ASD Flashcards
How do children receive a diagnosis of ASD and what is the first sign this might be needed
The diagnosis is usually made by a clinical psychologist and paediatrician
It is made according to the diagnostic criteria (DSM-V)
The first sign that a diagnosis might be needed is a delay in SLC
Describe the triad of impairment
Created by Lorna Wing (1979)
It consists of: socialisation, communication and imagination
Describe the socialisation aspect of the triad
and evidence for ‘impaired’ socialisation
difficulty understanding and interpreting social signals and behaviours
evidence for ‘impaired socialisation’
- unusual eye gaze
- problems with proxemics (not understanding how near you
should be to someone)
- unusual facial expression
Describe the communication aspect of the triad
It is a difficulty using language to communicate
echolalia is an example - when children repeat language they’ve heard (e.g. from the tv). This can be immediate or delayed
Describe the features of the imagination aspect of the triad
delay in pretend and symbolic play
repetitive behaviours
focus on the details/sensory properties of people/objects
Describe the incidence of ASD and why this is
There has been an an increase of 787% of ASD diagnosis between 1998 to 2018
Likely because of increased reporting particularly for ‘higher functioning’ adults
It is not increasing, just the awareness of it which is leading to more diagnosis
Briefly describe the history of ASD
Leo Kanner (1940s) called it a behavioural syndrome.
70s/80s Lorna Wing developed this into a spectrum of severity.
Later she believed this idea was too simple, and that there were 3 areas of impairment (triad) which each could vary independently of one another
Describe the origins of Asperger’s syndrome
Hans Asperger (1944) developed the idea
Children with Asperger’s syndrome demonstrate deficits in social interaction and have repetitive interests BUT do not have a language delay/disorder or impaired intellectually
