101b - Autism Spectrum Disorders

Question 1

Describe the DSM-5 criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Answer 1

• DSM5 criteria:
  
  • A: persistent deficits in social communication and social interactions across multiple contexts (includes deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, non-verbal communication, and developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships)
  • B: symptoms of restricted ad repetitive behaviors or stereotyped patterns
  • C: symptoms present in the early developmental period
  • D: symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in functioning
  • E: disturbances aren’t better explained by another intellectual disability

Question 2

What are the positive prognostic factors for Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Answer 2

• Normal IQ
• Mild social disability
• Involved caregivers
• Better language skills

~1/3 of all people with ASD may function independently as adults

Question 3

What is the age of onset for Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Answer 3

0-3 years

Symptoms must be present in early development

Question 4

How does social pragmatic communication disorder differ from autism spectrum disorder?

Answer 4

• Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder = neurodevelopmental disorder w/ persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, but doesn’t have restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior

Social pragmatic communication disorder = social impairments, but not ASD

Question 5

How can aggression, temper outburst, and/or self injurious behavior sometimes found in ASD be managed pharmacologically?

Answer 5

• Atypical antipsychotics
  
  • Risperidone, aripiprazole
• Alpha-2 agnoists
  
  • Clonidine, guanfacine
• there are no pharmacological treatments for social communication deficits

Question 6

How does selective mutism differ from autism spectrum disorder?

Answer 6

• Selective mutism
  
  • Silence only in the presence of unfamiliar people
  • Has social relationships at home
  • No characteristic restrictive/repetitive/stereotyped behaviors of ASD
• ASD
  
  • Deficts in communication with familiar and unfamiliar people
  • Difficulty forming social relationships, even at home
  • Characteristic restrictive/repetitive/stereotyped behaviors

Question 7

What restricted, repetitive behaviors / steroptyped patterns of interest may be found in a person with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Answer 7

• Repetitive motor movements, use of objects, speech
• Insistence on sameness
  
  • Inflexible adherence to routines
  • Ritualized patterns of verbal and nonverbal behavior
• Highly restricted, fixated interests
  
  • Abnormal in intensity or focus
• Hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input

Question 8

What genetic conditions are associated with Autism? (4)

Answer 8

Fragile X

Tuberous sclerosis

Down syndrome

Rett syndrome (rare)

Question 9

What is the most highly heritable mental disorder?

Answer 9

Autism spectrum disorder

(polygenic)