ASD Flashcards
What is ASD? (1)
What is it decribed in terms of? (4)
Pervasive developmental disorder.
DSM-V diagnostic criteria
Triad of impairment - socialisation, communication, imagination.
Dyad of impairment - social communication, repetitive behaviours.
Continuum/dimension/spectrum.
Triad of impairment.
Wing 1988
socialisation
communication
imagination
Triad of impairment.
Behaviours associated with socialisation. (4)
Unusual eye gaze.
Atypical body posture / Difficulty with proxemics.
Absent or atypical use of gesture.
Unusual facial expressions.
Triad of impairment.
define socialisation. (1)
(4) features.
Impaired, deviant and extremely delayed social development.
Lack of ability to understand and interpret social signals and behaviours.
Difficulty initiating social contact and forming relationships with others
.
Lack of reciprocal interest in others.
Can result in social withdrawal and isolation.
Triad of impairment. define Communication (1)
(6) features.
Impaired and deviant language and communication.
May not use language at all to communicate.
May use language in a socially unusual or ‘inappropriate’ way.
Level of understanding lower than expressive language may suggest.
Unusual pitch, intonation or stress.
May have additional language difficulties: Syntax, vocabulary, word finding.
Inferential language is a particular difficulty
ASD - (5) examples of distinctively disordered language.
Echolalia Perseveration Stereotyped/idiosyncratic language Neologism/Jargon Pronoun reversal
Triad of impairment.
define imagination. (1)
(5) features.
Rigidity of thought, behaviour and poor imagination abilities.
Deficit in pretend play.
May play imaginatively but in an unusual/routinised way.
Scripted, with repetitive behaviours: Sensori-motoric or obsessive-compulsive.
Focus on details and sensory properties of people/objects.
Obsessive interests/factual knowledge
Diad of impairment (2)
Social communication, interaction and sensory difficulties.
Restrictive and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities and interests.
ASD DSM-III (1980s)
4
Pervasive lack of responsiveness to other people.
Gross deficits in language development.
Absence of delusions/hallucinations.
Intellectual disability common (75%).
ASD DSM V (2013)
2 symptom domains (dyad)
1) Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts:
2) Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities.
Multiple diagnoses allowed for first time (ASD and ADHD)
Intellectual disability minority (25%).
Prevalence and M:F ration
1980:2013
1980: 6/10,000 , 5-10:1
2013: 1/100 , 3:1
xxx described Autism’ – a behavioural syndrome in 1940s
Leo Kanner
Lorna Wing - features of ‘continuum’
3
Continuum of severity - related to IQ
Triad of impairments:
Level of impairment in each dimension can vary independently
May also have impairments in other dimensions: learning ability, motor skills
Why is Lorna Wing’s ‘continuum’ not supported by evidence.
Certain clusters of impairments along different dimensions occur more often than you would expect by chance
(Coran & Rutter 1991)
How is severity of ASD often conceptualised now? (1)
Why does this remain complex? (1)
Subtypes, broadly classified by severity: A Spectrum.
ASD is a dimensional disorder, not a single, discrete entity.
