Projects
Temperament and parenting as predictors of psychosocial development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy. Ghent University
This project addresses the predictive value of the temperament-parenting interplay, vitally crucial for all children, to explain the wide range of variability in both maladaptive and adaptive development of youngsters with special needs. Using a three-wave prospective cohort design, transdiagnostic generalizability of processes is tested in and across three neurodevelopmental disabilities (Autism, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy) relative to ...
The added value of temperament for a better understanding of diversity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome: A meta-analytic, comparative, and longitudinal study Ghent University
This project addresses the added value of temperament, and its interplay with parenting, to describe and explain the large diversity in the clinical phenotype and social-emotional functioning across three prevalent neurodevelopmental disabilities (Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy). The meta-analysis and cross-sectional comparison will unravel syndrome-specific temperamental traits, while the longitudinal study will test the ...
Parental behaviour in children with autism spectrum disorder. KU Leuven
A longitudinal study of parent-infant and sibling interactions in very young siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder. Ghent University
Siblings of young children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often develop
characteristics of ASD themselves. Interaction patterns within the family may play an important role in the increased vulnerability of these siblings. The current study aims to broaden our understanding of interactions between both parents and high-risk siblings as between high-risk siblings and their brother or sister with ASD.
Markers of autism spectrum disorder in young children: a longitudinal eye tracking study Ghent University
In 2 multi-center studies, in which potential markers for autism spectrum disorder are identified and validated, eye tracking technology is used with babies and preschoolers with (risk on) autism spectrum disorder and with control groups. Eye tracking tasks include face pop-out, social scenes, gap-overlap attentional task, visual saliency and pupillary light reflex.
Parenting adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder KU Leuven
Parents of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face specific challenges in parenting. However, little is known about parenting behaviours among parents of a child with ASD. Moreover, the literature is especially limited regarding adolescence (12 – 16 years), although this period is associated with additional challenges in parenting, given the multiple physical, social and psychological changes that characterize ...
A follow-up study on cognitive, behavioural and emotional functioning of school-aged children at increased risk of autism spectrum disorder Ghent University
The current project addresses school-age outcomes of prospectively followed children at increased
risk of autism spectrum disorder. Besides stability and reliability of early diagnosis and IQ, multiinformant
measures of depression and anxiety, adaptive and challenging behaviour, self-perception,
peer relations, self-control and quality of life will be investigated. Furthermore, we’ll attempt to
detect early markers of ...
The potential effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) on Quality of Life in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Ghent University
This research proposal presents a comprehensive plan to investigate the potential of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) as a promising approach to improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In response to critiques from the neurodiversity movement and stakeholders in the ASD field, we aim to shift the focus from narrow treatment goals to a more holistic approach that considers the happiness, ...
A Functional-Cognitive Perspective on Social Modulation of Imitation in Individuals With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder Ghent University
Evidence on social modulation of imitation is mixed and inconclusive, due to the absence of a strong theoretical framework and low ecological validity of previous studies. With this project, we aim to resolve both issues, by combining a functional-cognitive framework with an ecologically valid virtual-reality task, to investigate social modulation of imitation in individuals with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder.