自闭症儿童依恋及其与功能领域关系的研究

以中国大陆16个特殊儿童康复机构的278名自闭症儿童作为研究对象,通过问卷法探讨自闭症儿童的依恋及其与功能领域的关系。结果发现:(1)自闭症儿童依恋总体水平偏低;(2)自闭症儿童依恋与各个功能领域的发展有着极为紧密的联系;(3)影响自闭症儿童总体依恋发展水平的因素是儿童自身的障碍程度,具体取决于交往、认知、感觉、生活自理等功能领域的发展情况。     

消化性溃疡发病机理和治疗新理念

消化性溃疡的发病机理十分复杂,自从发现幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacterpylori,下称Hp)以来,人们对Hp发病机理的认识和治疗策略上都发生了根本性变化,为了阐明消化性溃疡的发病机理和治疗新理念,本文从以下几个问题进行讨论:(1)"溃疡愈合"和"溃疡治愈"与溃疡愈合质量关系;(2)Hp发现是消化性溃疡病因学和治疗学上的一场革命,根除Hp才能降低或预防溃疡复发;(3)保护胃及十二指肠黏膜屏障是治疗消化性溃疡最基本的手段;(4)消化性溃疡治疗新策略应该是:保护胃黏膜;抑制胃酸;根除Hp。希望对读者在对消化性溃疡发病机理的认识和治疗原则上有所指导。     

ACQUISITION OF EXPRESSIVE SIGNING BY AUTISTIC CHILDREN: AN EVALUATION OF THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF SIMULTANEOUS COMMUNICATION AND SIGN-ALONE TRAINING

Two methods of training autistic children to use manual signs were compared. Two children, one mute and one capable of some verbal imitation, were taught to use signs as expressive labels for pictures of objects. Using an alternating treatments design, speed of sign acquisition was compared across two training conditions in which signs were presented either accompanied by, or without, the corresponding verbal label. In both conditions, the training procedure incorporated reinforcement, modeling, prompting, fading, and stimulus rotation. The efficacy of training in both treatment conditions was demonstrated by the use of a multiple baseline control across signs, but no clear differences in acquisition speed across conditions were apparent. Posttests conducted to assess stimulus control of signing, and learning of verbal labels when these were present in training, showed that the behavior of the imitative, but not the mute, child was controlled by the verbal stimuli. The implications of the results both for understanding deficits characteristic of autistic children and for developing appropriate language training procedures are discussed.     

SENSORY EXTINCTION AND SENSORY REINFORCEMENT PRINCIPLES FOR PROGRAMMING MULTIPLE ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE

The role of sensory reinforcement was examined in programming multiple treatment gains in self-stimulation and spontaneous play for developmentally disabled children. Two phases were planned. First, we attempted to identify reinforcers maintaining self-stimulation. Sensory Extinction procedures were implemented in which auditory, proprioceptive, or visual sensory consequences of self-stimulatory behavior were systematically removed and reintroduced in a reversal design. When self-stimulation was decreased or eliminated as a result of removing one of these sensory consequences, the functional sensory consequence was designated as a child's preferred sensory reinforcer. In Phase 2, we assessed whether children would play selectively with toys producing the preferred kind of sensory stimulation. The results showed the following. (1) Self-stimulatory behavior was found to be maintained by sensory reinforcement. When the sensory reinforcer was removed, self-stimulation extinguished. (2) The sensory reinforcers identified for self-stimulatory behavior also served as reinforcers for new, appropriate toy play. (3) The multiple treatment gains observed appeared to be relatively durable in the absence of external reinforcers for play or restraints on self-stimulation. These results illustrate one instance in which multiple behavior change may be programmed in a predictable, lawful fashion by using “natural communities of sensory reinforcement.”     

GENERALIZATION BY AUTISTIC-TYPE CHILDREN OF VERBAL RESPONSES ACROSS SETTINGS

Generalization of verbal behavior by autistic-type children across physically different settings was assessed. Four boys learned responses to common questions in two settings at school and were probed to determine transfer of learning to home. Three of the children demonstrated little generalization to home when trained in a cubicle. Greater generalization was indicated when they received training at varied locations. The fourth child generalized most responses to his home regardless of training setting. Simple manipulations of the school environment to more closely simulate home conditions may facilitate transfer of training to the natural environment.     

NORMAL PEER MODELS AND AUTISTIC CHILDREN'S LEARNING

Present research and legislation regarding mainstreaming autistic children into normal classrooms have raised the importance of studying whether autistic children can benefit from observing normal peer models. The present investigation systematically assessed whether autistic children's learning of discrimination tasks could be improved if they observed normal children perform the tasks correctly. In the context of a multiple baseline design, four autistic children worked on five discrimination tasks that their teachers reported were posing difficulty. Throughout the baseline condition the children evidenced very low levels of correct responding on all five tasks. In the subsequent treatment condition, when normal peers modeled correct responses, the autistic children's correct responding increased dramatically. In each case, the peer modeling procedure produced rapid achievement of the acquisition criterion which was maintained after the peer models were removed. These results are discussed in relation to issues concerning observational learning and in relation to the implications for mainstreaming autistic children into normal classrooms.     

A service learning based intervention to change attitudes toward obese individuals in kinesiology pre-professionals

The purpose of this study was to conduct an intervention to change attitudes toward obese individuals. Ninety-five Kinesiology undergraduates conducted a FITNESSGRAM service-learning project with school-aged children. They completed anti-fat attitude test (AFAT) and explicit attitude assessments before and after the intervention. The results indicated participants had anti-fat bias toward obese individuals on the lazy/motivated scale, but not on the other four scales on pre measurements. Their anti-fat attitudes concerning whether people are responsible for their weight were significantly reduced through the intervention. Five themes emerged from the undergraduates’ reflective papers that support the efficacy of the intervention: Healthy lifestyle—an individual choice, barriers to physical activity, multi-factorial nature of obesity, and promotion of physical activity through information and encouragement. The findings partially support experiential learning as a potential mechanism to reduce individuals’ anti-fat attitudes.

FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF LIFE-THREATENING DRUG INGESTION IN A DUALLY DIAGNOSED YOUTH

Few data exist on operant mechanisms associated with drug overdose. In this investigation, a functional analysis indicated that life-threatening drug ingestion exhibited by a dually diagnosed youth was maintained by negative reinforcement. An operant intervention, derived from behavioral assessment data, reduced drug ingestion to near-zero levels.     

TEACHING FUNCTIONAL COMMUNITY SKILLS TO AUTISTIC CHILDREN USING NONHANDICAPPED PEER TUTORS

In this study, two autistic children were paired with normal peers who, after pretraining sessions, taught community skills to the autistic children. Data were collected during three conditions: baseline, modeling, and peer tutoring. Results demonstrated that no identified skills were acquired during the baseline and modeling conditions. However, direct instruction of each child by a peer tutor resulted in the learning and maintenance of functional community skills.     

PROMOTING AUTISTIC CHILDREN'S PEER INTERACTION IN AN INTEGRATED EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTING USING AFFECTION ACTIVITIES

Group affection activities were used to increase the interaction of three autistic children with their nonhandicapped peers in an integrated early childhood setting. Peer interaction increased during free play when the affection activities were conducted, but not when similar activities without the affection component were used. This interaction included initiations by both the autistic and nonhandicapped children, with reciprocal interactions occurring more frequently with nonhandicapped peers who had participated in the affection activities.