Program

Special Education M.A.

Year Approved

2019

First Advisor

Larson, Susan

Abstract

In recent research, probable connections have been made between gut health and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Microbial imbalances within the gut were discovered in individuals with ASD, leading some researchers to think that this maladaptation may contribute to some of the impaired behaviors associated with autism. This paper seeks to answer the following questions: What evidence exists, if any, to connect gut health and environmental factors to autism? If the gut and the brain are interconnected, how can this apply to neurodevelopmental disorders? If individuals with autism could heal their bodies internally, would external behaviors and difficulties in social interaction and communication improve? If research concludes a connection exists, better solutions and treatment options could be found and implemented.

Degree Name

Special Education M.A.

Document Type

Masterʼs thesis

Terms of Use and License Information

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

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