Attachment and emotional-social intelligence (ESI) have been an area of study among scholars since attachment has been shown to impact important areas of psychosocial development. This study involved exploring attachment or the adolescent bonding experience, and its prediction of ESI of African American females during mid-to-late adolescence.…

According to the research, community mentoring programs can influence an adolescent's social skills, academics, and social mobility. Part of the reason for this is that community-based mentoring programs can provide training and understanding of how adolescents can address situations they may encounter. In addition, community mentoring programs…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Social Thinking® Social Behavior Mapping (SBM) on adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. A pretest-posttest control group design with matched sampling was used. There were 22 participants between the ages of 13 and 17 who were matched by age and IQ and then were randomly assigned…

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience skill deficits when interacting with typical peers, which can inhibit their ability to form friendships and participate in inclusive educational settings. In the current study, the researcher evaluated the effects of delivering textual prompts using an Apple Watch® to increase appropriate…

The pandemic, COVID-19, increased the online activity of millions of adolescents globally resulting in an unprecedented amount of youth using the internet leaving them susceptible to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a global issue that has severe consequences on adolescents' mental health. Teachers have a vital role in the effective implementation…

Purpose: The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to explore how involvement in theatre arts programs helps to improve social functioning skills (SFS) in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, from a drama teacher's perspective, in middle schools in the central coast region of California. Methodology: A qualitative…

Difficulties in communication during social interactions are a feature of the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Little is known about the communication abilities of minimally-verbal (MV) individuals, which comprises one-third of autistic individuals. Natural language sampling (NLS) provides an optimal approach to capture communication…

This dissertation study explores adolescent socialization experiences and understandings of autistic identity from the perspectives of four autistic young women. Stemming from a concerning disproportionate gender representation of autism, with males diagnosed at the rate of 1 in 39 and females at 1 in 151 (Center for Disease Control and…

Peer interaction supports adolescents in developing communicative, emotional, and social competence. Social interaction, however, poses many challenges for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs. This study used a multiple-probe across participants design to assess the impact of an intervention using videos…

First-year college retention rates are dropping at alarming rates, resulting in individual, institutional and global detriments. The decline is largely due to the inability of students to socially and emotionally navigate the transition into college life. This qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews sought to identify themes that…

The prevalence of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is growing worldwide. There is a lack of services to support adolescents and adults with ASD in different areas including social-communication intervention. To fill these research gaps in the literature, the three studies in this dissertation extended the literature on…

This dissertation explored the effectiveness of a well-researched social skills intervention for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder for ethnically and linguistically diverse families. The UCLA PEERS program (Laugeson et al., 2009; 2012) has largely been studied using predominately White and affluent populations; thus, the study explored…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disability characterized by social communication deficits, repetitive and restrictive behaviors, and language and communication deficits. Its prevalence among the general population has led to increased efforts to intervene effectively during childhood and adolescence. Prior quantitative and qualitative research…

Difficulty with many aspects of social interactions is a defining characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Video modeling (VM) has successfully improved a range of social skills for individuals with ASD in previous studies, but most often with simple social skills with young children. The current study used VMs scripted and recorded by…

Adolescents have the highest rate of internet use, when compared to any other age group. The debate about adolescent social media use and its impact on their mental health has sparked research; however, there is a gap in the literature associated with adolescents diagnosed with depression and their use of social media. The purpose of the…