autism. Two school-aged learners with a medical diagnosis of autism served as participants in this study. The study utilized an adapted alternating treatments design to compare the effectiveness of the iPad app-assisted and flashcard-assisted instructions in the following dimensions: rate of the acquisition of the receptive labeling skills, generalization and maintenance of the receptive labeling skills, frequency of the prompts needed to acquire the skill, and frequency of the challenging behaviors associated with each intervention. The study included a baseline phase, instructional phase, generalization phase, final probe phase, and a maintenance phase. A visual analysis of the data was used to compare the effectiveness of the interventions. Also, the researcher compared the data between the two interventions using the nonoverlapping data (PND) points. Results indicated iPad-assisted instruction was associated with lower rates of challenging behaviors, lower rates of prompts, and a slightly higher rate of acquisition of the receptive labeling skills when compared to the traditional flashcard-assisted instruction. Furthermore, the results showed iPad-assisted instruction took a shorter time to implement when compared to traditional flashcard instruction. The results of the study have implications on the effectiveness of the instruction, potential time and cost efficiency for the practitioners and caregivers, and an improvement of the quality of life for individuals with autism. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This dissertation study explores adolescent socialization experiences and understandings of autistic identity from the perspectives of four autistic young women. Stemming from a concerning disproportionate gender representation of autism, with males diagnosed at the rate of 1 in 39 and females at 1 in 151 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018), this study is, in part, a response to the autism research community's call for more research to support the needs of autistic girls and young women and increased understanding of their experiences (Shefcyk, 2015). Additionally, autistic women tend to be diagnosed later in life and may be misdiagnosed with other mental health illnesses due to masking and imitation of social skills (Tierney, Burns, & Kilby, 2016; Jamison & Schuttler, 2015). Two research questions are asked in this study: (1) What are the perspectives of adolescent autistic students who identify as female, girl, or young woman on their experiences learning and using social skills in high school? and, (2) How does the ongoing work of learning social skills at school, through instruction and otherwise, contribute to students' perspectives on the development of an autistic/disability identity? This phenomenological dissertation study explores the school-based experiences of autistic adolescent young woman as they learn social skills and understand the nuances of learning social skills from their perspectives. The findings will yield valuable insights applicable to families and practitioners working with this under-researched population to improve transition experiences and outcomes. At school, autistic teens are supported with myriad social skills interventions, ranging from focused intervention practices and comprehensive treatment models (Odom, Boyde, Hall, & Hume, 2010), to curriculum-based (Laugeson et al., 2014; Crooke & Winner, n.d.), and peer-inclusive interventions (Bottema-Beutel, Mullins, Harvey, Gustafson, & Carter, 2015; Diener et al., 2015; Hochman et al., 2015). Such school-based interventions have several implications regarding the development of autistic identity (Connor, 2013; Baines, 2012; Bagatell, 2007/2010; Zambo, 2010). The concept of autistic identity has been linked to the use of identity-first language (Sinclair, 1993), the understanding of the neurodiversity paradigm (Kapp, Gillespie-Lynch, Sherman, and Hutman, 2014; Ortega, 2009), the awareness of autistic communities (Bagatell, 2010; Sinclair, 2010), and autistic culture (Straus, 2010). These concepts rarely have been the focus of school-based studies involving autistic adolescents and deserve further scrutiny. This study applies the frameworks of disability studies in education, feminist disability studies, and critical autism studies to the qualitative social skills experiences of autistic adolescent girls. Disability studies in education uncover facets of disability residing outside the scope of the individual and seek to better understand individual experiences from the sociocultural perspective (Connor et al., 2008). Feminist disability studies apply a gendered understanding of disability identity to research (Garland-Thompson, 2011). Critical autism studies promote and values autistic scholarship, as well as unearthing social power dynamics experienced by autistic people. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a qualitative method which unearths the meaning of an experience from the participant perspective (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2008) is applied to this study. IPA is well-suited to understanding experiences related to transitions and identity, two salient components of the research questions about autistic adolescent girls' experiences with social skills programming at school. The findings revealed that the students placed much value on fostering authentic friendships with other students in their schools. The students in this study desired relationships where they felt respected and understood by peers and adults alike. Their perceptions of their teachers and classes led to understandings of the need for school personnel to develop positive relationships with autistic students. The young women in this study did not experience much intersection between being autistic and their gender as a female. The students were not exposed to autistic mentors or autistic peers who were also female either in their school or their community. Implications related to the well-being of autistic students going through transition, instruction on markers of autistic culture and neurodiversity, and the patriarchal constructs that can be reinforced in majority male gendered classroom spaces are expanded upon. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

A single-subject, combined multiple-baseline-across-participants and ABC study was conducted to examine the functional relation between a traditional paper-based graphic organizer (PBGO) and a computer-based graphic organizer (CBGO) with technological enhancements (audio-prompting comments and text-to-speech) intervention and the improvements in persuasive essay writing by upper elementary students. Participants for the study were four fourth and fifth-grade students with either an Emotional-Behavioral Disorder (EBD) or mild Autism in two socioeconomically disadvantaged rural schools. Dependent variables included total number of words written, number of sentences, number of transition words, and holistic writing quality of the overall essay. Students' engagement with the PBGO and CBGO, including the audio prompts and text-to-speech tools, was analyzed. The results indicated that students tended to engage with more parts of the CBGO than PBGO. Additionally, the results indicated that students were apt to utilize the technology enhancements in the CBGO. Visual analysis of data and calculations of effect sizes using PND and PEM were completed. The analyses indicated no evidence of a functional relation between the PBGO intervention and all the measures and moderate evidence of a functional relation between the CBGO intervention and all the measures. Social validity of the PBGO and CBGO was assessed at the end of the study through semi-structured student interviews and analyzed using qualitative analysis. Most students reported finding the computer-based graphic organizer (CBGO) intervention more helpful than the paper-based graphic organizer (PBGO) and shared positive perceptions of the CBGO and use of audio prompts. Implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

There are several effective treatment methods and evidence based practices (EBP) for teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The use of EBPs is federally mandated, but it is often overwhelming for teachers to identify and implement available best practices with fidelity in the absence of ongoing training and support (Alexander, Ayres & Smith, 2015). Teachers often display low implementation fidelity, and, specifically, special education teachers often struggle with progress monitoring and data collection, which are essential elements of EBPs. Although most teachers are familiar with direct and frequent measurement for data collection, less than half reported using this type of progress monitoring in their classroom, stating several barriers including lack of time and knowledge (Wesson, King & Deno, 1984). One way to affect teacher implementation and behavior change is through different consultation styles, including performance feedback or a commitment emphasis approach. Performance feedback is a widely used and effective method to improve teacher implementation and treatment fidelity (Burns, Peters & Noell, 2008; Sanetti, & Kratochwill, 2009; Solomon, Klein & Politylo, 2012). A commitment emphasis model is a social influence strategy, which also shows continuing support for teacher behavior change (Noell et al. 2005). This study evaluated a strategy for increasing teachers' completion of the Student Learning Profile (SLP), a curriculum-based student assessment that is administered as part of the Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research (STAR; Arick, Krug, Loos & Falco, 2004), using a randomized control group design to compare a performance feedback model with a commitment emphasis plus prompt model of consultation. Overall, the study found a significant effect for teacher SLP completion at time-point one for teachers' in the experimental group using a commitment emphasis model, but less so over time. Implications for researchers, clinicians and educators are also explored. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This case study explores the experiences of one early childhood special educator. Through multiple interviews the following questions were examined: (a) what are the challenges faced by an early childhood special educator? and (b) what are the experiences and needs in teaching a student with autism spectrum disorder? The findings of this study included reexamining more comprehensive pre-service teacher preparation and in-service work. Key challenges were managing behaviors of students with autism, as well as the multidisciplinary nature of working with families and paraprofessionals, and how these factors precipitated role overload and isolation. The findings of this study are consistent with previous literature. They outline many of the same challenges experienced by other educators in the desire for more multidisciplinary support and direct exposure in working with students and families. These core issues are foundational in the need for more comprehensive pre-service preparation in early childhood special education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to examine secondary school teachers' attitudes regarding the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, students with ASD can attend regular education classrooms, especially in elementary and middle schools. In addition, the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia is interested in the inclusion of students with ASD in secondary schools. Since the attitudes of secondary school teachers toward inclusion of students with ASD have not been examined, it was important to look at the attitudes of these teachers towards the inclusion of students with ASD so that it is implemented successfully. Over 2000 secondary school teachers completed an online survey. Data were collected using a convenience sample and analyzed using SPSS. The results of the study indicated that secondary school teachers in Riyadh had positive attitudes toward inclusion of students with ASD. Furthermore, most teachers participating in this study indicated that the placement of students with ASD should be determined based on the severity of ASD symptoms. In addition, secondary school teachers' attitudes differed based on the following variables: years of teaching experience, gender, level of education, and type of school. This study suggested that secondary school teachers should be provided with effective training and professional development so that they can include students with ASD. However, the use of the convenience sample and the online survey could limit the generalizability of the results. Future research should examine teachers pre-service and their knowledge about ASD. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study evaluated the use of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Secondary (PTR-SEC) model as an individualized Tier 3 intervention within the School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) in three high school classrooms. Three teaching staff (two teachers and one instructional aide) and three students with autism spectrum disorders participated in the study. The study examined the degree to which the classroom staff implemented the PTR intervention plan with fidelity and its impact on the students' behaviors, using a multiple baseline across participants design. The results indicated that the teaching staff implemented the PTR intervention plan with high levels of fidelity, and their implementation of the intervention plan led to decreases in problem behavior and increases in replacement behavior across all three participating students with ASD. The PTR-SEC teams found the PTR-SEC intervention to be acceptable and satisfactory; all three staff expressed interest in continuing to implement the PTR intervention plan after completion of the study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Video-based modeling is an evidence-based practice for teaching social and communication skills, functional and daily living skills, and some academic skills to students with autism spectrum disorder. The efficacy of video-based modeling, however, has not yet been established for STEM skills related to science, technology, or engineering. Drawing on findings from a systematic review of video-based modeling to teach academic skills to students with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability, I used a single case study design to examine the efficacy of video-based modeling for teaching robotics and coding to students with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, I used a multiple-probe across skills single case research design replicated across three middle school participants to teach block-based coding of robots. This afforded three intraparticipant replications and three interparticipant replications. Further, to substantiate the social and ecological validity of video-based modeling interventions for public school settings, a special education teacher implemented the intervention in a special education classroom during non-core instructional time. Additionally, questionnaires were disseminated to study participants and public school special educators naive to the study purpose and outcomes to assess the social validity (i.e., feasibility and effectiveness) of the intervention. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Every year children are unintentionally injured or killed due to finding an unattended firearm. Although research evaluating various approaches to teach safety skills shows that behavioral skills training and in situ training are effective, limited research exists evaluating small-scale simulation training in teaching safety skills to children. Furthermore, there is no research evaluating this approach with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study evaluated the effectiveness of small-scale simulation training in teaching firearm safety to 5- to 6-year-old children with ASD. Simulation training was effective for one participant and in situ training was necessary for one participant. However, in situ training was not effective for the third participant. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using the iPad as compared to traditional paper curriculum to teach phonics to young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ages five to six years old. The study also evaluated whether the iPad can increase academic engagement and decrease challenging behavior while completing literacy tasks. A single-subject ABCBC experimental design with generalization assessments across novel stimuli was used. A total of three participants were involved in the study and all had a previous diagnosis of autism. Data sources used throughout the study included Hooked on Phonics curriculum, Apple iPad, partial interval recording system, momentary time sample, and anecdotal reports. Results included an increase in phonological awareness, an increase in academic engagement, and a decrease in challenging behavior as a result of the Hooked-on Phonics curriculum in both the traditional paper and iPad as an instructional tool. Future research will want to evaluate the effectiveness of the iPad on different literacy skills and other context areas. It will also want to assess generalization across novel environments and conduct maintenance sessions to see if the skills learned remain over time. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This narrative research examines the experiences of five Saudi Arabian mothers of children with ASD who are living in the United States. Multiple interviews were used in qualitative research to learn more about the different experiences of these mothers. The purpose of the study was to learn about the participants' experiences, including their stressors, beliefs, and thoughts about raising their children with ASD in a culture that is different from the one where they were raised. Culture can shape mothers' attitudes and beliefs about raising children with disabilities. Saudi Arabian mothers living abroad are likely to observe different ways of mothering, and they may be exposed to new ways of thinking about mothering. When a Saudi Arabian mother of a child with ASD lives in a developed country like the United States, she may enjoy opportunities to live her experiences far from her extended family, with whom she may or may not have conflicts. She may also learn about resources that can foster her child's development. Living abroad means exposure to other people and other ways of thinking, which can lead to personal growth and change. The most significant finding from these mothers was the comparison between the educational and the medical sectors in the United States and Saudi Arabia. All of the mothers hope that the services in both sectors will improve to help people with disabilities. This study has implications for educators, doctors, and communities. Future research is needed to study the experiences of Saudi Arabian mothers of children with ASD who are living in Saudi Arabia. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among school aged children in the US has increased exponentially, compared to estimates from the year 2000. Increased numbers of elementary students with ASD are spending 80% or more of the school day in general education settings, which may pose challenges for both veteran and beginning elementary teachers. Furthermore, there are more rigorous mathematics and science standards that beginning teachers will be responsible for providing instruction to all students, including those with ASD. The transition of mathematics and science standards impacts both elementary teachers and special education teachers because many professional teaching organizations feel both types of instructors should have the proper knowledge in these subject areas for effective instruction. However, there is evidence that both special education and elementary education teachers may not feel efficacious to teach this content. Established and novel survey instruments were administered to a sample of 39 senior pre-service teachers majoring in special education and elementary education, to obtain data related to their field teaching experiences, personal experience interacting with individuals with ASD, and their reported undergraduate coursework. This study was designed to investigate and compare the self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers majoring in special education and elementary education, which was focused on the following context-specific instructional situations: 1) mathematics instruction; 2) science instruction; 3) mathematics instruction to students with ASD; 4) science instruction to students with ASD; and 5) general instructional considerations for teaching students with ASD. Results of the study indicated elementary education pre-service teachers had lower teaching efficacy beliefs in teaching mathematics and science to students with ASD, compared to their mean teaching efficacy scores for the instruction with mathematics and science in general situations. Furthermore, elementary education majors scored significantly lower on teaching mathematics to students with ASD, teaching science to students with ASD, and teaching students with ASD in general, compared to their special education peers in the obtained sample. The new instruments measuring mathematics and science teaching efficacy were determined to have good reliability. Implications for teacher preparation programs and recommendations for future research are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Despite recent advancements in the field of Autism, young adults with a diagnosis of ASD continue to struggle working and living independently (Thompson, 2013). Competitive employment is a quality of life indicator (Garcia-Villamisar & Hughes, 2007; Garcia-Villamisar, Wehman, & Navarro, 2002; Hendricks, 2010; Hurlbutt & Chalmers, 2010; Morgan, Leatzow, Clark, & Siller, 2014; Roux et al., 2013). Strong interview skills including impression management behaviors, increase the likelihood of obtaining competitive employment (Bell & Weinstein, 2011; Smith et al., 2014; Smith et al., 2015; Strickland, Coles, & Southern, 2013). High self-efficacy and impression management behaviors influence successful interviewee performance (Huffcutt, Van Iddekinge, & Roth, 2011). This study explored the use of a Virtual Reality--Live Interview Coaching (VR-LIC) intervention package to increase gaze and conversational reciprocity across interviewers and settings with young adults diagnosed with ASD. The participants demonstrated improvement in impression management behavior with the introduction of VR intervention. The incorporation of live coaching with multiple interviewers and office settings enhanced performance and increased transfer of skills to future real-world interviews as concluded by high and consistent maintenance probe data. Statements of limitations for VR-LIC intervention package effectiveness include generalization of study results to a larger population, inability to control for practice effect, and general limitation of theoretical perspective and instructional strategies. The results of this study support the use of virtual reality and live-interview coaching to development and strengthen interview skills for young adults with a diagnosis of ASD. These promising results supports the need for more research exploring VR and interview skill interventions topics and limitations. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

An adapted alternating treatments design was used to evaluate the effect of context on the acquisition of intraverbals for three young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when utilizing instructive feedback (IF). All participants acquired secondary targets when presented in an instructional setting along with primary targets. Two participants acquired secondary targets in the absence of primary targets and treatment -- one participant in an instructional setting (high demand) and another participant in a novel setting (low demand). A third participant did not acquire any secondary targets in the absence of primary targets and direct training. All participants had generalized responding to novel therapists and untrained Wh-questions. Responding maintained across 2- and 4-week probes for most participants, with some mild (e.g., less than 10% reduction) to moderate decrements (e.g., over 50% reduction in responding) observed. Finally, caregivers provided social validity ratings of the procedures used. Caregivers provided generally positive ratings of the procedures, but these ratings appeared to change once caregivers were shown how their individual child responded to each procedure. Specifically, caregivers tended to rate procedures that were effective for their child more favorably following a review of their child's performance. Future directions for research and clinical applications of IF procedures are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other disabilities should have access to the general education curriculum with their typically developing peers. Common barriers to inclusion can be addressed, in part, through effective in-service training on evidence-based practices (EBP). The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of distance education webinars and video-based performance feedback through Behavior Imaging™ technology on the acquisition of general education teachers' use of two evidence-based practices, behavior-specific praise, and prompting, in rural classrooms. The Behavior Imaging™ technology allowed the general education teachers to self-video record instructional sessions in the classroom through iPads. The resulting videos were uploaded to a secure server where the researcher viewed the taped sequences, tagged examples and non-examples, and wrote corresponding corrective feedback. This was the first known study to use the Behavior Imaging™ technology for teacher preparation in an applied setting. In a multiple element, multiple baseline design across behaviors (praise and prompting) with three general education classroom teachers, results showed that the training webinars had little effect on teacher behavior, but video-based feedback produced increases in the correct use of praise and prompting when associated with a systematic instructional sequence (call for a response, pause, prompt, child response, praise or correct). Negative comments decreased to near zero levels across participants as they increased their correct use of behavior-specific praise and prompting. The participants in the study stated that the technology was easy to use, that their participation was worth their time, it changed their teaching practice, benefited all students, and fostered a more positive classroom environment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

More students with High Functioning Autism (HFA) are in inclusive settings than ever before, however, the physical combination of students with HFA and their typical peers alone is insufficient to address the social needs of students with HFA. Students with HFA in inclusive settings require evidence-based practices (EBPs) for social skills to be as successful as possible in mainstream settings. While many evidence-based practices (EBPs) targeting social skills for students with HFA exist, these practices are not routinely or effectively being implemented in school settings. A participatory action research (PAR) mixed-methods study was conducted to bridge the gap and motivate school districts to implement EBPs. The PAR study involved stakeholder focus groups (n = 12), training, and the implementation of EBP interventions. Surveys administered to elementary inclusion staff (n [greater than or equal to] 30) explored the barriers to the implementation of EBPs, staff perceptions of the relevance of social skills, and staff awareness of EBPs. Training, time, support, prioritization, materials, and staff mindset were identified as the top six barriers to the successful implementation of social skills as identified by elementary inclusion staff. Staff awareness of EBPs differed significantly based on district job title. Regular education teachers were identified as the inclusion staff group needing the most training and support. Results of the relevance survey indicated that staff value social skills and support interventions for students with HFA. Post training, significant gains were noted in staff members' knowledge of and competency with EBPs. Three qualitative themes regarding EBPs emerged from the data: (a) preparation, (b) social and foundational support, and (c) tension (opposing paradoxical forces). The researcher implemented respective pivotal response training (PRT) and peer mediated intervention (PMI) comprehensive interventions via single-subject design (n = 5). The two students with HFA in the PMI program showed significant improvement in Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) domains and domains in the Social Skills Checklist. Qualitative data supported the intervention for all students. The findings of the study suggest that PAR methods can be utilized successfully to bridge the gap between research and practice within inclusion public school elementary settings. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Students with autism spectrum disorder are being educated in the general education setting at a growing rate. With the increase in the number of children identified with autism compounded with the legal mandates to educate students with disabilities alongside their peers in the least restrictive environment, it is imperative that general education teachers are knowledgeable and provided with the necessary resources and tools. Research indicates, however, that educators do not feel adequately prepared to meet the complex academic, social, and behavioral needs of students with autism in the inclusive setting. Educators are often left to their own judgment and guiding principles to decide how they approach meeting the needs of a diverse group of students since there is no standardized inclusion model. This phenomenological research study explored the perceptions of general education teachers' on the inclusion of students with autism in the general education setting at the middle school level. This qualitative study utilized purposive sampling to conduct semi-structured interviews with 12 general education teachers in an urban public school district north of Boston, Massachusetts. After thorough coding and analysis, five major themes were identified to have shaped the perception of general education teachers on the inclusion of students with autism based on their prevalence and occurrence. Through the identification of the barriers to inclusion, districts can implement proactive measures to avoid widening the learning gap between typically developing students and students with autism in the general education setting. With appropriate evidence-based practices, accommodations for social needs, and pedagogical approaches in place within the inclusive setting, more students can move from segregated special education settings to general education settings in the future to facilitate success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Early intervention services are intended to be family-centered, meaning families are honored, respected, and involved in service delivery (Dunst, 2002). However, little research has been conducted to explore family perceptions of their participation in early intervention services. This study explored 12 families' perceptions about their experiences in an early intervention designed for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One framework through which to examine parent perceptions of interventions is implementation science. The "Formula for Success" in implementation science posits: (a) innovations, or intervention components, such as goals, strategies, and materials; (b) implementation processes such as coaching and using intervention strategies; and (c) contextual factors such as when, where, and how long the intervention is delivered work together in leading to optimal outcomes (National Implementation Research Network; NIRN, Blase & Fixsen, 2013). As a result, obtaining parent perceptions focused on these constructs could provide information regarding whether early interventions are meeting families' needs and priorities. Twelve interviews were conducted with parents who participated in an early intervention designed for toddlers with ASD. Data were systematically coded using an exploratory approach to develop themes and subthemes. The results indicated parents perceived participation in the intervention as a positive experience, but shared a few challenges and suggestions to improve their experiences. Parents found intervention components to be particularly helpful such as paper copies of homework, visuals, and countdowns. They suggested intervention components that would have enhanced their experiences such as individualized exit summaries and online resources. Parents reported mixed levels of involvement in goal development processes. Parents found implementation processes such as watching models and receiving feedback as helpful. They developed strong relationships with their interventionists, positively impacting their implementation experiences. Parents reported mixed levels of comfort practicing strategies and mixed levels of success applying strategies to daily routines. Parents found contextual factors to be helpful such as service delivery in home and clinic settings. They reported contextual challenges such as scheduling sessions and the intervention's limited duration. The findings suggest the need for individualized early intervention services focused on families' unique structures, dynamics, priorities and strengths. Practice and research implications are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of a peer-mediated intervention on the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the classroom. Three high school students from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) background receiving Special Education services with an autism eligibility and participated. A concurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to measure the effectiveness of a peer-mediated intervention (independent variable) in a group of students on the autism spectrum (dependent variable) in the inclusive classroom. Results regarding peer-mediated sessions, teacher methodologies, and the increase of social oriented collaborative strategies among typical students and adolescents with ASD in the inclusive classroom are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

In this study, I explore how the senior leadership team at an Academy Trust in England understands and operationalizes inclusion, particularly for pupils whose learning profile includes autism. England's policies regarding inclusion appear to focus on the placement of pupils with disabilities in the mainstream provision; however, the Academy Trust, a specialist provision, suggests their school is inclusive. Gaining insight into the senior leadership team's understandings and operationalization of inclusion will provide further understandings of inclusion in Multi Academy Trusts that are specialist provisions. In this study, I examine the understandings of eight members of a senior leadership team at a Multi Academy Trust. Participants were recruited through the Director of Research and Development at the Trust during their regularly scheduled meetings. Data were collected and triangulated though interviews, document reviews, and a focus group. Data was analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis. This study highlights the importance of strategic planning, Trust structure, pupil placement, curriculum, and evaluation systems in operationalizing inclusions for pupils with disabilities including autism. The findings also suggest inclusion, for senior leaders at the Multi Academy Trust, means meeting the individual needs of pupils, facilitating pupil voice, facilitating a sense of belonging, promoting independence, and maximizing pupil potential. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this study was to assess the usage of video modeling in the high school setting in order to prepare students with Autism to be job ready upon leaving high school. This researcher examined the information provided through the interviews of those with Autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder was a lifetime processing diagnosis with no cure and affected the social communication and behaviors of those diagnosed. These deficits affected the ability to find and maintain meaningful employment upon graduating high school. Researchers with a National Longitudinal Transition Study completed in 2001 provided evidence that the employment rate of those with ASD within the first two years of graduation was only 15% (Chen, Leader, Sung, Leahy, 2015). The researcher of this study considered the affects that video modeling had on the ability to develop two-way conversation between an adolescent with Autism and his/her peers. An essential part of the job interview process was the ability to communicate in two-way conversation. The participants were provided a video model example, including both a correct and an incorrect interview sample to watch. The researcher presented the case studies to provide detailed evidence concerning both the verbal and nonverbal communication styles of those secondary students with Autism. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if the RIRD intervention is effective in reducing vocal stereotypy in an individual with an autism spectrum disorder in the natural classroom setting with and without immediate reinforcement. The RRBs displayed by individuals with ASD may have a negative effect on the individual's ability to learn in the classroom setting. The current study aimed to provide additional support previous studies that found that the RIRD intervention may be an effective intervention to reduce vocal stereotypy in individuals with ASD. The study aimed to extend the literature by assessing the effectiveness of the RIRD intervention with immediate reinforcement in the classroom setting. The researcher found a statistically significant relationship between the implementation of RIRD with and without immediate reinforcement and the presence of vocal stereotypy. Although RIRD was found to be effective in reducing vocal stereotypy, the results of the paired t-test show that the participant displayed less vocal stereotypy when the RIRD intervention was implemented with immediate reinforcement (M = 2.1250, SD = 0.38622) as opposed to the implementation of the RIRD intervention without immediate reinforcement (M = 3.5250, SD = 0.66521), a statistically significant mean decrease of 1.4. This finding extends the literature by providing support for the use of the RIRD intervention with immediate reinforcement. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of the RIRD intervention with various types of immediate reinforcement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) increases, it is important for practitioners to continue to improve evidence-based practices (EBP) for the treatment of ASD symptoms (i.e., impairments in social communication and repetitive behaviors and restricted interests; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). It is estimated that 30-50% of individuals with autism do not acquire functional speech (Wodka, Mathy, & Kalb, 2013). These individuals would make appropriate candidates for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC; Mirenda, 2003). One form of AAC is the speech-generating device (SGD). Over the last ten years, tablet-based technologies including iPad minis [registered trademark] have been emphasized in the SGD research (Lorah, Parnell, Whitby, & Hantula, 2014b). One of the limitations in the tablet-based technology literature is that there are few protocols using EBP for teaching verbal behavior using tablet-based technology as a SGD (Hedges & AFIRM Team, 2017). Practitioners working with SGD users require support in designing the screen layout, selecting the vocabulary, and determining effective teaching procedures for increasing verbal behavior. Therefore, the current study introduced the topic of motor planning with core vocabulary as considerations for use with tablet-based technology as SGDs to the behavior analytic literature. Because motor planning refers to the inner process of determining how to move, behavior analysts may be skeptical of using motor planning in practice. However, this study identified that motor planning is not an intervention but a strategy used in designing the screen layout or icon location. In addition, this study evaluated a basic protocol using motor planning with core vocabulary and a prompting package including within stimulus prompts and constant time delay with response prompts to teach manding using the iPad mini [registered trademark] and Proloquo2Go [trademark] as a SGD to three preschool aged children with ASD. This study also evaluated the effectiveness of the protocol on increasing vocal utterances throughout the session and decreasing problem behaviors during mand training. Results of the study indicated the protocol was effective in increasing a manding repertoire and that there were no effects on vocal utterances and problem behaviors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Challenging behaviors are considered predictors of poor outcomes and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for such behaviors. There is limited research on how the functions of such behaviors and intervention strategies aimed at reducing them may differ by context. Using a researcher-designed survey, this study examined parents' and teachers' descriptions of the function of, and strategies for, challenging behaviors among children with and without ASD. A total of 488 respondents completed the survey, including 251 (51.5%) teachers and 237 (48.5%) parents. The participants were recruited in person and via social networking using snowballing and word-of-mouth. The study findings revealed that while both parents and teachers frequently identified avoidance/escape and attention-seeking as functions of challenging behaviors for children with and without ASD, there were some differences in their reports. Most notably, for children with ASD, 28% of parents reported children's use of challenging behaviors to get attention at home whereas 2% reported this function at school, while 72% of the teachers indicated children's use of challenging behaviors to seek attention at school and only 10% reported this function at home. The two most common intervention strategies identified by both teachers and parents were reinforcing positive effortful behavior and providing positive attention such as praise and acknowledgement. These finding are critical as they show the differences in the opinions towards the use of challenging behaviors in the home and school settings as reported by parents and teachers and inform future intervention efforts aimed at addressing challenging behaviors in varying contexts. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Much research in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has focused on the development of efficacious interventions to address the core deficits of ASD. However, the heterogeneous nature of ASD complicates the development of such interventions. With great heterogeneity in the expression of ASD's core deficits, it is unlikely that there is a one size fits all intervention. It is important for researchers to understand for whom an intervention works. Advancements in data analytics, in particular machine learning, provide new methods to identify subgroups among a given population, and can potentially help to identify for whom intervention works best. Of particular interest are minimally verbal individuals. A targeted social communication intervention known as JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation) has shown promise for improving language outcomes among minimally verbal children with ASD and may provide the context to examine the question of for whom an intervention benefits. This study aims to develop a model predicting expressive language gains among minimally verbal, preschool aged children with ASD that received a targeted social communication intervention. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to explore the relationship between child characteristics and gains in expressive language. Secondary data analysis was conducted on a sample of 99 minimally verbal, preschool age children with ASD, collected from participants across five previous intervention studies. Expressive language gains (outcome) were calculated using expressive language age equivalents from the Mullen Scales for Early Learning. Predictors for the analyses were taken from child demographics and behavioral assessments completed prior to intervention. The initial list of predictors included race, gender, ASD severity, visual reception age equivalent, fine motor age equivalent, joint attention gestures, requesting gestures, and play skills. Using expressive language age equivalent change scores, 47% (n = 47) of the sample were identified as "super responders," children that exceeded expressive language gains typically expected through maturation. To predict responder status, all initial predictors were used to generate conditional inference forest, from which the most important variables would be chosen for the final model. Conditional inference results identified three variables to be fitted into the final model; play diversity, requesting gestures, and fine motor age equivalent. A final conditional inference tree was created, with play diversity being the only significant predictor of responder status. Participants with an entry play diversity score above 23 predicted super response while scores of 23 or below predicted slow response. The overall model accuracy was 67%, with a specificity of 55% and sensitivity of 78%. As a comparison, stepwise logistic regression was run, and play diversity was again the only significant predictor of responder status (X[superscript 2] (1) = 10.686, p = 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to compare model performance, and comparison of area under the curves for the two models showed no statistical difference ( p = 0.82). Overall accuracy of the conditional inference tree was moderate, and performed similarly to the more traditional logistic regression analysis. However, the conditional inference tree provides a cutoff point that may provide clinical utility over the regression results. Both models identify play diversity as in important predictor of expressive language gains from JASPER, which is a play based social communication intervention. Additionally, our model appears to be more sensitive to identifying slow responders. The role of play diversity and expressive language gains in JASPER is discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This school-based yoga program was developed for elementary school aged children with autism spectrum disorder-level 1, also referred to as high functioning autism. High functioning autism (HFA) is associated with developmental delays in social domains involving communication and interaction, as well as restricted, repetitive behaviors, and sensory challenges (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Common comorbid concerns relate to attention, anxiety and depression (Stoddart, 2005; Tarazi, et al., 2015; Volkmar, et al., 2014). While there is some existing literature regarding the efficacy of yoga as an intervention for children with autism, the majority of the literature regarding yoga focuses on these comorbid diagnoses (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016; Birdee, et al., 2009; Black, et al., 2015; Galantino, 2008). This dissertation addressed this discrepancy first with a review of the literature regarding high functioning autism; existing research for yoga as a school based intervention for children's attention, anxiety and depression; and, the efficacy of using yoga in schools with children who have autism. Following this review, a formal needs assessment was conducted, involving interviews with occupational therapists, mental health professionals, and educators. The literature review and needs assessment informed recommendations for the development of "Go with the Flow: A School Based Yoga Program for Elementary School Aged Students with High Functioning Autism." [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common condition that is being diagnosed with increasing frequency and which can be markedly debilitating. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly important that health care workers are proficient in diagnosing infants and children with ASD (Manning-Courtney et al., 2013). However as the rates of ASD diagnoses have increased, so has the controversy around ASD and ASD diagnosis, specifically, whether ASD is actually increasing at a very high rate, or whether the diagnostic process has changed so that clinicians are now diagnosing more cases of ASD without an increase in the actual prevalence (Matson & Kozlowski, 2011). Individuals with ASD experience impairment in social areas, specifically social communication, social interactions, social reciprocity, and restricted and repetitive behaviors or interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This phenotype appears early in life and leads to impairment in daily functioning; the level of impairment depends on the severity of symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In addition, some individuals with ASD may have accompanying intellectual impairment and language impairment (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals with ASD often present with a very complex neurodevelopmental profile that necessitates skilled diagnosticians to accurately diagnose ASD, and to differentiate between ASD and other diagnoses that may appear similar to ASD. It is important for clinicians to be familiar with ASD assessment even if this is not an area of focus for the clinician; as it is such a common disorder, it is very likely any psychologist working in the field will encounter ASD. These psychologists would benefit from increased exposure to ASD assessments. This dissertation created a curriculum, to be offered through clinical psychology graduate programs, with the goal of increasing diagnostician comfort and accuracy diagnosing ASD using the ADOS-2. A curriculum manual was developed that laid out week by week training for graduate students in clinical psychology. The training curriculum should be used for training on the ADOS-2 as part of a 15-week, three-credit course over the course of a semester. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Self-determination has been identified as a predictor of post-school success for students with disabilities (Test et al., 2009); however, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to experience poorer outcomes than their peers without disabilities in the areas of education, employment, and independent living upon leaving high school (Lipscomb et al., 2017). Providing instruction early in component skills of self-determination, particularly in the areas of self-regulation, problem-solving, and goal-setting and attainment, may offer one solution to this problem for students with ASD (Wehmeyer et al., 2010). The purpose of this study was to conduct a conceptual replication of studies by Cote et al. (2014) and Test and Rusher (2019) to determine the effects of the Self-Determined Learning of Model of Instruction (SDLMI) delivered through technology on the problem-solving ability of four elementary students with ASD. Visual analysis indicated a functional relation between the SDLMI delivered via technology and the knowledge of participants to identify a problem, set a goal, and take action. All participants maintained skills acquired 3 weeks after the intervention. Additionally, participants generalized their ability to set a goal to a novel problem scenario describing their own strengths, interests, and needs. Social significance and recommendations for practice and future research are also discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases every year, so has the literature on early identification and early interventions (EI) that can result in better outcomes for children with ASD. There has been a focus on core deficits that are impaired in ASD and that appear to prevent other areas of development from flourishing, resulting in secondary deficits. Providing intensive early intervention is critical to maximizing outcomes for children with ASD. This study, therefore, delved into identifying early ASD markers. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted. Research has recognized the importance of early ASD identification and the implementation of intervention. A handbook was developed and presented to subject matter experts and field testers for further revision. The final handbook version will be created after expert and field testers provide feedback. The goal of the project and handbook was to bring an awareness of early ASD markers and provide ideas and strategies that can be implemented by teachers or parents to facilitate the development of critical skills. In addition, as parents begin the process of assessment and possible identification of ASD for their child, this handbook will empower parents to get a head start by providing opportunities for learning across different routines in their everyday environment with their child. The author discusses limitations and a plan for dissemination. The handbook is intended to be a tool utilized by teachers who work with preschool-aged children and their families. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The current study is an "ex post facto" nonexperimental design analyzing archival data collected from previous trials of a large-scale longitudinal study conducted by researchers at JFK Partners, Center of Excellence in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in collaboration with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School (Principal Investigator: Susan Hepburn, Ph.D.). Specifically, the study looked at the temperament characteristics of mood, intensity, adaptability, and approach measured within early childhood and how they relate to later maladaptive behavior within a group of elementary age children diagnosed with ASD. Maladaptive behavior is a particularly salient outcome, as it impacts the child and family above and beyond the challenges associated with ASD (Hartley, Sikora, and McCoy, 2008; Hastings et al., 2005; Lecavalier, Leone, & Wiltz 2006). There is an established body of literature exploring how temperament can act as a risk factor that predisposes individuals who are typically developing to a variety of later negative outcomes, including maladaptive behavior (Belsky & Pluess, 2009; Boyce, 2016; Earls & Jung, 1987; Martin, 1994; Rothbart, 2012a; Thomas & Chess, 1977). However, more research is needed to explore temperament characteristics and later maladaptive behavior for children with ASD. A sample of 71 children with ASD met the inclusion criteria within the archival longitudinal dataset. Power analyses indicated that the results were underpowered and thus should be interpreted with caution. Results yielded statistically significant correlations between approach, intensity, and mood with later maladaptive behavior. Further, when controlling for estimated cognitive ability, gender, and maternal education, significant predictive relationships were found between the temperament characteristics of mood, intensity, and approach with later maladaptive behavior. Finally, the combined temperament characteristics yielded significant results when predicting later maladaptive behavior. Notably, the temperament construct of adaptability was not significantly related to or predictive of later maladaptive behavior within the current study. The results highlighted the construct of mood, and related constructs, as particularly salient predictors of later maladaptive behavioral outcomes within children with ASD. Additionally, intensity and approach were predictive of externalizing and internalizing behavior respectively. Looking at the combination of temperament factors may also have important implications regarding later behavioral outcomes with children with ASD. Thus, the results highlight that examining temperament as a risk factor for the development of later maladaptive behavior for children with ASD is an important area of study that requires future inquiry. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study examined the use of a peer-mediated instruction and intervention model (PMI) in combination with priming and the use of a visual activity checklist as a way of supporting the academic engagement and social interactions of secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study employed the use of a multiple-baseline across participants design (Kazdin, 2011) to determine the effects of the multicomponent intervention on the academic engagement and social interactions of students with ASD enrolled in 10th grade, general education settings. Results showed positive outcomes for all three 10th grade students' academic engagement and in social interactions for two of the three participants. This study adds to the literature in supporting the academic engagement of students with ASD by incorporating the use of priming and activity schedules within a PMI model. Findings from this study address the call for multicomponent interventions supporting links between academic and social skills in adolescents with ASD. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]