Associations among parent and teacher ratings of systemizing, vocabulary and executive function in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show a heightened drive toward systemizing, which is the capability to analyze, or the drive to construct, a rule-based system. In addition, executive function deficits as well as diminished language capacity and vocabulary have been consistently demonstrated in individuals with ASD. The primary purpose of this study was to create a model to understand how these constructs interact in children with ASD.

Associations Among Vocabulary, Executive Function Skills and Empathy in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been characterized as having deficits in social communication and empathy which present difficulties in the areas of social reciprocity, sharing of emotions and developing and maintaining relationships. This study explores the associations between vocabulary, executive function skills and empathy in individuals with ASD.

Method: A survey study with a purposive sample was used.

How adolescent empathy and prosocial behavior change in the context of school culture: a two-year longitudinal study.

To study changes in empathy, prosocial behavior, and school culture, 30 students were examined twice within two years.Two samples were employed to ensure a wide range of school culture perceptions; students were in a traditional high school or a Just Community School. Nonparametric bootstrap resampling methods were used to test for differences between schools and between years one and two.

Effects of contact with individuals with disabilities: positive attitudes and majoring in education.

Attitudes toward and contact with individuals with disabilities have been topics of research for years. The major purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of contact with individuals with disabilities on attitudes and choosing to major in education. Participants were 211 undergraduate students who completed a survey of attitudes and contact with individuals with physical, developmental, and behavioral disabilities.

Adolescent empathy and prosocial behavior in the multidimensional context of school culture.

The authors investigated whether students' positive perceptions of their high school's culture were associated with higher levels of empathy and prosocial behavior. The authors collected information from 2 samples to ensure a wide range of school culture perceptions. As expected, empathy and prosocial behavior were correlated.