REHABILITATION OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING IN AN AUTISTIC CHILD: A CASE STUDY
Journal Title: Acta Neuropsychologica - Year 2009, Vol 7, Issue 1
Abstract
[b]Background:[/b]Executive functions disorders in autistic persons have been reported in a number of studies. The most pronounced symptom is an inability to shift the course of action, which leads to a reluctance to allow any changes in the environment. Yet it is possible to teach an autistic person to perform actions in accordance with learned schemata, at least at the elementary level.[b]Materiał/Methods:[/b]The rehabilitation of a patient treated in our clinics is presented in the paper, against the background of a complex project including the examination and therapy of 25 children. The therapeutic procedure was aimed at developing the skills important for executive functioning.[b]Results:[/b]An approach consisting of three stages of therapy was applied: creating, realizing, and controlling an action schema. In consequence, considerable modification of the boy's behavior was attained, which resulted in better social functioning. He also began cooperating with others, though in a limited range. His drawings suggest improved reasoning abilities.[b]Conclusions:[/b]The approach presented in this paper shows that it is possible to modify the behavior of an autistic child, and to develop the skills that are important for self-control and for executive functions in generał. The development of executive functions results in better ability to interact with significant others, despite the fact that the child's behavior remains rigid and ritualized.
Authors and Affiliations
Katarzyna Markiewicz, Bożydar L. J. Kaczmarek, Bożena Grochmal-Bach
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP55313
- DOI -
- Views 117
- Downloads 0
ACADEMY OF LIFE PROGRAM FOR A PATIENT WITH SEVERE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY TO THE FRONTAL LOBES
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the Academy of Life program on a patient with an extremely severe TBI and behavioral changes, who did not benefit from a long-term program of holistic rehabi...
THE LEVEL OF ANXIETY AND THE SUBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS POST HIP REPLACEMENT AFTER PRIMARY AND SECONDARY REHABILITATION
The goal of our study was to determine if a predictable change occurs in the subjective assessment of the quality of life in the case of patients after hip replacement as a result of primary (time t1) and secondary (time...
PSYCHOMETRIC AND NORMATIVE INDICATORS OF THE PORTUGUESE VERSION OF THE ADDENBROOKE’S COGNITIVE EXAMINATION- III. PRELIMINARY STUDY ON A SAMPLE OF HEALTHY SUBJECTS
Background: Recently a third version of the Addenbrooke‘s Cognitive Examination (ACE-III) was developed in order to improve previous versions. The present work aims to determine some psychometric properties ofACE-III, su...
DISTURBANCES OF CENTRAL COHERENCE: A CASE STUDY
This paper presents the case of an autistic boy, who dislayed serious deficiencies in the ability to integrate pieces of information into a coherent whole, which would support the Weak Central Coherence (WCC) theory of a...
FINE ART AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF A PROMINENT ARTIST WITH FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA
In neuroscience, no coherent definition of art is generally accepted, because its boundaries are redefined continuously, and at any time one may encounter an artwork that departs from the existing definitions. Art is con...