Development of a program to improve the self-management skills for female individuals with autism spectrum disorder

• Project/Area Number: 26381333
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Special needs education
• Research Institution: Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences (2016); Fukushima University (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: KURODA Miho 名古屋学芸大学, ヒューマンケア学部, 教授 (10536212)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 辻井 正次 中京大学, 現代社会学部, 教授 (20257546) ; 川久保 友紀 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (40396718)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000)
• Keywords: 自閉スペクトラム症 / 女性 / 高機能 / 性差 / 心の理論 / 自己マネージメント / 適応行動 / 感情認知 / 青年期 / 成人期 / 小集団 / グループ / プログラム開発 / 自閉症スペクトラム障害 / 対人コミュニケーション / ADOS / ADI-R

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The main objective of this study was to develop a self-management program for women with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To do this, we assessed the characteristics observed in females with ASD, by focusing on gender specific differences in social communication. The study used the advanced the “Theory of Mind” task, alongside many other tools for assessing the symptoms of ASD. The results suggested that male adults with ASD perform mindreading tasks by using their verbal intelligence, whereas females may perform the task using their social communication abilities. Female individuals with ASD appear to use a similar strategy to that used by individuals with typical development. Based on these results, we developed a self-management program for women with ASD. The program taught the participants to be aware of and express their own emotions, and develop the adaptive skills to improve their social abilities.

Research Products

• [Presentation] Determining Sex Differences in the Social Cognition of Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Advanced Mindreading Tasks (2016)
  • Author(s): Kuroda, M., Kawakubo, Y.
  • Organizer: International Meeting for Autism Research
  • Place of Presentation: 米国ボルティモア
  • Year and Date: 2016-05-11
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Determining Sex Differences in the Social Cognition of Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Advanced Mindreading Task (2016)
  • Author(s): Miho Kuroda, Yuki Kawakubo
  • Organizer: International Meeting for Autism Research
  • Place of Presentation: the Baltimore Convention Center （Baltimore, Maryland, USA)
  • Year and Date: 2016-05-11
  • Int'l Joint Research