EDS 600 Review of The Research
EDS 600 Review of The Research
Gina R. Buonagura
Professor Gaglio
Overview of Autism
individuals. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act defines autism as “a developmental
disability that significantly affects a person’s ability to communicate and use nonverbal cues''
(Grandin, T., 2007). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact
with others, communicate, learn, and behave” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Already, we have two different definitions of what ASD is, although they may have some
commonalities such as it being a neurological disorder. According to the book Childhood Autism
Atypical Autism, and an “autism-like” classification called Asperger Syndrome. The authors
define childhood autism as “the presence of impaired development before the age of three years;
which includes deficits in three areas of reciprocal social interaction, communication, and
restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior” and atypical autism as “atypical development that is
present after three years of age, with a lack of impairment in the three areas required for a
autism, including deficits in reciprocal social interaction and repetitive stereotyped behaviors;
however, a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome does not require deficits in social communication”
(Kendorsi and Fisher, 2018, 4-5). Autism is known to be a “spectrum” disorder because there is a
vast variation in the type and severity of symptoms that people may experience, as we can see
Now that we have some definitions of what Autism is, let’s talk about the causes and
prevalence of the disorder. It seems that since the year 2000, prevalence rates of ASD have “been
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on an increasing trend” (Kendorsi and Fisher, 2018, 6). This could be due to a number of factors,
although “no single cause of autism has been found” (Grandin, 2007). While there is not a
known cause for autism, there are several risk factors that may increase the likelihood of
developing ASD. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, these risk factors include
“having an older sibling with ASD, having older parents, having certain genetic conditions (such
as Down syndrome or Fragile X syndrome), and having a very low birth weight” (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services). In terms of who is more likely to be diagnosed with
ASD, it has been found that “boys are 4.5 times more likely to be diagnosed than girls, and white
children are more likely to be diagnosed than African American and Hispanic children”
(Kendorsi and Fisher, 2018, 6). While the reasons for the increase in the prevalence of ASD are
unclear, there are several hypotheses. These include “an increase in awareness, more specific
diagnostic criteria, or a true increase in ASD… policies for screening during pediatric well visits,
as well as changes in risk factors such as parental age, maternal obesity, and in vitro fertilization”
(Kendorsi and Fisher, 2018, 7). It should also be noted that ASD tends to be comorbid with other
disorders, but most commonly is comorbid with intellectual disability. The other most common
disorders that can co-occur with ASD include social anxiety disorder, attention deficit
according to The Puzzle of Autism, include “problems with processing and expressing language”,
as well as “difficulties with social interaction, communication, and academic work.” There are
also early indicators for children that may have autism, such as “lack of eye contact”, “lack of
attention to the same item or topic that another person is focusing on when interacting with that
2007).
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Characteristics of Autism
Autism spectrum disorder has a variety of characteristics. These characteristics are found
in the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V-TR). The DSM-V-TR is used by psychiatrists and
psychologists and is their “most important resource for diagnosing mental health and
brain-related conditions.” This is because it provides clear, detailed definitions for a variety of
mental health and brain-related conditions, along with details and examples of signs and
symptoms for those conditions (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). Some of the
characteristics of ASD are difficulties with social interaction, problems with processing and
expressing language, and difficulties with communications. Now that we have identified some
One characteristic of autism is difficulties with social interaction. “Difference and delay
in social development is at the absolute core of ASD” (Towle, 2013, 59). Soon after they are
born, a child’s social life usually begins with their parents or caregivers, since a behavior like
crying may result in them being picked up, rocked, and cuddled. Children’s social skills continue
to develop as they grow. Towle went on to say that children on the spectrum might have typical
development during their first year but start to lose them, and some children show deficits in
their development from the time they are born. In regards to social engagement and interest,
children with ASD “are known to go off on their own and pursue their own interests,” making it
important to keep an eye on how often a child spends more time alone than paying with other
children (Towle, 2013, 61). These children also may have atypical sensory interests or repetitive
behaviors that they devote their attention to. One of the most-well known symptoms of autism is
the lack of eye contact, which can be overstimulating for them. Another aspect of social
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interaction that is missing in children with ASD is the initiation of the interaction. These children
often do not approach their peers or ask to join in a game. They are also unlikely to respond to
those who try to initiate conversation, such as a parent or teacher calling out their name. Autistic
children are missing some of the key aspects for imitating others, like paying attention to watch
what they do and the motivation to want to imitate them. Finally, children with autism lack the
ability to take turns, which is due to them not understanding “the pacing and timing of it to the
Another characteristic that could be a potential sign of autism is a deficit or problem with
processing and expressing language. A study was done that analyzed whether there were
commonalities in formal language profiles for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and
Specific Language Impairment (SLI). This study had a sample size of 20 students each, of
similar ages and IQ, and they were divided into three groups: ASD, SLI, and Control. According
to this study, “Formal language impairment does not constitute a core symptom for diagnosis, but
a broad set of linguistic difficulties may be manifested in individuals with ASD, ranging from the
pragmatic components thereof” (Ramírez-Santana, et al., 2019). It goes on to say that some of
the similarities and differences between SLI and ASD have been found, making it clear that there
is overlap but each disability also has their own respective symptoms and diagnostic criteria. As
stated earlier, there were 60 participants total, and they were all enrolled in schools in the Island
of Tenerife, which is in Spain. Each of the autistic children in the study had received a formal
considered to be higher-functioning. This is important to note because the results of this study
might not apply to those who are lower on the spectrum. The test used in the study was the
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CELF-4 standardized test, which assesses language with scales for Spanish speakers in the
United States. The participants in the study completed the standardized test, which assessed
several variables of language, including receptive language, expressive language, concepts and
directions, and word associations. According to the results, “there are no significant differences
between the SLI and ASD groups, with effect sizes of practically zero, meaning that the first
hypothesis formulated in the present study could be rejected” (Ramírez-Santana, et al., 2019). In
the discussion section of this journal, we discover that “a sizable subgroup of children with ASD
also have additional difficulties with formal aspects of language, similar to those observed in
profiles of children with SLI: phonological difficulties, moderate vocabulary problems, and more
al., 2019).The hypotheses the researchers had at the beginning of the study could not be
confirmed at the end of the study. Finally, there were some limitations to this study. These
included “the possible heterogeneity of both groups has not been considered,” “as it was a
cross-sectional study, the evolution of the subjects of the sample is not shown,” and “the sample
is made up of only male children, therefore gender differences are not studied”
(Ramírez-Santana, et al., 2019). This study gave us some insight to the way that children with
autism may struggle with language, but it is important to remember that all children may present
these signs of deficits in language in a different way, and no two should be compared.
A third characteristic of children with ASD is difficulties with communication. Like the
other characteristics, difficulties with communication will be prominent by the time they are 3
years old. These deficits in communication might “create difficulties in conversing with others,
and the condition makes learning to communicate a greater challenge” (Llaneza, et al., 2010, 2).
The four diagnostic criteria that need to be be met in order to receive a diagnosis of autism
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spectrum disorder are: “reciprocal social actions are uniformly abnormal in some way; language
restrictive behaviors, and special interests; diagnosis only occurs if behaviors are not better
accounted for by Rett Disorder or another Childhood Disintegrative Disorder” (Llaneza, et al.,
2010, 2-3). Did you know that about a third to half of people with ASD “do not develop enough
natural speech to meet their daily needs” (Llaneza, et al., 2010, 3). Individuals with
high-functioning autism might have less difficulties with language and a higher IQ, but they are
also less likely to be receptive to non-verbal cues or use emotional features in speech. Those that
work with the higher-functioning autistic individuals are able to see “consistent ‘autistic’
personalities” among these individuals. This includes the “‘aloof’ personality, wherein the child
avoids physical contact and eye contact… the ‘passive’ personality, in which the individual does
not avoid physical contact, but does not initiate interaction with others… the ‘Socially Extremely
Awkward Person,’ is less common, and described as an individual who initiates interactions with
others, but is often socially awkward resulting in others reacting inappropriately” (Llaneza, et al.,
2010, 4). One thing that children with autism struggle with is called the theory of mind, which is
when they can understand what others are thinking. Because they are unable to understand how
others feel, they may face obstacles such as “problems understanding and appreciating the
thoughts and feelings of others, determining the intention of others, and understanding how one’s
own behavior impacts others” (Llaneza, et al., 2010, 5).This is an essential part in managing
communication with others, and their lack of theory of mind can prevent them from
communicating effectively. There are ways to promote communication skills in children with
ASD. Role-playing and stimulation to provide these children with opportunities to work on
improving their communication skills and play with others cooperatively. When it comes to
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low-functioning children with autism, augmentative communication systems are used to teach
core communication skills. These devices are also used in the classroom. There might be some
genetic factors that could lead to a child having ASD, with “early studies of monozygotic twins
estimated the heritability of ASD to be more than 90% of the variance between ASD and
non-ASD individuals is due to genetic effects (Llaneza, et al., 2010, 8). Although science has
advanced drastically since autism has been considered a diagnosis, research has not been able to
find a gene that can be found in a large number of individuals with autism.
Autism spectrum disorder has a variety of signs, symptoms, and characteristics that can
vary in severity from person to person. In this section, we learned about three of these
characteristics: difficulties with social interaction, problems with processing and expressing
language, and difficulties with communications. Now that we have a better understanding of
what these characteristics look like in children with autism, we can use it to be mindful and
observant of children that we think should be referred for a diagnosis. As parents, caregivers, and
educators, we can use this information to help us gather evidence of a potential diagnosis of
autism. After gathering this information, the child could be brought in for a consultation with a
board-certified psychiatrist. With that in mind, just because children might present with these
characteristics, it might not result in a diagnosis of autism. To help build their social interaction,
language, and communication skills, autistic children should be given interventions and tools that
will help them. These include role-playing, stimulation, and augmentative communication
systems. We need to be able to do better with helping these children interact with their peers and
A diagnosis of autism does not only impact the child who is diagnosed, but also on the
family members of that family. There have been several studies done to determine the impacts a
diagnosis of autism on family members. The results of the studies unveiled the impacts through
interviews of various family members, such as parents and siblings. In this section, I will be
sharing the results of three different studies that were conducted to determine the impact on
families.
on families and theories that could help to strengthen the family unit. The conceptual framework
for this paper included the description of three theories- empowerment perspective, strengths
perspective, and family systems theory- since they applied to her research. In simple terms: the
empowerment perspective aims to empower families who are impacted by a diagnosis of autism
spectrum disorder; the strengths perspective is geared more toward the autistic individuals
strengths rather than their deficiencies, and family systems theory shifts the focus from a single
perspective to a family systems perspective. The research for this paper was done qualitatively
through the use of narrative interviews. There were 8 participants in this study, four parents and
four siblings of a child with autism, chosen using convenience sampling. As an incentive for
those participating in the study, a $10 Target gift card was provided to each person. There are no
names used in this paper, protecting the confidentiality of the participants. The data was
collected in a semi structured interview of ten questions. Each participant chose the location of
their interview. There were limitations with this process: the researcher has a sibling with autism,
there was a limited number of questions asked, and the small size of the study does not represent
generalization to the larger population. When participants were asked how their sibling’s autism
affected their relationship with their parents, they had a similar answer. They said that they
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“never felt ignored or neglected as a result of their siblings’ autism diagnosis” (Hartmann, A. L.,
2012, 33-34). In terms of siblings' feelings about an autism diagnosis, each reported that it might
have been a little difficult in the beginning, they found ways to connect and develop the
relationship on their own. As far as the participants who are parents of an autistic child, their
initial emotions about the diagnosis ranged from feeling relieved to more negative feelings. All
of the parent participants responded that they have learned patience from raising their child. A
diagnosis of autism has been found to lead to life changes, as well as affect other familial
relationships. Support systems help parents to cope and deal with the stressors of having a child
with autism. The findings in this study contradict current literature when it comes to siblings
feeling embarrassed and being ignored by parents when having a sibling with autism. Each
participant reported no feelings of embarrassment and that they thought their parents were doing
an excellent job dividing their time between the siblings. Supporting the current literature, this
study found that grandparents are an important support system and are always around to help.
There has been an increasing number of children being diagnosed with autism at an
earlier age in recent years. With the new diagnoses, there is little known about what types of
support these families receive. A study was conducted with these objectives in mind: “to
describe the demographic characteristics of preschoolers and their families; to discover parental
perceptions of the child’s difficulties; to identify the impact the child has on family life; to
outline the supports available to families and those they would like to have” (Cassidy, A., et al.,
2008, 116). The participants were 104 self-selected parents with a child under five at the time of
the interview, and each had been diagnosed recently at two community-based specialist clinics.
Of these families, 4 informants were fathers, 26 had both parents present, and 74 had the mother
as the only informant. Each parent was interviewed for 90 minutes in their homes, having to
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answer a mix of open and closed questions. There were also three scales used with some or all
participants: the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale, the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, and the
Questionnaire on Resources and Stress (QRS-F). Out of the 104 children with autism, 95 were
boys and 9 were girls. The most commonly mentioned difficulties were language (88; 85%), play
(77; 74%), and relating to others (74; 71%). Other difficulties mentioned were unusual interest in
toys/objects (64; 62%), unusual response to new things (64; 62%), adaptation to change (61;
59%), difficulty in imitating (46; 45%), unpleasant (43; 41%), and fear/nervousness (40; 39%)
(Cassidy, A., et al., 2008, 120). There were many problems that the participants indicated having
the most difficulty dealing with, including speech and communication, temper tantrums,
aggressive behaviors, non-compliance, need for routine, and lack of social interaction. When
asked about restrictions they experienced on socializing with their child, their responses were
that “29% they felt they could not enjoy outings together as a family; 27% could not take the
child to other people’s homes; 23% were not able to leave the child with a child under/babysitter
and 17% could not go shopping with the child” (Cassidy, A., et al., 2008, 121). Parents reported
that the support they received came from their family (61%), friends (32%), neighbors (12%) and
church members (6.6%), or none at all (33%). Finally, when they were asked about the
placement they want for their children, 72% wanted a mainstream placement with a learning
support assistant, 17% mentioned a special school, 6% said a special class within a mainstream
In a qualitative study of mothers’ perspectives, we gain some more insight on the impacts
of autism spectrum disorders on the families. The current rise in autism diagnoses each year is
predicted to be at about 36,500 each year. Since this increase is going to be affecting more
families, it is essential to understand the impacts of having children with autism on the family.
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The family’s function is likely going to be affected with all the challenges of dealing with the
child with ASD’s symptoms and their severity. Some common autism related family challenges
include “a sense of loss and depression, decreased opportunities for family vacations and fun
outings, changes in relationships resulting in loss of support, and personal and professional
sacrifices” (Nealy, C. E., et al., 2012, 188). The participants in this study were a convenience
sample of eight women who self-identify as mothers of children with ASD. They were all
English speakers, and did not include mothers of more than one child with a disability.
Information was gathered using family information forms and multiple response questions about
service utilization. After completing these forms and questions, each woman completed
semi-structured interviews in their home, each lasting from 20 to 45 minutes. The most
commonly reported interventions for the children included “school-based special education
occupational therapy, medication, and supplements'' (Nealy, C. E., et al., 2012, 192).
Additionally, four major themes- emotional impact, familial relationships impact, social impact,
and financial support- and three subthemes- stress, worry, and guilt- were identified. These
findings are consistent with the current literature that focuses on the impact of an autism
diagnosis on families.
There are several implications of the research studies discussed in this section. With the
increase of autism diagnoses in recent years, there needs to be more research done with a larger
number of participants, which would make the results more generalizable. Another area of
research that should be taken into consideration for future studies is future living arrangements
for children with autism. Would the parents of this child want them institutionalized? Would a
sibling or other family member take the child in if something were to happen to the parents? It
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would be beneficial to offer services to children with autism that are family-oriented and can
offer support to those children and their families. When children are being treated by service
providers, it is important to consider offering the parents and families some support as well.
They might be dealing with several emotions regarding their child/sibling’s diagnosis. There are
informal social supports that can lead to positive coping strategies for parents, such as learning
about autism and meeting other families impacted by ASD. Since autism can lead to financial
problems, there should be more research conducted to determine which resources and
Effectiveness of Interventions
as well. With the new information, we are able to fine tune or come up with interventions that
will benefit a child with an autism diagnosis. There are processes to go through before deciding
which intervention would be best suited for each child. Some interventions are scientific-based
and validated, while others are not yet backed by scientific evidence. How do we know which
interventions to consider and use to help children with a diagnosis of autism? The results from
When considering interventions for children with a diagnosis of ASD, it should be taken
into account whether it has been proven to be effective. Interventions can only be validated by
conducting scientifically based research. It is important to note that there has been “a lack of
consensus on how to identify and evaluate scientifically valid and effective interventions”
(Lingren & Doobay, 2011, 9). There are several basic principles of effective ASD interventions,
including beginning intervention services before a definitive diagnosis if autism is being heavily
the child’s progress toward their educational goals. In this analysis of interventions, each
treatment was placed into one of four categories: significant scientific evidence, promising or
emerging scientific evidence, limited scientific evidence, and not recommended. Of the
interventions studied, there were several that were supported by significant scientific evidence,
including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Discrete Trial Training (DTT), Functional
Interventions. There are also several interventions that have been used in combination with these,
communication system (PECS), modeling, and visual support. This study also identified a few
known as floor time), play therapy, and supportive therapies (such as art therapy or pet/animal
therapy). Some of the interventions that have a limited amount of scientific evidence to back
them up include sensory integration (SI), auditory integration training (ATT), nutritional
supplements, gluten- and casein-free diet, and facilitated communication (FC). Finally, the
research done in this study showed that interventions like holding therapy, secretin, and chelation
for neurotoxicity are not recommended for use with autistic individuals.
Over the past couple of decades, there have been a plethora of therapies and interventions
being introduced to potentially help those with ASD improve their symptoms. In this next
research study, the studies were chosen based on if they were randomized controlled trials
(RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), or observational analytical studies. The results were
summarized descriptively and evidence tables were created. There were 101 studies included in
the review. In the summary of their findings, it can be seen that the effectiveness of discrete trial
learning was inconsistent across studies. There is limited and inconclusive evidence that discrete
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trial learning may be beneficial in helping with communication and social interaction. In regards
to developmental interventions, there were positive outcomes reported with milieu therapy and
programs, such as lego therapy, have been reported to produce improvements in social skills and
autism symptoms. Social skills development interventions, especially Social Stories, had
significant results with social interaction in the short term. The researchers' review of current
literature on the effects of interventions for ASD was contradicting across the studies. Each of
the interventions that were looked at in this research have little or inconsistent results across
studies.
Individuals with ASD might have symptoms that prevent them from learning effectively.
Social skills are an important aspect of a child’s life, and those with autism tend to have
difficulty with communication and social interaction. There are Social Skills Development
Programs that are aimed to teach these children social skills that might be missed in school. “The
primary focus of Social Skills Development Programs is to help children with ASD develop
skills, develop relationships with peers, play cooperatively, mediate conflict, develop self
regulation skills, and problem-solve” (Llaneza, et al., 2010, 5). The sessions are extremely
structured, with an assessment to start and progress reports to follow. These programs also
Social skills lessons are differentiated based on the age group they are being implemented for,
ensuring that they are not too complicated or too simple for those with ASD. As we have seen,
Communication System (PECS), can be used in school. With PECS, “picture symbols are used to
represent items that the student wants and the student is taught to request them” (Llaneza, et al.,
Now that we have some more information about what interventions are available, we can
use these studies to determine if they should be used or not. Since each child experiences
different symptoms and various severity, it’s possible that more than one intervention will be
used to benefit the child. To ensure that they are working, the interventions should be evaluated
on a regular basis and, if necessary adjusted. A limitation to be considered for future studies is
the classification criteria for the interventions. If the criteria is looking for something specific, it
could overlook interventions that don’t fit the criteria but could benefit a child with autism. Any
intervention approach can be researched and could show that children with autism are showing
signs of progress. It is still important to make sure that any intervention that is being considered
Conclusion
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that has been
increasing in diagnoses in more recent years. This diagnosis is not one to be taken lightly, and
proper care must be given to children with autism. With this information, we are able to do a few
things. First, we can use the studies to identify symptoms of autism and refer children to a
psychiatrist for a consultation. If the consult leads to a diagnosis of autism, there are several steps
that we can now take. The first thing that can be done is finding an intervention or cohort of
interventions that will help these children improve some of the skills they are experiencing
deficits in. These interventions should have some evidence of effectiveness in treating children
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with ASD. The next thing that we can do is to research the intervention in question. With this
research, we should be able to determine whether it has been proven to effectively improve the
deficits in areas like communication and social skills. Finally, with the information we have at
our fingertips, we need to focus on providing support to the families of children with a diagnosis
of autism. The stress and emotional nature of having a child with autism in the family can be a
lot to handle by yourself. Sometimes, the diagnosis can cause a rift between family members and
the support they are given begins to decrease. To help negate this from happening, these families
should be provided with opportunities to seek professional help and talk to other families who
are experiencing similar situations. These supports can make all the difference for a family with
an autistic child.
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