Characteristics Of Autism

There are some individuals, who from a very young age, face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. From the outside looking in, we often don’t realize how pervasive a person’s difficulties are - even when we may be aware of the problem itself. Disparities in access to adequate clinical care because of factors such as race and socioeconomic status further impact a person’s ability to successfully navigate the obstacles he or she faces. The compounding of these factors may create a situation where the individual feels that he or she is unlikely to succeed. Clinical psychologists can play a significant role in mitigating the negative impact of these factors through thorough assessment, empirically driven treatment approaches, as well as understanding …show more content…
I intend to work on identifying early indicators of autism so that we can develop assessments that are reliable in diagnosing autism at an earlier age. The earlier that we can begin shaping the child’s environment to maximize his or her learning, the better chance the child will have for a healthy and happy independent life. I am also eager to work on developing non-pharmacological interventions that target areas of difficulty for children with autism, such as auditory processing, receptive language and social skills. In addition to the necessity of starting these interventions early, the other component for increasing the likelihood of success is that the program be intensive and effective. As the cost of such interventions is prohibitive for many, it is imperative that novel interventions be accessible to the …show more content…
Sarah O’Neill. Dr. O’Neill’s lab investigates the relation between neuropsychological functioning and ADHD, and one aspect of this work is to develop treatments that boost cognition, with the aim of reducing the severity of ADHD behaviors and impairment. Dr. O’Neill is currently running a study examining how exercise impacts cognition in young adults, and the potential moderators of this relation. My undergraduate honors thesis took a piece of this work and looked at how anxiety may moderate the relation between exercise and executive functioning, particularly working memory, in a young adult population. I was fortunate enough to have a mentor who ensured I not only understood the research process, but was actively engaged in all facets of the study. I was trained in how to run the protocol, which included administration of: a standardized age-normed screen of fluid reasoning, a standardized fitness test, computerized tests of verbal and visuospatial working memory (Operation Span and Spatial Span respectively), questionnaires to assess mood (i.e., BDI-II), anxiety (i.e., STAI), and ADHD (e.g., CAARS), and heart rate measurement. I took on the responsibility for the scheduling and running of participants, as well as scoring, punching and cleaning the data. It was an incredible experience to have so much autonomy and to see the methods I learned about through my coursework being used not for an example in a textbook