ASD and schizophrenia

Question 1

What symptoms are required as per DSM-5 for an ASD diagnosis?

Answer 1

• Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity
• Deficits in non-verbal communicative behaviours used for social interaction
• Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships
• Restricted repetitive behaviours (2 or 4)

Question 2

How does the national guidelines define ASD?

Answer 2

ASD is a collective term for a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction, and by repetitive patterns of behaviour and restricted interests.

Question 3

Provide 4 examples of repetitive behaviours as per DSM-5

Answer 3

• Stereotyped speech or motor mannerisms
• Insistence on sameness/ inflexible adherence to routines
• Restricted interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus
• Hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory input

Question 4

What do the national guidelines consider core parts of the ASD ax process?

Answer 4

• The level of functioning of the individual
• The support needs of the individual
• The diagnostic status of the individual

Question 5

Name at least 3 disorders that have high rates of comorbidity with autism.

Answer 5

• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Depression

Question 6

What are some common treatment and management strategies of ASD?

Answer 6

• CBT
• Communication tools
• Teaching emotion recognition, theory of mind, and accruate attributions
• Education placement
• Psychoed for parents

Question 7

What are the DSM-5 symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 7

• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Disorganised speech
• Disorganised behaviour
• Negative symptoms (affect, speech, motivation)
  All of which should be present for at least 6 months, with the exception of hallucinations for 1 month or less if successfully treated

Question 8

Cognitively, what differentiates individuals with schizophrenia and individuals with a psychotic affective disorder?

Answer 8

• Verbal memory deficits differentiate individuals with schizophrenia and individuals with a psychotic affective disorder.
• Cognitive deficits are evident across all diagnostic groups however individuals with schizophrenia appear to have a more generalised impairment across a broad array of cognitive functions than other psychotic disorders.