ASD
Association with ASD
- ASD can be associated with: 1. Intellectual disabilities: 31% have an ID (IQ < 70), 25% are board line (IQ 71-85), and 44% have an IQ average to above (IQ > 85) 2. The co-occurrence of non ASD developmental diagnosis is 83% (ADHD, OCD, ID, etc.) 3. The co-occurrence of psychiatric diagnoses is 10% (depression, anxiety)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- ASD is a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges in social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. - 30% of people of ASD have self destructive behaviors, repetitive or restrictive
Prevalence of ASD
- About 1/59 American children - Prevalence rates has increased 10 times in 40 years (1/110 in 2006) - 4 x more common in boys than girls (number one risk factor) - Boys: 1/37, Girls 1/151 - Parents who have children with ASD have 2-18% chance of having a second child who is also affected - ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups (lower diagnosis in some racial groups due to acceptance of disorder) - Increased numbers: 10-17% increase annually, no established explanation, improved diagnosis and environmental influences considered, over 3 million in the US
Considerations for PA
- Allow time for familiarity with the instructor, activity, environment - Use clear and consistent cues and prompts, provide effective reinforcement and feedback - Use routines, schedules, and calendars, - Use pictures and demonstrations - Structure the environment in a concrete manner
Social Behaviors in ASD
- Avoidance of eye contact - Persistent preference of solitude - Difficulty understanding other people's feelings - Withdrawn - Limited affection - May not initiate physical contact - Rarely seek to share enjoyment - Tactile Defensive - Aversion to touch
Physical Activity and Autism
- Inconsistent results on PA; most research indicates people with ASD at least inactive as those without - Some findings show more active - Will engage in PA with support: visual, schedule, trained staff, 1:1 programs - Fitness levels may be lower - Implications for PA programming: May not initiate play, may be distract-able, defensive, weak auditory learners, good visual learners, high arousal; anxiety, difficult in groups
Communication in ASD
- Loss of speech, babbling or social skills - Delayed language development - Speak in single words; or repeat word or phrases - Echolalia : repetitive phrases in speech - Difficulty initiating conservations - Slow to respond to attempts to gain attention - Reduced ability to focus on sounds that they need to pay attention to; filtering out other noises
Other Characteristics of ASD
- Motor coordination problems - Attention problems - OCD - Sleep disorders - Seizures; epilepsy - Sensory issues, hypersensitivities - Feeding issues; overeating, restricted diets - Language impairments, repetitive behaviors, social deficits (core autism symptoms) - Sleep deficits, mood, anxiety disorders, OCD, ADHD (related disorders) - Immune dysfunction, GI Disorders (associated with systemic issues)
Causes of ASD
- No one single cause - Genetic predispositions - Environmental triggers (works with genetics) - NOT vaccines
Sterotyped Behaviors of ASD
- Repetitive and/or restrictive patterns of behavior - interest, activities, objects - Persistent repetition of words or phrases - Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings - Restricted interests - Repetitive behaviors - Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors - Gets "stuck" doing the same things over and over
Currently known Risk Factors
- Sex (males) - Family history (genetics) - Preterm babies (before 26 weeks); low birth weight, fertility treatment, more births - Older parents; including paternal age
Characteristics of ASD
1. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts 2. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior patterns of behavior interests, or activities 3. Symptoms must be present in the early development period 4. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning 5. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability - Obvious symptoms and signs emerge between 2-3 years of age
Early Signs and Symptoms of ASD
By 6 months: Few or now big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions, limited or no eye contact By 9 months: Little to no back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions By 12 months: Little or no babbling, little to no back and forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving, little to no response to name By 16 months: Very few to no words
