Clinical Psychology -- Autism Research
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Clinical psychology autism research of Undergraduate Honors Students in the Psychological Sciences at Vanderbilt University.
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Item Comparing Self- and Parent Report: Sensory Features and Language In Autism(Vanderbilt University, 2024) Schnur, Dylan; Wallace, Mark; Vassall, SarahItem Changes in Child Engagement as Parent-Child Dyads Participate in Parent Mediated Music Intervention(Vanderbilt University, 2024-04-25) Song, YunahNaturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) are a promising intervention to support social behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Schreibman et al., 2015). NDBIs can be administered as parent-mediated NDBIs, incorporating the parent into the therapy. Music can also be included because of characteristics such as its predictable nature, to possibly support social interactions among autistic children. Parent-mediated music NDBIs combine NDBI strategies, parent-coaching, and music, but there is a lack of research on this novel intervention (Liu et al., 2021; Nevill et al., 2018). Through this single-case design study, we investigate the impact of Parent-Mediated Music Intervention (PMMI) on four young autistic children by observing changes in the children’s engagement states before and after a 12-week intervention. Parents were informed to record 10 minutes of a play session with their child in a setting and with toys that represent a typical play session. The 10 minute free-play sessions were split into 5 second intervals. Each interval was coded using an engagement scheme adapted from Adamson et al. (2004), Bottema-Beutel et al. (2014), and Ingersoll et al., (2017). Visual analysis, the primary method of this study, found that three out of four children increased in their social engagement and decreased in their object engagement during follow-up compared to baseline. The one child who did not display changes in engagement did exhibit improvements in the quality of social engagement at follow-up compared to baseline. In addition, it was found that an increase in the parents’ usage of NDBI-aligned strategies predicted increases in the children’s social engagement. This study provides promising results for the feasibility of PMMI for both the parents and the children. Future research could determine if the results of this study generalize to a standardized set of toys and compare PMMI to a non-musical intervention to isolate the impact of music on parents and children in intervention settings.Item Examining the Conners 3–Short Form Predictability on Comorbid ADHD Symptomatology in Children that have been Diagnosed with ASD(Vanderbilt University, 2024-03-27) Zheng, Lillian MeimeiWith the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) in 2013, newfound interest grew around the comorbidity of ASD and ADHD. However, the restructuring of both diagnosable descriptors has led to concerns surrounding prevalence rates, deliverable treatments, and identification of comorbid symptomatology. This study focuses on the use of the Conners, Third Edition-Parent Short Form [C3-P(S)]. In the current longitudinal study with 239 participants of typically developing youth (n=102) and youth with ASD (n=137), the C3-P(S) is administered alongside other screening and diagnostic tools. Using the data gathered from the measure alongside their diagnosis of ASD, the study aims to analyze if there is a significant difference between the C3-P(S) subscale scores of the TD and ASD groups. From there, this project serves to make predictions around whether participants present with a profile of co-occurring ADHD symptoms. A second goal is to observe which of the six subscales stands out the most in predicting ADHD comorbid symptomatology in participants who meet the criteria based on the C3-P(S). The results of this study found significant differences among all categories of the C3-P(S) between TD and ASD youth. A larger percentage of ASD children met criteria for ADHD as compared to their TD peers. Additionally, among participants who met screener criteria for ADHD, children with ASD scored significantly higher in the hyperactivity/impulsivity, learning problems, and peer relations subscales. These findings suggest potential predictability of differentiating ASD and ADHD symptomatology using the C3-P(S) if paired with more robust diagnostic tools.Item Cognitive Reactivity and Affect(Vanderbilt University, 2019) Zhang, Yinghao; Cole, DavidCognitive Reactivity (CR), an established diathesis for depression, has been defined as the strength of association between displeasure and dysfunctional attitudes within person. However, displeasure could encompass a variety of distinct types of affect, among which only cognitive reactivity to sadness (CR-SAD) has been studied in prior research. In the current study, college student participants were recruited to validate a new daily diary measure of CR that includes dynamic assessments of CR-SAD, as well as Cognitive Reactivity to Negative Affect (CR-NA) and Cognitive Reactivity to Positive Affect (CR-PA). Three results emerged: (1) the daily diary measure of CR-SAD (CR-SAD-DD) converged with other measures of CR-SAD; (2) CR-SAD-DD was associated with depressive symptoms; (3) naturally occurring NA and PA were found to uniquely contribute to emergence of dysfunctional cognitions over and above sadness. The current study was the first to combine literature in CR and affective structures, and its findings may have profound implications in the diagnosis and treatment of depression and other psychopathologies.Item Comparing the Performance Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening Measures in Toddlers(Vanderbilt University, 2014-05-15) Palmer, Amanda; Warren, ZacharyThe current study represents a preliminary investigation of a new screening measure, the Vanderbilt Scales for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This measure’s psychometric performance in toddlers referred for developmental evaluation (N=159, ages 18-36 months) was compared to the most common screening measure (i.e., the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers [M-CHAT]) and a structured observation of behavior. Results indicated that the Vanderbilt Scales had a lower sensitivity than the M-CHAT, but a higher specificity and positive predictive value. Adding a structured observation of behavior resulted in a higher positive predictive value than when either respective screening measure was used alone. Results highlight the limits of self-report screening measures and the potential value of hybrid screening methodologies utilizing parent report and structured observations.Item Family Perspectives on a Successful Transition to Adulthood for Individuals with Disabilities(2013-10-15) Henninger, Natalie A.; Taylor, Julie LoundsWhen researchers evaluate adult outcomes for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD), the perspective of families is not always considered. Parents of individuals with ID/DD (n=198) answered an online survey about their definition of a successful transition to adulthood. Content analysis was used to describe themes and ideas present in responses. Rather than focusing only on developmental tasks of adulthood, such as living independently, being competitively employed, and maintaining friendships, responses reflected a more varied and dynamic view of success in adulthood, taking into account the fit between the person with ID/DD and his or her environment. As services are developed and implemented for adults with ID/DD, it is important to take into consideration the priorities families place on different aspects of transition success.Item People or Video? What Do Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders Choose?(Vanderbilt University, 2011-02-07) Deisenroth, Lauren K.Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by social, communication and behavioral challenges. This research follows up on reports that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) learn important skills better from a person on video compared to a person who is present and interacts with the child. The purpose of this study with children with ASD and typically developing (TD) controls is to examine visual preferences to two sights: a video of a person and a real person who is present. Children were simultaneously shown a short video of a person singing songs and playing games and an identical “live” presentation by the same person. Previous studies that examined visual preferences did not compare children’s preference for videotaped and live human behavior. This research may have implications both for theory regarding social deficits in autism, and practical applications for early detection and intervention.Item Orientation and affect directed towards social and nonsocial targets in infant siblings of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)(Vanderbilt University, 2007-04) Rabin, AlexaThis study contributes to a growing body of work aimed at documenting and defining behavioral markers associated with early autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its broader phenotype. A total of 19 infants (sib-ASD), who have a sibling diagnosed with ASD were seen at 6.5 months, and 23 infants were seen at 9 months. Sib-ASD infants were matched in age and gender with low-risk infants (sib-TD), who have a typically developing sibling. Infants were simultaneously presented two stimuli, a person’s face (the social stimulus) and a brightly colored toy (the nonsocial stimulus). We found there were no significant differences between at-risk infants and low-risk infants in their responsiveness to and disengagement from the stimuli. However, a significant group difference did appear in the 9 month infants’ time smiling. Sib-TD infants spent more time smiling at the nonsocial as compared to the social stimulus relative to the sib-ASD infants, who showed no preference in time smiling for one stimulus over the other. This unexpected finding contradicted our initial predictions that sib-TD infants would prefer the social stimulus and thus spend more time smiling at the experimenter’s face, while sib-ASD infants would prefer the nonsocial stimulus, and thus spend more time smiling at the toy.Item The Relation Between Family Resources, Child Severity and Parenting Stress in Parents Raising Young Children With Autism(Vanderbilt University, 2010-04) Levine, Gabrielle A.; Stone, Wendy L., 1954-This study examined the extent to which child severity and family resources are related to parenting stress in parents of 26 young children with autism. Bivariate correlations between family resources, autism severity, and parenting stress were conducted. Results revealed a significant negative correlation between parenting stress and family resources. A significant relation was also found between autism severity and child-focused aspects of parenting stress. Severity of autism symptoms was negatively correlated with total family resources. Importance of providing parents with appropriate therapies and supports is discussed.Item The Relation Between Early Joint Attention Responding and Later Theory of Mind in Younger Siblings of Children with Autism(Vanderbilt University, 2009-05) McLean, Laura; Walden, Tedra, 1952-A link between early responding to joint attention (RJA) and later theory of mind (ToM) has been found in typically developing children but has not been examined in children at risk for autism. RJA at age 12 months was compared to ToM at age 60 months in younger siblings of children with ASD (SIBS-ASD) and younger siblings of typically developing children (SIBS-TD). Early RJA was found to be significantly correlated with ToM in SIBS-ASD when receptive language ability was controlled. A significant group difference on ToM between SIBS-ASD and SIBS-TD was also found when controlling for receptive language.Item Younger siblings of children with autism: Cognitive, language, and social skills(Vanderbilt University, 2007-04) Schwartz, Alexa M.; Stone, Wendy L., 1954-Autism has a known genetic linkage shown by increased prevalence of the syndrome in probands. Research has shows that those who do not necessarily fit the clinical diagnosis of autism may display sub-threshold traits, referred to as the broader phenotype of autism. This study looks at younger siblings of children with autism two times over the course of 1.5 years, with entry in the study at 12-23 months. This group is compared to a control group of siblings of typically developing children. 68 children participated in this study (42 male, 27 female) in two groups Sibs-ASD (n=41) and Sibs-TD (n=28). Groups are compared in language, cognitive, social performance and early predictive factors of later diagnosis. Results show that the Sibs-ASD show deficits at Time 1 in cognitive skill and social development, and have worse diagnostic outcomes than Sibs-TD. Within the sibs-ASD group females scored higher than males in the areas of language and cognitive ability. Early predictors of eventual autism spectrum diagnosis were found in lower performance on directing and requesting behaviors, expressive language and social skills.