• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2006

The effects of the Attachment Promotion Therapy (APT) program for the autistic children were reviewed by 8 papers. The program was consisted with play activity centered mother-child interaction, educational activity for parents, lecture, video-feedback, and support. APT program was effective to improve the attachment behaviors and attachment security. And the mother's behaviors to her child became more child-centered, positively responsive, expressive supportively. Ninety six point seven percent of the mothers were satisfied with the APT program. They described that it was helpful to understand their children's developmental limitation and strength, to learn how to play with their children, to make supportive social network among the mothers, to minimize familial conflicts, and to make them much more comfortable with their children. They thought the APT Program was to be a steppingstone of the further educational program. APT program is an effective early intervention to promote social development and decrease autistic problems.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2003

The autistic disorder is identified as an independent clinical entity, since the first description of Leo Kanner. The etiologies of the autistic disorder are almost unclear and the autistic disorder has several abnormalities in aspect of morphology and function of brain. Self-mutilation is observed in the low functioning autistic patients, and early treatment for self mutilation are needed in order not to be chronic. This article reviewed the drugs for the several symptoms of the autistic disorder, especially for self-mutilation. The serotonin reuptake inhibitors does not have clear primary anti-aggressive effects. The dopamine blockers have considerable effects in order to decrease aggression and self injury, and the risperidone is most recommended because of side effects of conventional drugs. The naltrextone does not have consistent study results yet. The clonidine has aggression-decreasing effect. Also lithium is effective on the treatment for aggressive and self-injurious behaviors. And the anticonvulsants including carbamazepine are effective on aggressive explosive behaviors. In the future the pharmacotherapy for self-mutilation will be advanced through stalbe diagnosis and measurement of treatment response.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.113-122
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to examine brain structural abnormalities in autistic children. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) findings in 22 male children with a DSM-Ⅲ-R diagnosis of autistic disorder and 17 non-autistic male control children were investigated. The ratio measures by lineometry was used to examine the cerebrum, midbrain, cerebellum, brain stem and ventricular system. The left to right ratio of the lateral ventricle was larger in autistic children than in controls. The pons was significantly larger in autistic children than in controls, and the cerebellum was smaller in autistic children. There were no significant differences between autistic children and controls in the symmetricity of the fontral lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe, and in the size of the midbrain and 4th ventricle. These findings suggest that autistic disorder may be related to structural impairment of the brain.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.106-116
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• 1992

This study were purposed to find out parental perceptions of child adjustment associated with parenting stress with autistic children and differences of parenting stress between autistic children's parents and normal children's. Subjects were 27 autistic children's parents, 28 normal children's, 4 teachers with autistic children. 'Scales were Parenting Stress Index(PSI), Eyberg Child Behavior Index(ECBI), Childhood Autism Rating Scale(CARS), Social Maturing Scale(SMS). The results of this study were as follows. 1) In total parenting stress, parents with autistic children had significantly higher scores than normal's. 2) In child domain of parenting stress, fathers with autistic children had significantly higher than mothers on the other components except Mood and Demandingness. 3) In parent domain of parenting stress, parents with autistic children had significantly higher than nomal's on Restrict of role, Attachment, Sense of Competence. All mothers of normal and autistic children had significantly higher than fathers on the other components except Repression. 4) In parenting perceptions associated with parenting stress level of autistic children's parents. Low level group perceived their children as higher adaptibility than teacher's evaluation and high level group perceived them as equal to teacher's.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 1997

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the current trends of British Music Therapy and its effectiveness as a therapeutic intervention for the autistic children. This paper consists of two parts；Part one will provide a general picture of music therapy by looking at its fundamental concepts and therories. Part II(two case studies) will illustrate the actual processes of music therapy which can engender a therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the autistic child. Through the first case study of Charlie, a 3 year and 9 month non-verbal autistic boy, we shall see how music therapy facilitates both non-verbal and verbal communication and a form of pretend play. The second case of Mark, a 10 year old autistic boy with complex emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties who had been sexually abused in the past, presents how the therapist’ acceptance of the child’ being and the shared experience of music therapy enable the child to express his difficulties and to develop the awareness of self and others. By exploring both musical and interpersonal aspects of music therapy, this gives an in depth examination of therapeutic processes. In order to clarify clinical procedure, this paper is viewed in musical, developmental and psychodynamic perspectives. To ensure confidentiality, the clients will be referred to by alter-native forenames.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 1997

25 young autistic children were examined in Ainsworth’s Strange Situation. The attachment security of 21 children could be classified. Almost half(44%) of these children were securely attached. The relationship between attachment security and developmental variables(chronological age, social quotient, severity of symptom) was investigated. There were no significant differences on CA, social quotient, and severity of symptom between secure attachment group and insecure attachment group. Although autistic children have social deficits, they develop secure attachment to their mothers.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.161-171
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• 1990

The study was to examine the effectiveness of the educational program for the parents of autistic children in promoting the development and amelioration of psychopathology. Behavioral pathology and developmental function of autistic children of two parent groups, parents who participated in educational program and parents who did not participate in that program, were compared before and after partent education program. For these purpose, the data were collected from 30 subjects(15 for participant group and 15 for non-participant group) who were diagnosed as Autism according to DSM-III at Child-Psychiatry of Seoul National University Hospital during May 16, 1987 through April 30, 1988. Pre and post tests by Schopler's Psycho-Educational Profile scale were performed for all of the subjects and the data were analyzed by Wilcoxon Rank Sum test, Wilcoxon Sign Rank test and $X^2-test.$ The results obtained were as follows ; 1) The autistic children of participant group were significantly higher than those of non-participant group after education on Imitation, Gross motor and Eye-hand Integration scale of developmental function area (p<0.05) 2) After education, the autistic children of participant group were significantly improved in Affect and Language scale of behavioral pathology area (p<0.05). 3) After education, the autistic children of participant group were significantly improved in developmental function, such as perception, Fine motor, Gross motor, Eye-hand Integration, Cognitive Performance, Cognitive Language (p<0.05). 4) The autistic children of non-participant group were significantly improved in Relating behavior and developmental functions such as Perception, Fine motor and Eye-hand Integration at post test in comparison to pre test (p<0.05). From these results, it might be concluded that the autistic children of participant group were improved much more, and obtained higher score in developmental function area than those of non-participant group. It is suggested that this kind of education program helped and supported the parents to do some more appropriate approach for the development of their children.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.186-197
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• 2000

This study evaluated the improvement of autistic symptoms during the 4-7 year follow-up in autistic children. Fifty subjects(44 males and 6 females whose age ranged between one to 13 years) diagnosed with DSM-III-R autistic disorder were included in this study. Their autistic symptoms were assessed with DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria of autistic disorder(grouped as A, B and C which include 5, 6 and 5 items respectively). The mean of follow-up duration was 6.4${\pm}$1.1 years. Symptoms between baseline and follow-up were examined according to treatment types, age, sex, IQ and physical problems of them were identified. There were statistically significant decreases of symptom items at follow-up as a whole and A, B and C, respectively. The most symptom decrease occurred in communication and followed social interaction, and activities and interests at follow-up assessment. Symptom items that decreased more than 50% at follow-up evaluation include A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, and C1, C3. Groups with special education only and combined treatment of special education and seizure pharmacotherapy showed better improvement of symptoms than the group with psychiatric pharmacotherapy with special education. Age was a significant factors in the improvement of symptoms. The author concluded that some autistic children improved with aging, therefore they should be treated actively with special education, pharmacothrapy and other scientific methods.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.54-67
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• 1993

This study is to investigate the stress and stress degree in mothers of autistic children. In order to obtain data for planning nursing strategies for mothers of autistic children The assessment tool for the stress was constructed through reviewing literatures on the stress and gathering the stress items by nonstructed face to face interviewing 14 mothers of autistic children The stress tool consists of 74 items each with five point rating scale A data collection was made front 160 mothers of autistic children from 11 institutions for autistic children in Seoul and Kyung-Ki province. The reliability coefficients by Cronbach's a test was 0.94 for the stress scale. The results are as follows : 1) The mean of stress is 3.19, in the area of the etiology, prognosis and the treatment-education, with cause of the treatment the edeucatlon and the prognosis of child's handicap. The mean of stress is 2.85 In the area of the negative of mother's self image, 2.45 in the area of the mother's ordinary life. The mean of stress was 2.05, lowest in the family and social relationship 2) The mean score for the total was 2.62 points. The items with highest stress score were 'All autistic child has not been understood by the society', 'If we die, 1'm afraid that this child will not be cared by someone', 'There is no institution that the child get the schoolibg', etc The stress item with the lowest mean score were 'Keep away the child from husband', 'Being divorced by husband', etc. 3) An analysis of relationship of stress degree to general characteristic shows a statisically significants difference in the number of children in the family and the cognition of the seventy of the child problem

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.114-122
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of Music Therapy for the autistic children. Method: The subjects of this study consisted of 3 autistic children who were trained in an Attachment Promotion Therapy Program for 6 months. The Children were all males and 4years 9months, 3years 1 month, and 3years 8month each, and diagnosed with Autism by Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists. Data was collected by using video-taping methods(ADOS, Fagot's Interactive Behavior Code), an interview and observational methods(SMS). Music Therapy intervention was done once a week for 6 months. Data was gathered by quantitative and qualitative analysis. Result: This study showed that the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale and Social Maturity Quotient(SQ) much improved after the Music Therapy After the Music Therapy, the Interactive Behavior Code : Gaze, Gesture for the communication, Verbal language, Laughing/Smile, and Normal play behaviors increased more than before the intervention. As the results show, the child's behavior became more positively responsive, playful, and attentive to others. Conclusion: This study suggests that Music Therapy might be an effective intervention for autistic disorder children in order to decrease autistic symptoms and increase joint attention behavior.