Autism Lecture Flashcards
CDC stats on autism conservatively
1 in 44 children
4 times more common in boys than girls
Average age of diagnosis is between 4 and 5 years of age.
For children who are culturally and linguistically diverse diagnosis often comes later and after many more visits to professionals
Likely the same amount of boys and girls with autism but what is the difference that makes the stats different
Girls are being assessed differently. When boys don’t make eye contact, we see it as a red flag, if a girl does that then they are labeled shy. We see the genders differently.
What are the main indicators of autism diagnosis
not responding with adults, not making eye contact, not understanding social cues
DSM looks for what in ASD diagnosis
Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities
The symptoms are present in the early developmental period and
Cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational and other important areas of functioning
These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability or global developmental delay
ASD is what kind of diagnosis
diagnosis of exclusion
3 levels of severity with the diagnosis
mild, moderate or severe.
What are some symptoms of ASD but not necessarily in the DSM
Hyporesponsiveness, hyperresponsiveness, enhanced perception, hyporeactive, hyperreactivity, unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment,
Why is early identification important?
What is the impact of early identification on the family?
To get proper support. Helps to initiate services that can start early. The more support we get the better the outcomes long term.
Initiation of services can begin early
Refer children with “red flag” behavior early
What is the impact of early identification on the family?
Late diagnosis associated with increased parental stress
Interventions before age 4 associated with improved skills
What is the impact on the family of an Autism diagnosis
- Access to care in early years.
- Higher stress levels
- Sibling relationships
89% of parents are the core case coordinator of their child’s care. 25% of those say they spend more than 10hrs per week coordinating care.
from one study. this leads to higher stress levels, financial stress and community isolation
sibling relationships of ASD children some reported -
more empathy
lonliness, not much parental attention, confusion of rules of how to act or not act since the ASD child could get away with. agression from ASD siblings and stress of taking over caregiver role.
What can we do as OTs to help families
collaborate with family throughout the intervention process to understand the families needs. We want to understand their strengths and give them the tools to problem solve.
What are barriers to an early diagnosis?
Dismissal by healthcare providers
Misconception that a reliable diagnosis is only done after age 2 or after the age of 3. We know that is not true but some professionals won’t screen a child early.
Autism diagnostic tools
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT)
Ages and Stages Questionnaire, 3rd edition (ASQ-3)
Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ)
Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised
Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule-2
Childhood Autism Rating Scale 2nd edition (CARS-2)
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, 3rd edition (GARS-3)
What is the impact accross a diagnosis dx
- Occupational Performance:
- Social Participation - delayed or limited due to communication issues.
- Play - may exhibit unusual visual, limited creativity, pretend play is limited. more solitary and functional play
- Sleep - difficulty falling and or staying asleep due to sensory processing needs.
- ADLs - Sensory processing makes ADLs hard. fine motor skills can be impacted.
- Education - sensory needs impacting participation in education. challenges in fine motor skills required
