Chapter 15: Autism Spectrum Disorders

What did the test with the yoga people vs. blocks show?

"Normal" kids will pay more attention to the videos of the people doing yoga while at-risk kids will be more interested in the shapes

What are the 4 categories for impairment in social interaction for asperger's disorders?

*Same as autistic* 1) Marked impairment in nonverbal behaviors 2) Absence of developmentally appropriate peer relations 3) Lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements 4) Lack of social or emotional reciprocity

What are the 4 categories under restricted & repetitive behaviors, interests, and actions for asperger's disorder?

*Same as autistic* 1) Preoccupations with patterns of interest 2) Inflexible adherence to routine 3) Stereotyped or repetitive motor mannerisms 4) Preoccupation with parts of objects

What is the best outcome of autistic disorder associated with?

- Ability to communicate verbally by age 5 or 6 - IQ > 70 - Later symptom onset

What are risk factors for autism spectrum disorders?

- Advanced parental age - Low birth weight - Exposure to valproate (anti-convulsant medication) - Heritability

What is savant performance in regards to autism?

- An exceptional ability in a highly specialized area of functioning - No theory for it

What is the course of asperger's disorder?

- Continuous and lifelong - Interest in social relationships can increase - Suicide rates elevate - Capable of employment and self-sufficiency

What is applied behavior analysis and what are its goals for treating autism spectrum disorder?

- Intensive behavior modification using operant conditioning techniques - *1st goal* is to identify specific target behaviors - *2nd goal* is to gain control over these behaviors through the use of reinforcement and punishment

In what areas are there no significant delays for asperger's disorder?

- Language - Cognitive development (normal intelligence) - Self-help skills - Adaptive behaviors - Curiosity about environment

What are the treatments for autism spectrum disorder?

- Medication (but doesn't help core symptoms) - Interventions (focused on daily skills and reducing undesirable behaviors) - Vocation training - Applied behavior analysis

What is self-injury in regards to autism?

- One of most bizarre and dangerous difficulties of autism - *Not* suicidal behavior

What is the treatment for asperger's disorder?

- Psychotropic medications, including antidepressants, anti-psychotic, and mood stabilizers - Behavioral treatment

What is the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) assessment?

- Standardized behavioral observation and coding - Different modules based on age & language ability

What is the course of autistic disorder?

- Subtle early signs - Developmental gains common in school-aged kids

What are additional criteria of autism spectrum disorder?

- Symptoms must be present in early developmental period - Symptoms cause impairment - Not better explained by an intellectual disability or global delay

Why has there been a huge increase in the number of diagnoses of autistic disorder?

- The criteria have expanded - There is an increased societal awareness

What are the 3 specifiers of autism spectrum disorder?

- With or without intellectual impairment - With or without language impairment - Associated with known medical/genetic condition or environmental factor

What is the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder?

1% of population, confusion about gender differences but possibly much more common in males

What are the three major criteria for defining intellectual disability?

1) Deficits in intellectual functions 2) Deficits in adaptive functioning 3) Onset before the age of 18

What are the 4 categories under impairment in communication for autistic disorder?

1) Delay or total lack of spoken language 2) Impairment in conversation 3) Stereotyped or repetitive language 4) Lack of make-believe or social imitative play

What are the 4 categories under restricted & repetitive behaviors, interests, and actions for DSM 5 autism spectrum disorder?

1) Highly restricted fixated interests 2) (*same*) Inflexible adherence to routine 3) (*same*) Stereotyped or repetitive motor mannerisms 4) Hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input

What are the 3 major categories of autistic disorder?

1) Impaired social interaction 2) Restrictive & repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities 3) Impaired communication

What are the 4 categories under impaired social interaction for autistic disorder?

1) Marked impairment in nonverbal behaviors 2) Absence of developmentally appropriate peer relations 3) Lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements 4) Lack of social or emotional reciprocity

What are the 4 categories under restricted & repetitive behaviors, interests, and actions for autistic disorder?

1) Preoccupations with patterns of interest 2) Inflexible adherence to routine 3) Stereotyped or repetitive motor mannerisms 4) Preoccupation with parts of objects

What fraction of those with autism will achieve partial independence as adults?

1/3

In the DSM-4, how many overall symptoms need to be present to be diagnosed with asperger's disorder?

3

What is the gender difference of autistic disorder?

3-4x more common among boys

What are the estimated percentages that heritability contributes to the risk of autism spectrum disorders?

37-90%

In the DSM-4, how many overall symptoms need to be present to be diagnosed with autistic disorder?

6+

What is the difference between autistic and asperger's disorders in the DSM-4?

Asperger's does not have the impaired communication requirement

What does facial scanning research demonstrate in children with autistic disorder?

Autistic kids will have significantly less eye contact

What changed in diagnosis of autism from the DSM 4 to DSM 5?

Became autism spectrum disorder -- took away the impairment in communication requirement

What skills does adaptive behavior encompass?

Conceptual, social, and practical skills

What is the prognosis of autistic disorder?

Generally poor

What is the Flynn effect?

IQ scores are rising across generations (i.e. old people's IQs are falling relative to the rising mean)

What did the face vs. fan eye tracking test show in regards to autistic disorder?

Kids with autism will have the same fixation for faces and fans, while "normal" kids will have more fixation on faces than fans -- *overall*, abnormal scanning could lead to social problems

What is the concordance rates of autism spectrum disorder for twins?

Monozygotic: 60% Dizygotic: 0%

What is the prevalence of asperger's disorder?

There is lacking evidence

What changed in the impairment in social interaction category from DSM 4 to 5?

Took out the "lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements" category

What are the two commonly used intelligence tests?

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV)

What is echolalia?

repeating what others say

What is dysprosody?

subtle disruptions in the rate, rhythm, and intonation of speech

What is a theory of mind and how is it manifested in those with autism?

theory of mind = understanding that other people have a different point of reference - Those with autism fail to appreciate this fact

What is apparent sensory deficit?

when a specific sensory organ is not impaired but reactions suggest otherwise

What's the best estimate at the percent of the population that has an intellectual disability?

~1%