ASD

Question 1

Common thing in ASD?

Answer 1

Difficulty in social interaction and social communication

Question 2

What ASD used to be umbrella term for?

Answer 2

Asperger's syndrome 
Rett's syndrome
Childhood autism 
Pervasive development disorder 
Pervasive developmental disorder (NOS)

Question 3

Clinical features of ASD?

Answer 3

Triad of impairments

• Social communication
• Social interaction
• Social imagination

Question 4

More detail concerning social communication?

Answer 4

Good language but generally find difficult to grasp underlying meaning (sarcasm, idioms, jokes)

Language can be pedantic and idiosyncratic

Narrow interests that dominate conversation (lack of reciprocity)

Difficulty sharing thoughts and feelings

Question 5

More detail concerning social interaction?

Answer 5

• Difficulties picking up non-verbal cues especially is there is a mismatch between non-verbal communication and what has been said
• Don’t lack empathy but just have more difficulty figuring out what has been said
• Struggle to make and sustain relationships

Question 6

More detail concerning social imagination?

Answer 6

• Difficulty thinking flexibly and in abstract ways
• Take things literally
• Difficulty applying knowledge and skills across settings with different people
• Difficulties projecting themselves into the future

Question 7

What is not part of the triad in ASD but still very relevant?

Answer 7

Repetitive behaviours

• Stereotyped or repetitive movements/speech
• Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines
• Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity of focus
• Hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment

Question 8

Neuroanatomy of autism?

Answer 8

• No consistent pathology
• Frontal lobes, amygdala and cerebellum can appear pathological (Amygdala in boys with ASD 13-16% larger= assoc with severe anxiety and worse social skills)
• Glutamate, GABA and serotonin receptors may be implicated

Question 9

Who gets autism?

Answer 9

Boys to girls 5:1

Strong heritability

Question 10

Essential criteria for ASD?

Answer 10

• Symptoms must be present in early developmental period
• Symptoms cause clinically signf impairment in social, occupational or other areas of current functioning
• Disturbances are not better explained by other MH problems, ID, or global developmental delay

Question 11

Management of ASD?

Answer 11

• Psychoeducation of self and family
• Applied behaviour analysis, SALT, social skills training
• Fam and school based supports
• No meds

Question 12

Perinatal factors of ASD?

Answer 12

• Umbilical cord complications
• Foetal distress
• Birth injury or trauma
• Multiple birth and maternal haemorrhage
• Low birth weight/small for gestational age
• Congenital malformation
• Meconium aspiration
• Neonatal anaemia

Question 13

Diagnosis in children?

Answer 13

• Speech and language difficulties (don’t babble, immediate/delayed echolalia)
• Problems with non-verbal behaviours
• Lack of interest/awareness of other children
• Struggle with friendships
• Tend to play alone
• Routine lovers
• Sensory processing difficulties