Autism

Question 1

What is Autism?

Answer 1

Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism) is a neurobiological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a persons life

Question 2

Why is it called “spectrum” disorder?

Answer 2

Because people with ASD can have a range of different symptoms that vary from person to person and vary in intensities

Question 3

How does the DSM5 grade functional impairment?

Answer 3

The DSM5 grades functional impairment from numerical gardes. They range from 3 - “Requires substantial support” to 1 - “requires support”

Question 4

Why do parents believe that vaccines cause autism?

Answer 4

Because vaccines are usually are taken around the 12 month mark of a baby’s life. Around the 12 month mark in a baby with autism’s life there is a normal pattern of development and then a sudden decline in function,

Question 5

What are three major areas of difficulty that characterize the autism spectrum?

Answer 5

-Impaired communication
-Impaired social interactions
-Restricted behaviour, interests, and activities

Question 6

How does Impaired Communication affect those with ASD?

Answer 6

People with autism nearly always have problems or delays in communication, but that is not always the case as some individuals show extremely high levels of function. But on average 1/3 of people with autism never acquire speech at all.

Question 7

What is Echolaia?

Answer 7

It is repeating the speech and intonation of others, this is common in children with ASD

Question 8

What is social cognition?

Answer 8

It is how you think about yourself and your social world, it is also the knowledge of perceptions, ideas, and the intentions of others.
Low functioning kids do not do this
High functioning kids are highly social; which is stymied by give and take

Question 9

How can Social Cognition be tested?

Answer 9

Through Theory of Mind

Question 10

What is the Theory of Mind?

Answer 10

The ability to attribute mental states to others. That others are separate selves with their own points of view and feelings. Low functioning ASD children never get theory of mind.

Question 11

What is affective social competence?

Answer 11

It is the coordination of capacities to experience emotion, send emotional messages to others and read emotional signals of others.
Low functioning kids are not able to do this but high functioning kids can but lack actual sense or feeling of emotion (sound more robotic)

Question 12

What are stereotypies?

Answer 12

Repetitive, apparently pointless behaviours that seem to be concerned with self-stimulation (Also called stimming)

Question 13

What are some strengths individuals with ASD have?

Answer 13

Direction
Order
Time
and Maths, Sciences, and Problem solving`

Question 14

Prevalence of ASD in Canada?

Answer 14

1 in 66 people have it
1 in 42 males have it
1 in 165 females have it
and 75% diagnosed by 8

Question 15

What is the one thing that is consistent in the prevalence of ASD?

Answer 15

The male to female ratio is always (4:1)

Question 16

What are the concordance rates for ASD in twins?

Answer 16

In monozygotic (identical) twins it is 36-91%
In dizygotic (fraternal) twins it is 0-5%.
The disorder is highly heritable

Question 17

What are some environmental risk factors in ASD?

Answer 17

• Maternal diet: lacking in essential nutrients and fatty acids
• Maternal smoking, drinking, and drug intake during pregnancy
• Exposure to air pollutants
• Poor socioeconomic status
• Low maternal education level
  -Advanced maternal and paternal age
  -Folic acid status

It is a combination of factors that influence predisposition to ASD, not just one

Question 18

What are common medical comorbidities in ASD?

Answer 18

Immune dysregulation and gastrointestinal disturbances are common among individuals with ASD

Question 19

What is Gut Microbiota?

Answer 19

Microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi that are present in the gastrointestinal tract. Composition depends on genetics and is shaped by the environment

Question 20

What is the neural basis of ASD? What are some of the overall findings?

Answer 20

It is seen as a condition resulting from overall brain reorganization, beginning early in development.
A case of accelerated brain development early in life resulting in overall brain underconnectivity (with local overconnectivity in frontal/occipital regions)

Question 21

What is the Extreme Male Brain Theory? What is an example that may support it?

Answer 21

Asserted by Simon Baron-Cohen, he claims that autism is just an extreme male brain, more testosterone in utero then others.
An example is the logical, systematic thinking in males vs relation, sympathetic in women

Question 22

What are mirror neurons?

Answer 22

Mirror neurons are neurons that will fire both when an individual performs a certain action, and when they observe that action being performed by someone else. They respond to the understanding of an action.

Question 23

What may the mirror neuron system provide?

Answer 23

A neurobiological basis for social cognition, which is notably absent or deficient in ASD individuals

Question 24

What is the correlation between ASD individuals and activity of mirror neurons?

Answer 24

Children with ASD showed reduced activity in the frontal mirror neuron system. it is correlated with the severity of the disorder, the higher the severity, the lower the activity in the MNS

Question 25

How is ASD treated?

Answer 25

ASD is treated through behavioural-based therapies, most common being Applied Behaviour Anaylsis (ABA)

Question 26

What does ABA do?

Answer 26

It emphasizes play, social interaction, and communication initiation. The “natural consequences are the reward. This method is controversial