103b - Autism Spectrum Disorders

Question 1

Describe the DSM-5 criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Answer 1

• Persistent deficits in social communication and social interactions including (need all 3)
  
  • Feficts in social emotional reciprocity
  • Deficits in nonverbal communication
  • Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships
• At least 2 symptoms of restricted and repetitive behaviors/stereotyped patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus

Symptoms must be present in early developmen (0-3 years)

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

• Does not have restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior
• Does have persistent deficits in social communication, social interaction across multiple context
  
  • Similar to ASD

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

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 metal disorder?

Answer 9

Autism spectrum disorder

(polygenic)