Autism Spectrum Disorder

Question 1

Both paternal and maternal age are associated with autism, specifically in the first-born

Answer 1

Durkin et al (2008)

Question 1

First born to older mothers more likely to have autism, as well as mothers with gestational diabetes and bleeding in pregnancy

Pre-eclampsia and previous foetal loss found to be preventative in autism

Answer 1

Gardener et al (2009)

Question 2

Advanced paternal age caused autism, not maternal age

Answer 2

Reichenburg et al (2006)

Question 3

An experiment pioneered by Baron-Cohen finding candidate genes for autism. They asked for ethics from 12 autistic people but there was outrage

Answer 3

Spectrum 10k (2021)

Question 4

Autistic people have more grey and white matter in the brain, changing across development

Answer 4

O’Heam et al (2008)

Question 5

Autistic people show differences in neurochemical NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr. Those with cognitive deficits had less NAA/Cr

Answer 5

Margari et al (2018)

Question 6

Those exposed to valproic acid in pregnancy showed repetitive ‘autistic’ behaviour - in rats

Answer 6

Choi et al (2016)

Question 7

Found 16 candidate genes for autism

Answer 7

Ruzzo et al (2019)

Question 8

There is a suggestion inheritance of autism is stronger between mothers and sons

Answer 8

Krumm et al (2015)

Question 9

There is a genetic and environmental mix for autism, more research should look into environment

Answer 9

Chaste and Leboyer (2022)

Question 10

Motor and functional therapies helped more than communication based therapies for autistic people

Answer 10

Ospina et al (2008)

Question 11

Autistic people are more vulnerable to medical side effects than those without autism

Answer 11

Accordino et al (2016)

Question 12

Out of 6 Makaton studies, 5 were found to increase communication and 4 found it initiated spoken language

Answer 12

Larkin et al (2021)

Question 13

Autistic children who were more likely to be signed to and spoken to at the same time were more likely to develop speech than those that used sign alone

Answer 13

Yoder and Layton (1988)

Question 14

Video modelling found to be effective in people with autism

Answer 14

Delano (2007)

Question 15

47% achieved normal intellectual functioning after Lovaas therapy, with normal IQ and average 1st grade performance (autism)

Answer 15

Lovaas (1987)

Question 16

When given Lovaas therapy targeting behaviour, autistic children made more gains 2 years after treatment than those that didn’t have treatment

Answer 16

Eldevik et al (2006)

Question 17

Social Stories effective in increasing game playing behaviour, story comprehension and social skills in 8-12 year olds with autism

Answer 17

Andrews (2005)

Question 18

Verbal intelligence and autism severity predicted how well Social Stories technique works

Answer 18

Feinberg (2002)

Question 19

Social communication improved during Social Stories for 4 to 8 year old autistic children

Answer 19

Romano (2002)

Question 20

Working memory and planning predicted severity of ASD

Answer 20

Leung et al (2015)

Question 21

Autistic people with low working memory showed less adaptive behaviour, those with communication difficulties showed difficulties in executive functioning

Answer 21

Gilotty et al (2002)

Question 22

Autistic children took less turns in conversations, were less affirming and had less gestures

Answer 22

Loveland et al (1988)

Question 23

Autistic teens were less likely to gesture on request and had less peer interactions

Answer 23

Attwood et al (1988)

Question 24

ASD group scored significantly lower than neurotypical groups in social communication

Answer 24

Wetherby et al (2007)

Question 25

Autistic children with Pathological Demand Avoidance showed more executive function deficits than those without PDA

Answer 25

Goodson (2018)

Question 26

Autistic people have deficits in planning tasks

Answer 26

Ozonoff et al (1991)

Question 27

Autistic people have deficits in shifting tasks

Answer 27

Prior et al (1990)

Question 28

Inconsistent evidence for working memory impairments in autistic people

Answer 28

Kercood et al (2014)

Question 29

In working memory for autism - visuospatial sketchpad more impaired than phonological loop

Answer 29

Wang et al (2007)

Question 30

Due to lack of grey and white matter in the brain, there are working memory and inhibition impairments in autism

Answer 30

O’Heam et al (2008)

Question 31

Autistic people are impaired in inhibition tasks

Answer 31

Christ et al (2007)

Question 32

Inhibition problems are observed in children with ASD, but there is large variation between studies

Answer 32

Guests et al (2014)

Question 33

No differences between autistic and non-autistic in inhibition, however development of the skills are impaired

Answer 33

Luna et al (2007)

Question 34

Face processing is not due to social issues, but rather a visual processing issue in autism

Answer 34

Behmann et al (2006)

Question 35

Slow global processing of ASD in a meta-analysis

Answer 35

Van der Hallen et al (2015)

Question 36

Autistic people fail to use context in reading

Answer 36

Happe (1995)

Question 37

Autistic people are less likely to succumb to visual illusions

Answer 37

Happe (1996)

Question 38

Central coherence in autism

Answer 38

Neurotypical - desire to have a higher meaning and tend to process information in context
Autistic - Have a bias towards local processing

Question 39

Anxiety in ASD

Answer 39

Anxiety effects around 40-50% of people with ASD

Question 40

90% of people with ASD have sensory issues

Answer 40

Leekam et al (2006)

Question 41

1/5 of those with ASD have Pathological Demand Avoidance, however only 1 in 9 displayed the full criteria

Answer 41

Gilbert et al (2015)

Question 42

75% of children with autism struggle with Theory of Mind

Answer 42

Baron-Cohen et al (1985)

Question 43

Theory of Mind predicts severity of ASD

Answer 43

Hoogenhout and Malcolm-Smith (2017)

Question 44

Correlation between Theory of Mind and social and communication difficulties in autism

Answer 44

Steele et al (2003)

Question 45

Attention difficulties is Down syndrome and ASD are similar

Answer 45

Lincoln et al (2002)

Question 46

Autistic people use more gestures in speech compared to Down syndrome

Answer 46

Attwood et al (1988)