CHANGES OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN THROUGH PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAM

부모교육 참여집단과 비참여집단 자폐아동의 행동병리 및 발달기능에 대한 비교연구

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.

본 연구는 부모가 부모교육에 참여한 자폐아동 집단과 비참여집단 자폐아동의 행동병리 및 발달기능을 비교해 보고자 총 30명의 자폐아동을 대상으로 Schopler의 PEP를 이용하여 관찰 측정하였는데 결과 부모교육 참여군 자폐아동이 교육후 정동, 언어의 행동영역에서 보다 적절한 행동이 늘어났고 지각, 소근육운동, 대근육운동, $눈{\cdot}손협응,$ 인지수행, 인지언어 등 여러 발달기능영역에서 유의한 증진을 보였으며 또한 비참여군 자폐아동보다 모방, 대근육운동, $눈{\cdot}손협응에서$ 유의하게 높은 발달변화를 보였다. 물론 부모교육 참여군 자폐아동이나 비참여군 자폐아동 모두가 행동병리 및 발달기능에서 성숙에 의한 변화를 보이기는 했으나 참여군 자폐아동이 더 여러 영역에서 발달변화를 보였고 두 집단간에 유의하게 높은 차이를 보이는 영역이 있다는 것은 부모교육 프로그램이 자폐아동에 대한 이해를 돕고 일상속에서의 모방학습, 신체적 접촉이나 대근육운동 등을 이용한 감각통합기능 증진, 언어발달, 적절한 행동의 증진에 효과적이었다고 말할 수 있다. 앞으로 더욱 구체적이고 적극적인 교육방법을 도입함으로써 보다 많은 적절한 행동의 증진과 발달을 가져올 수 있을 것이다.