Academic thesis
Found 2 listings
Autism, PDA presentations and Theory of Mind
The Relationship between Theory of Mind and Traits Associated with Autism Spectrum Condition and Pathological Demand Avoidance Presentations
UCL Doctorate Thesis in Clinical Psychology by Ellie Bishop
Extracts from the Impact Statement:
The overall aim of this thesis was to contribute to an understanding of the relationship between theory of mind (ToM), and traits and behaviour in children with and without autism spectrum condition (ASC)….
The literature review found that better ToM capacity relates to lower levels of aggressive behaviour in childhood, especially in children under the age of six…
The empirical study found lower parent-reported ToM in children with ASC compared to controls, and that better ToM significantly predicted lower rates of social and communication impairments in ASC…
The empirical paper also studied pathological demand avoidance (PDA) traits in ASC. PDA traits in ASC are not well understood, but have been associated with increased rates of behavioural difficulty, parental stress and educational exclusion. There was no relationship between these traits and ToM. This suggests the mechanisms underlying these behaviours may differ to those implicated with core traits in ASC and stresses the need for professionals to develop distinct behavioural management and support strategies to manage these. In addition, the paper reveals much-needed insight [...]
Emotion Regulation and Executive Function
Emotion Regulation and Executive Function in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Pathological Demand Avoidance Traits
UCL Doctorate Thesis in Clinical Psychology by Anna Goodson
Extracts from impact Statement
The overarching aim of this research was to contribute to current understanding of cognitive processes and behaviours relevant to young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)...
A literature review investigated self- and parent-reported Emotion Regulation (ER) in children and young people with ASD. Overall, ER appeared to be impaired in young people with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) children...
The empirical study was the first to investigate the relationship between parent- reported Executive Function (EF) and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) behaviours in children with ASD. Overall, children with ASD and PDA traits appeared to have more EF deficits than non-ASD children, suggesting that difficulties with EF should be considered when offering support to children and families. ...when assessing non-compliance behaviour, it could be useful for clinicians to consider firstly what the demand is, and then which EF skills are needed.
This study raised awareness of some of the difficulties that children with ASD and PDA traits face, and the need for the development of more helpful support strategies...
Author: Anna Goodson
Published: University College London, 2018
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