Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Asperger's syndrome; School psychologists -- Iowa; Iowa;
Abstract
The diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder (AsD) is a relatively recent possibility. Although first described in 1944, AsD was not recognized until its inclusion in the Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1994. Due to the newness of the disorder and because of a lack of a consensual definition, there is considerable confusion among researchers in this field. For those children with characteristics of AsD, the confusion has resulted in misdiagnosis and, more importantly, inappropriate interventions. Individuals with AsD have deficits in several areas that impair their ability to function normally in the educational environment, as well as in every day life. Impairments in reciprocal social interaction and play especially influence success and enjoyment at school. In addition, both verbal and non-verbal social communication deficits result in inappropriate behaviors such as excessive bluntness or coldness toward peers and a lack of awareness of non-verbal feedback. There is currently a lack of research in the area of interventions and treatments for children with AsD, leaving practitioners "on their own" when intervening. In this study, Iowa school psychologists were asked to select interventions to assist a student with AsD. Survey data were analyzed finding that: school psychologists recommended the same interventions for children diagnosed with AsD as for children not diagnosed with AsD, school psychologists perceived parents and teachers would be most likely to support a different intervention than school psychologists would recommend 42% of the time, school psychologists reported that time constraints and the need for additional training or education for teachers and parents were the main reasons for the perceived differences in intervention selection, and school psychologists who rated themselves as "high skilled" were more likely to recommend an intervention that was not included on the survey.
Year of Submission
2000
Degree Name
Specialist in Education
Department
Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations
First Advisor
Annette M. Iverson
Date Original
2000
Object Description
1 PDF file (135 leaves)
Copyright
©2000 Tracy Lynn Gappa
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Gappa, Tracy Lynn, "Intervention Selection For Students With Asperger'S Disorder" (2000). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1123.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1123
Comments
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