Autism Flashcards
What is autism spectrum disorder?
developmental disability in which an individual struggles with verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction
True or False: A child is guaranteed services in their school upon being diagnosed with autism.
False; a child only gets services if being autistic (or a person with autism) makes it difficult for them to participate in school
What are features associated with autism?
doing repetitive activities; doing repetitve and fixed muscle movements that serve no purpose (e.g., hand flapping or finger wriggling); unusual response to sensory experiences
Which disorders are considered disorders on the autism spectrum?
Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Rhett’s syndrome, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
According to the DSM-V, what are the 5 main criteria of ASD?
Trouble with social communication and interaction; confined and repetitive movements, interests, and activities; symptoms cannot be explained by an intellectual disability or a global delay; symptoms negatively impact the person’s life; the child exhibits these symptoms at an early age (2 to 5 years old)
What are signs of difficulties with social communication and interaction that children with autism exhibit?
cannot adjust their behavior according to a social context; lack of facial expressions; tend to not share interests, emotions, or responses; do not show interest in their peers; cannot engage in back and forth conversation; do not want to play imaginary games with their peers; weird eye contact and body language; struggle to understand gestures; fail to start social interactions or be responsive in them
What are at least two restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities that children with autism exhibit?
perform the same motor movements, use the same objects, or say the same phrases repeatedly (e.g., echolalia, idiosyncractic phrases, lining up objects in a certain way; motor stereotypes); desire to keep their routine the same (e.g., eating at the same time and having rigid thinking patterns); obsessed with certain objects or activities to the point where they exclude other objects or activities; overly sensitive or insensitive to sensory input (e.g., smell or touch things too much or really sensitive to bright lights)
What are signs of a child with a Level 3 severity of Autism?
Little to no speech so they do not initiate conversations and social interactions and they tend to struggle to respond to comments and questiosn directed at them; they are very resistant to change and are very distressed when change occurs. They struggle to change the way they think.
What are signs of a child with a Level 2 severity of Autism?
Production of simple sentences and noticeable deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication; struggle with social interaction even with supports in place; odd nonverbal communication and often exhibit behaviors that prevent them from functioning. They struggle with change as well.
What are signs of a child with a Level 1 severity of Autism?
Struggle to respond to questions and comments from other people; difficulty with organization and planning; struggle to initiate conversation without support; some difficulty with change and with changing their behaviors to match the circumstances. They may not be interested in initiating social interactions.
Why is it important to identify and treat ASD early?
It helps to improve the child’s health, youth, development, and functioning long-term
What combination of factors increase the risk of a child being autistic?
genetics; older aged parents; having pregnancies that are 1 to 2 years apart; having identical twins; complications during pregnancy; having one child that already has ASD
What can decrease the risk of having a child with autism?
taking prenatal vitamins that have folic acid before, during, and after pregnancy
One reason children wtih ASD struggle with social communication is because
they lack theory of mind (able to feel and think what the other person is thinking and feeling)
What are some signs that a toddler is autistic?
Does not talk; wants to be alone; cannot change their pitch; echolalia; no babbling; does not make gestures; does not respond to their name; sounds robotic or singy-songy
What techniques can SLPs use to work with children with ASD to help them communicate?
Teach them to use PECS, to sign, or to type; use electronic talkers; train pragmatic skills; introduce sounds or sensory stimuli that the child initially is insensitive to or overly sensitive too
At what age are children typically diagnosed with autism?
After age 4 but as early as age 2.
What are the most noticeable aspects of ASD?
A lack of social skills (e.g., reading facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice) and communication abilities (e.g., echolalia, sounding robotic or singy-songy)
Which factors usually contribute to children with ASD lacking friendships?
Lack of eye contact and lack of social interaction
What verbal communication issues indicate that a child has ASD?
does not babble or use meaningful gestures by age 1; does not combine words by age 2; echolalia; robotic or singy-songy voice; does not smile; does not respond to their name; uses odd behavior (instead of words or gestures) to communicate.
What behaviors do children with ASD exhibit?
Stick to routines, one interest, one toy, and display repetitive physical behaviors such as flapping of hands or lining up toys in only one particular way; they will react negatively if their routine or way of doing things changes
What sensory problems are associated with children with ASD?
Too sensitive or not sensitive enough to sensory input such as sound, light, tastes, and textures; may be able to focus on one sense at a time; may not like to be hugged or like to wear clothes because they do not like texture on their skin.
