Hello everyone!
I apologize for the late update! Last week, I was able to witness a few minor changes in the protocol. Because this is a pilot study, we are able to change certain aspects of the protocol depending on their apparent effectiveness. At the end of the study, we are hoping to develop a protocol that will be useful in future studies. Although the changes we made last week weren't huge, I could see that they did make a difference during each session. For instance, some of the activities that the kids are told to complete were made more difficult to prevent boredom. As far as I could tell, this was effective with most children, and they seemed to appreciate the new challenges that the changes brought forth. In addition, the coding sheet that I use to collect data and make observations was also changed a bit. The coding sheet lists certain behaviors that I might observe, and I count the number of times I see every behavior during each session. To make this sheet more useful, certain categories were removed, because I was not observing these behaviors as often as expected. Similarly, other categories were added because I was observing certain behaviors more often than we expected. These changes have been very helpful so far, and I am sure that the protocol will change even more throughout the next few weeks.
Outside of my internship, I have recently been reading up on some of the suggested causes of ASD. As expected, there is a lot of debate regarding the matter. However, the general consensus seems to be that ASD is caused by a mix of certain genetic and environmental factors. Studies show that there are higher rates of autism in siblings of affected children, which suggests that there is a genetic component to autism. Even so, most people agree that there are multiple genes involved in ASD, so it is difficult to pinpoint the specific genes that might cause this disorder. [1] On the other hand, some people believe that the environment plays a bigger role in causing ASD. For instance, Dr. Robert Melillo believes that the rising incidence of autism is due to changes in the environment. He believes that some type of environmental trigger is causing higher rates of this disorder, and researchers like him are currently searching for ways to prevent these environmental causes. [2] After reading about these differing opinions, it is evident to me that there is no clear cause for autism. People lean in both directions, whether it is the argument for genetic causes or environmental causes, but there is no agreement on which of these is "more correct."
That's all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!
Swati :)
[1] Volkmar, F., Siegal, M., Woodbury-Smith, M., King, B., McCracken, J., & State, M. "Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 53.2 (2014): 237-257. Print.
[2] Melillo, Robert. Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders--and What Parents Can Do Now. New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.
I apologize for the late update! Last week, I was able to witness a few minor changes in the protocol. Because this is a pilot study, we are able to change certain aspects of the protocol depending on their apparent effectiveness. At the end of the study, we are hoping to develop a protocol that will be useful in future studies. Although the changes we made last week weren't huge, I could see that they did make a difference during each session. For instance, some of the activities that the kids are told to complete were made more difficult to prevent boredom. As far as I could tell, this was effective with most children, and they seemed to appreciate the new challenges that the changes brought forth. In addition, the coding sheet that I use to collect data and make observations was also changed a bit. The coding sheet lists certain behaviors that I might observe, and I count the number of times I see every behavior during each session. To make this sheet more useful, certain categories were removed, because I was not observing these behaviors as often as expected. Similarly, other categories were added because I was observing certain behaviors more often than we expected. These changes have been very helpful so far, and I am sure that the protocol will change even more throughout the next few weeks.
Outside of my internship, I have recently been reading up on some of the suggested causes of ASD. As expected, there is a lot of debate regarding the matter. However, the general consensus seems to be that ASD is caused by a mix of certain genetic and environmental factors. Studies show that there are higher rates of autism in siblings of affected children, which suggests that there is a genetic component to autism. Even so, most people agree that there are multiple genes involved in ASD, so it is difficult to pinpoint the specific genes that might cause this disorder. [1] On the other hand, some people believe that the environment plays a bigger role in causing ASD. For instance, Dr. Robert Melillo believes that the rising incidence of autism is due to changes in the environment. He believes that some type of environmental trigger is causing higher rates of this disorder, and researchers like him are currently searching for ways to prevent these environmental causes. [2] After reading about these differing opinions, it is evident to me that there is no clear cause for autism. People lean in both directions, whether it is the argument for genetic causes or environmental causes, but there is no agreement on which of these is "more correct."
That's all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!
Swati :)
[1] Volkmar, F., Siegal, M., Woodbury-Smith, M., King, B., McCracken, J., & State, M. "Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 53.2 (2014): 237-257. Print.
[2] Melillo, Robert. Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders--and What Parents Can Do Now. New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.
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