dc.contributor.author	Peters, Jessica Rogers
dc.coverage.spatial	United States	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2022-07-28T18:24:45Z
dc.date.available	2022-07-28T18:24:45Z
dc.date.issued	2022-07-14
dc.identifier.other	A254F4C1-2553-D295-4E98-70AADD8BDA27	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/5580
dc.description.abstract	There is an increasing awareness among researchers and educators that a significant number of males are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison to females. Recent research has found noted differences related to ASD characteristics associated with females. The differences are particularly noted in females with average to above average intelligence. Multi-informant rating scales, questionnaires, and observations are frequently used within educational settings to aid in the evaluation process of children suspected of having disabilities. Educator knowledge and understanding of phenotypic traits associated with both males and females with ASD is a necessity for proper diagnosis. While some research exists examining the educational experiences and perspectives of females with ASD and their families, there is a paucity of research related to knowledge and understanding of females with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) from the perspective of educators. The current study aimed to identify levels of educator awareness concerning females with HFASD within an elementary school setting with the hope of identifying and providing education if needed, regarding areas of misunderstanding of the female ASD phenotype. Elementary educators (n=53) completed a dichotomous survey. Results of the survey indicated that elementary educators are familiar with phenotypic traits of females with HFASD. Additionally, the educators were divided into three subgroups: general education teachers (n=23), special education teachers (n=12), and support staff (n=18). No statistical differences pertaining to knowledge level among the three subgroups were found. Keywords: autism, educator awareness, females, high-functioning autism	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: INTRODUCTION… 1 -- Chapter II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 7 -- Definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder 7 -- Severity Levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder 7 -- Level Three-Requiring Very Substantial Support 9 -- Level Two-Requiring Substantial Support 9 -- Level One-Requiring Support 10 -- Characteristics of Individuals within Severity Level One 10 -- Phenotypic Differences between Males and Females with ASD Severity Level 11 -- External Behaviors versus Internal Behaviors 11 -- Sensory Symptoms 12 -- Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors 13 -- Social Communication 14 -- Masking/Camouflaging 15 -- Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder 16 -- Normative and Criterion Referenced Formal Assessments 17 -- Primary Instruments 17 -- Additional Assessment/Communication Specific Instruments 18 -- Parent/Caregiver Report Instruments 19 -- Multi-Informant Report Instruments 19 -- Informal Assessments 21 -- Language Sample Analysis 21 -- Self-Assessment 21 -- Assessment of Females with ASD Severity Level One 22 -- Primary Instruments 22 -- Parent/Caregiver Report Instruments 23 -- Multi-Informant Report Instruments 24 -- Future Implications for the Assessment of Females 24 -- Primary Instruments 24 -- Longitudinal Studies 25 -- Rating Scales 25 -- Educator/Clinician Awareness 26 -- Purpose of the Study 27 -- Chapter III: METHODOLOGY… 30 -- Research Design 30 -- Participants 30 -- Recruitment and Informed Consent Procedures 30 -- Participant Criteria 30 -- School Demographics/Description 31 -- Materials 34 -- Statistical Analysis 34 -- Chapter IV: RESULTS 36 -- Demographics 36 -- Results of the Survey… 36 -- Chapter V: DISCUSSION 42 -- Current Research 42 -- Limitations 45 -- Recommendations for Future Research 47 -- Chapter VI: CONCLUSION 49 -- REFERENCES 51 -- APPENDIX A: Institutional Review Board Approval 72 -- APPENDIX B: Local Research Request Form 75 -- APPENDIX C: Educator Awareness Concerning Traits of Females with High- Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Survey 78	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document and derivatives, 102 pages. 763607 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Asperger's syndrome	en_US
dc.subject	Autism	en_US
dc.subject	Dissertations, Academic--United States	en_US
dc.subject	Women	en_US
dc.subject	Girls	en_US
dc.title	Educator Awareness Concerning Traits of Females with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders of the Dewar College of Education and Human Services	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Lamb, Katherine
dc.description.committee	Carter, Matthew
dc.description.committee	Lee, Jeffrey
dc.description.degree	Ph.D.	en_US
dc.description.major	Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology	en_US