Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Steven G. Little

Abstract

Writing is essential to human interaction. When handwriting is illegible, communication may be negatively impacted. A severe deficit in handwriting is known as dysgraphia, a problem frequently associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Video self-modeling (VSM) has been proven effective for children with ASD in the strengthening of social skills, verbalizations, and daily living skills. However, there remains a significant gap in the literature regarding the use of VSM for the treatment of dysgraphia in children with ASD. Because VSM has demonstrated success in the acquisition of many types of skills, it may prove similarly effective for remediating dysgraphia in children with ASD. Utilizing a behavioral perspective, this study seeks to determine if VSM is an effective treatment for improving handwriting legibility and proficiency. This study analyzes secondary data collected by a day treatment center (DTC) specializing in the care of children with ASD. Data indicated that after establishing a baseline level of behavior for writing simple words, the DTC staff administered the VSM treatment and rated the legibility of the participants' responses based on the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) Handwriting Legibility Scale. Raw score differences between baseline and treatment phases were recorded and analyzed. A pretest/ posttest evaluation based on scores obtained from the Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire (HPSQ) and Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire for Children (HPSQ-C) determined changes in handwriting proficiency. Effectively analyzing this data would be an important contribution to the existing literature, and would enhance social change initiatives through strengthening the communication skills of individuals with ASD.

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