ASD Flashcards

1
Q

main difference between asperger’s and autism?

A

aspergers patients have average intelligence, autistic patients have cognitive impairment

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2
Q

name the 5 conditions under the umbrella of ASD

A
aspergers
rett's syndrome
childhood aautism
pervasive developmental disorder
pervasive developmental disorder NOS
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3
Q

name the 4 core impairments in ASD

A

social communication
social interaction
social imagination
repetitive behaviours

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4
Q

describe how social communication is impaired in ASD?

A

cant understand jokes, metaphors, sarcasm
can’t grasp the meaning of conversation
monotonous voice
pedantic/idiosyncratic language
narrow interests; will talk about them over and over
struggle to show emotion

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5
Q

language skills are generally good in ASD T or F

A

T but struggle with the meaning of conversations

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6
Q

describe how social interaction is impaired in ASD

A

difficulties “reading” people
appear egocentric but they’re just trying to figure out social situations
can’t make/sustain personal relationships

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7
Q

describe how social imagination is impaired in ASD

A

can’t think flexibly
don’t understand others’ points of view
can’t apply knowledge across different settings
struggle to think about the future

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8
Q

describe the repetitive nature of behaviour in ASD?

A

repetitive motor movements
insistence on routine/patterns/rituals
highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity
hyper/hyporeactivity to sensory input from the environment

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9
Q

which ASD domain is missed most often in adults?

A

repetitive behaviours

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10
Q

how common is autism in the population?

A

1 in 60

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11
Q

why are boys more affected by learning disabilities and ASD than girls?

A

testosterone is responsible for organising circuits in the brain via neuronal migration however too much testosterone at too fast a rate (eg in puberty) may have a negative effect on this

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12
Q

gender identity disorder has a relationship with ASD T or F

A

T, ASD is around 3-4x more common in those with GID

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13
Q

why do girls with CAH have a tendency to develop autism?

A

CAH involves abnormal levels of testosterone which will affect circuit formation in the brain

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14
Q

cause of ASD?

A

no clear pathological mechanism

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15
Q

most common inherited form of intellectual disability

A

fragile X syndrome

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16
Q

organic risk factors for autism?

A
rubella in utero
tuberous sclerosis
fragile X
encephaliis
PKU
foetal distress - trauma, haemorrhage, LBW, anaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia, meconium aspiration
17
Q

is there a genetic element to autism?

A

yes, there is hereditability (About 90% in MX twins)

18
Q

at what point in pregnancy do teratogens take effect on the foetus?

A

8 weeks from conception

19
Q

what parts of the brain appear pathological in autism?

A

frontal lobes
amygdala
cerebellum

20
Q

an enlarged amygdala causes what symptoms?

A

severe anxiety

impaired social and communication skills

21
Q

role of GABA in development?

A

key role in regulation of cell migration, neuronal differentiation and maturation in early development

22
Q

if glutamate is dysfunctional what happens?

A

neuronal damage

23
Q

what neurotransmitters have a role in neuronal development?

A

serotonin

GABA

24
Q

what neurotransmitters may be impaired in autism?

A

glutamate
GABA
serotonin

25
Q

how do younger children with ASD present?

A

play alone
difficlties understanding emotions and feelings
cant pretend play
cant start
stick to routine, if they cant they throw a tantrums
speech/language problems
repeat things over and over

26
Q

what abnormal movements are present in children with ASD?

A

flap hands

twist/flick fingers when excited

27
Q

taste sensory problems in children with ASD?

A

flavours and foods too string and overpowering

restricted diet/textures

28
Q

smell sensory problems in children with ASD?

A

smells can be too intense and overpowering

toilet problems

29
Q

sound sensory problems in children with ASD?

A

noise can be magnified causing sounds to be muddled

cant cut out sounds eg background noise

30
Q

touch sensory problems in children with ASD?

A

can be painful and uncomfy
dont like brushing/washing hair
can only tolerate certain clothing/textures

31
Q

visual sensory problems in adults with ASD?

A

poor depth perception eg throwing. or catching
focus on details of an object rather than the whole thing
cant sleep as sensitive to the light

32
Q

how do adults with ASD present in terms of their communication?

A
cant understand other perspectives
avoid eye contact
cant read people
repeat phrases ad expressions
cant start a conversation - hate small talk
cant work out humour
seem rigid/obsessive
33
Q

social features of adults with ASD?

A
take things literally
appear shy
cant fit in - few friendships
cant express needs to others
ritualistic
obsessive
unusual body movements/clumsy/lack of coordination
sensory issues
34
Q

what parts of the history are most important when assessing someone with potential ASD?

A

developmental history

collateral history

35
Q

main assessment tool used for autism?

A

autism diagnostic observation schedule

use of SLT/OT/psychology

36
Q

what do you need to bear in mind before making a diagnosis of ASD?

A

cultural differences - some people act a certain way because of their culture
their personality - that is their “normal”

37
Q

name the 3 criteria for diagnosis of autism

A
  1. present in early developmental period
  2. significant impairment in social, occcpational or other functional areas (must present in different situations not just 1!)
  3. disturbances are not better explained by another diagnosis
38
Q

Tx of ASD?

A
self and family psychoeducation
social skills training
SALT
family/school support
risperidone only if severely aggressive/self injury