Autism Flashcards
What is the definition of autism?
Neurodevelopmental, life-long, spectrum disorder
Dyad of impairments:
1. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts
2. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities
What are the features of autism regarding language and communication? x7
- Delayed onset of first words, limited/no development language, regression of language skill
- Difficulties communicating with others effectively
- Difficulties processing and retaining verbal information
- Difficulties with non literal language, sarcasm, jokes
- Difficulties using language socially
- Unusual use of language e.g. echolalia
- Verbal and non-verbal misunderstandings
What are the features of social interaction regarding autism? x6
- Difficulties with reciprocal interaction
- Difficulties understanding and following the rules of social interaction
- Difficulties managing conversations effectively
- Difficulties with verbal and non-verbal skills
- Difficulties working cooperatively with others
- Difficulties forming and maintaining relationships
What is the Gestalt Processing Systems?
Form of language development.
Developing language by memorising whole phrases (Gestalt language acquisition).
They then work backwards into learning the meaning of the words that make up those phrases.
What are the features of imagination and flexibility regarding autism? x6
- Difficulties thinking flexibly
- Difficulties in changing routines
- Difficulties understanding other people’s points of view
- Difficulties with pretence
- Difficulties with generalisation
- Tend to have restricted interests and behaviours
What are the triad of traditional theories related to autism?
Medical model based
1. Theory of Mind
2. Central coherence theory
3. Executive Function
What is Theory of Mind?
The ability to understand another person’s mental state.
This can then be used to explain and predict human behaviour e.g. putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.
People with autism have difficulty with this e.g. argued that 80% failed false belief tasks.
What is central coherence theory?
Ability to see overall meaning in a mass of details.
E.g. a person with strong central coherence would see a forest but a person with autism would say a tree.
What is executive function?
Set of skills/mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember and multi-task.
People with autism have difficulty with this.
What is the double empathy problem?
Mismatch in two people can lead to faulty communication.
Can be used to describe the communication gap between autistic and non-autistic people.
Used to reframe ToM theory.
What is the prevalence of autism?
700,000 people in the UK (1-2% of the population).
More males than diagnosed than females.
Some identify as self-autistic.
Growing number of late diagnosed individuals.
What terminology is appropriate regarding autism?
Majority have said person first e.g. autistic person
BUT check.
Not appropriate: Asperger’s, low-severe autism.
What is monotropism?
Opposite to central coherence.
Needs more evidence-base.
Autism is a processing resource that strongly tends to localise and concentrate to the exclusion of other inputs.
What is masking?
Needs more evidence-base.
Attempting to pass as ‘normal’.
May relieve external consequences e.g. bullying.
But can lead to an increase in internal consequences e.g. burnout.
What does monotropism look like?
Being motivated with a few topics of high interest.
Difficult to shift attention to and away from topic of interest.
Difficult to allocate attention resources.
Tendency towards monotropic rather than polytropic tendencies.
