1. Individual characteristics of students with autism spectrum disorders and school refusal behavior
- Author
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Ellen Kathrine Munkhaugen, Tonje Torske, Elen Gjevik, Are Hugo Pripp, Terje Nærland, and Trond H. Diseth
- Subjects
Male ,030506 rehabilitation ,Adolescent ,Autism Spectrum Disorder ,education ,03 medical and health sciences ,Executive Function ,Intellectual disability ,Developmental and Educational Psychology ,medicine ,Humans ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Child ,Social Behavior ,Depressive symptoms ,Problem Behavior ,Motivation ,Schools ,Depression ,05 social sciences ,medicine.disease ,Autism spectrum disorder ,Case-Control Studies ,Tailored interventions ,School refusal ,Anxiety ,Autism ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,0305 other medical science ,Psychology ,Inclusion (education) ,050104 developmental & child psychology ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
This study compared social, executive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of students with autism spectrum disorder who did and did not display school refusal behavior. The participants were 62 students with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability aged 9–16 years attending inclusive schools. Parents first completed questionnaires assessing social and executive functioning as well as emotional and behavioral problems. They then documented their child’s school refusal behavior for a period of 20 days. Compared to students without school refusal behavior (n = 29), students with school refusal behavior (n = 33) were significantly less socially motivated; displayed more deficits in initiating tasks or activities, in generating ideas, responses, or problem-solving strategies; and displayed more withdrawn and depressive symptoms. Assessing social and executive functioning, as well as emotional problems, may help professionals provide tailored interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder and school refusal behavior, which will further be valuable in recognizing characteristics associated with school refusal behavior.
- Published
- 2017