Acarlar, FundaAlak, Gamze2022-07-262022-07-262018http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12575/82761This longitudinal study investigated the relationship of maternal responsiveness with intentional communication, imitation and object play with a group of children diagnosed with nonverbal Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the preschool period, and their mothers. In the study, the participants were prospectively monitored for a specific time and the data were collected at two time points with a 6 month interval. The study group selected with criterion sampling comprised 31 (30 male and 1 female) children with ASD who were aged 28-79 months at Time I and 34-85 months at Time 2, as well as, their mothers with ages varying between 25 and 45. In the study, intentional communication, imitation and object play skills of the children with ASD were evaluated with observation-based structured procedures and the frequency of maternal responsiveness was evaluated in a mother-child free-play session. Intentional communication, object play and maternal responsiveness scores were calculated by frequency, while imitation scores were calculated according to a rating system. The study adopted a longitudinal relational design. Preliminary data analysis investigated bivariate correlations between the covariates, putative predictor variables and control variables at Time I, and the difference scores for criterion variables measured at both Time I and II. In order to control for the covariates found to have a significant correlation with the criterion variables, whether or not the putative predictor variables uniquely predicted the gains in the criterion variables was examined. Finally, whether or not the putative predictor variables played a mediator and moderator role in the relationship between the covariates and the criterion variables was investigated. Analysis results for intentional communication acts showed that gains in intentional communication acts over time had a positive relationship with follow-in commenting and nonverbal response, and a negative relationship with expansion. However, after controlling for object/action engagement and mild-moderate symptoms, only follow-in commenting was found to predict gains in intentional communication acts. Furthermore, object/action engagement and follow-in commenting were determined to be serial mediators in the relationship between severity of autism symptoms and gains in intentional communication acts. The analysis results for joint attention, which is a function of communication, yielded a positive relationship of gains in joint attention over time with follow-in commenting, nonverbal response and linguistic mapping. At the same time, after controlling for high object/action engagement, mild-moderate symptoms and duration of special education attendance, follow-in commenting and nonverbal response predicted gains in joint attention. In addition, object/action engagement, nonverbal response and joint attention gains were found to be serial mediators in the relationship between severity of autism symptoms and gains in joint attention. The analysis conducted for behavioral regulation, another a function of communication, yielded two results. Expansion, albeit being negatively correlated with gains in behavioral regulation over time did not predict gains in behavioral regulation after controlling for communication acts. Similarly, although lack of verbal responsiveness had a positive relationship with gains in behavioral regulation over time, it failed to predict gains in behavioral regulation after controlling for object/action engagement. The analysis results for imitation skills showed that follow-in commenting and follow-in directives for behavior, which were found to be positively correlated with imitation gains, did not predict gains in imitation after controlling for high object/action engagement and mild-moderate autism symptoms. However, the relationship between object/action engagement and gains in structured imitation was moderated by follow-in commenting, and a significant relationship only existed high level of follow-in commenting. In addition, follow-in commenting, follow-in directives for behavior and nonverbal response, which had a positive relationship with spontaneous imitation gains, was found to not predict spontaneous imitation gains after controlling for high object/action engagement, mild-moderate autism symptoms and duration of special education attendance. Finally, the analysis results for object play did not yield a significant relationship between level of exploratory play and any maternal response. Follow-in directives for behavior and nonverbal response, which positively correlated with level of relational play, did not predict level of relational play at Time II after controlling for children's initial relational play performance and look object/action engagement. On the other hand, although follow-in commenting, follow-in directives for behavior and nonverbal response had a positive relationship with level of functional play at Time II, only follow-in commenting was found to predict level of functional play at Time II after controlling for initial level of functional play, moderate-severe autism symptoms and touch object/action engagement. Furthermore, albeit the positive relationship of follow-in commenting, follow-in directives for behavior and nonverbal response with level of symbolic play at Time II, only follow-in commenting was determined to predict level of symbolic play at Time II after controlling for initial level of functional play, touch object/action engagement, mild-moderate autism symptoms and duration of special education attendance.trOtizm spektrum bozukluğuAmaçlı iletişimTaklitdoctoralThesis