Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Ed. Specalist
Degree
*Ed.S.
Degree Name
Education Specialist (Ed.S.)
Degree Granting Department
Psychology
Major Professor
Shannon Suldo, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
Evan Dart, Ph.D.
Committee Member
John Ferron, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Sarah Fefer, Ph.D.
Keywords
Autism spectrum disorder, subjective well-being, middle adolescence, life satisfaction
Abstract
This study utilized a single-case multiple-baseline design to analyze the effects of a ten-week multi-component positive psychology intervention, the Well-Being Promotion Program, on the subjective well-being of Autistic youth. This thesis addressed a gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions when administered to Autistic middle schoolers. Three Autistic middle schoolers participated in this single-case design study. Dynamic decision-making was used to stagger intervention implementation across the three participants. Life satisfaction and positive/negative affect data were collected via a Qualtrics survey that was administered twice per week. Through visual analysis and Baseline Corrected Tau calculations, it was found that two out of the three participants reported gains in life satisfaction, and changes in positive/negative affect varied. Upon intervention completion, participants shared their thoughts regarding the Well-Being Promotion Program (i.e., usefulness, recommendations for change, acceptability) in an individual interview in order to report their experiences in part with the intent for the research team to make the intervention more accessible and useful for Autistic youth in the future. Sentiments included experiencing benefits from engaging in positive activities such as gratitude journaling and experiencing positive changes upon engaging in the Well-Being Promotion Program, with no consistent recommendations for change. Accommodations such as breaks, access to reinforcers upon session completion, access to fidgets, choices for completing positive activities, and advanced notice on schedule changes should likely be maintained when delivering the intervention to Autistic youth through individual counseling.
Scholar Commons Citation
Bauermeister, Nicolette, "Improving the Subjective Well-Being of Autistic Youth Utilizing a Positive Psychology Intervention" (2023). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/9955
