autism Flashcards
Domains of Autism symptoms
social communication impairment
restricted interests/repetitive behaviors
diagnostic criteria
3 deficits in social communication and at least two symptoms in restricted range of activities/repetitive behaviors
new symptom will be included in diagnostic criteria
hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory input or unusually interests in sensory aspects of the environment
when are children diagnosed
a diagnosis of autism at age 2 can be reliable, valid and stable
High systemizers choose each other as mates, and may be pass on genetic risk for ASD to children
assortative mating
those that only cope with highly lawful systems, and cannot cope with systems of high variance or change, such as the social world of other minds, appear ‘change-resistant’
systemizers
environmental risks for ASD
maternal, paternal age
ongoing research for a lot of things
strengths in ASD
often highly skilled in a particular area
Attention to detail
tendency to be logical (good for decision making)
usually visual processing
Signs of ASD
differences in social interaction and communication
defining symptom of autism
social impairment
ASD red flags
no babbling or pointing by age 1 no single words by 16 mo or two-word phrases by age 2 no response to name loss of language or social skills poor eyecontact or poor use of eye gaze
other ASD red flags
excessive lining up of toys or objects
lack of smiling or social responsiveness, lack of shared enjoyment
lack of joint attention
limited interaction
lack of gestures to compensate for communication difficulties
“sticky” attention
absolute indicators of ASD
No babbling by 12 mo No gesturing by 12 mo No single words by 16 mo No two word spontaneous phrases by 24 mo loss of language or social skills at any age
Other indicators
at 12 mo
sleep difficulties
eating difficulties
play: differences in object exploration (lack of, unusual)
communication/speech differences
use of language differences
reciprocal communication- ‘five and take’ of conversations
body language
restricted interests/repetitive behaviors
sensory differences
1 ASD in older kids
motor differences in ASD
postural asymmetries
gait; lack of heel toe pattern, lack of reciprocal arm movements, more waddling
jitteriness and irritability or reduced motor activity, excessive stereotypical object play
excessive time looking at nearby objects
motor differences in toddlers with eventual diagnosis
atypical hand and finger movements
more stereotypical object play (excessive banging or preoccupation with spinning objects or with part of an object)
motor stereotypes
rhythmic, repetitive, fixed, predictable but “purposeless” movements
children with ASD demonstrated significantly more
sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking (SIRS) behaviors simultaneously
studies have found that children with ASD demonstrate increasingly _______ as they age
complex repetitive behaviors
sensory processing patterns
hyper reponsiveness
hyporesponsiveness
enhanced perception
sensory seeking
hyper responsiveness
avoidance/sensitivities
hyporesponsiveness
bystander
enhanced perception
hyper-aware/detail oriented
sensory seeking
lots of sensory input
easily overwhelmed by sensory input and try to get away from sensory experiences
avoiders
they notice every detail, such as texture, spices or temp of food, and only certain textures etc are acceptable
can detect a different brand of popcorn or spice
can be demanding about the precise way they want a meal or their clothing
sensors
miss sensory input that other notice, and so have an easy time being in many types of places
not distracted by small inputs and can concentrate even in busy places that might be challenging for others
might also miss sensory input such as someone calling their name; they may seem oblivious to the inputs that other notice easily
bystanders
All children should be screened for ASD _____ before age 2
twice
once at 18 mo and once at 24 mo
All children should be screened for ASD _____ before age 2
twice
once at 18 mo and once at 24 mo
all children should be screened for developmental delays and disabilities during regular well-child doctors visits at
9 mo
18 mo
24 mo
30 mo
all children should be screened specifically for ASDs during regular well-child doctor visits at
18 mo
24 mo
additional screening might be needed if a child is a high risk for ASDs or if behaviors sometimes associated with ASDs are present
determines if a child meets diagnostic criteria for autism
assessment attempts to gather info about the child
part of a broader, multi-disciplinary assessment
diagnostic tool
20 item yes/no parent response checklist
follow up scripted interview for failed items reduces false positives
tested on 16-30 mo old
translated into multiple languages, used in many countries
MCAT-R
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers
6 key principles of coaching
authentic contexts Family interests and routines caregiver interaction and responsiveness observation modeling joint plans
