Autism Spectrum Disorder

Question 1

year it was first described

Answer 1

1940s

Question 2

comorbidity

Answer 2

40-50% for intellectual disability

Question 3

savant abilities

Answer 3

about 1/10 individuals have savant abilities

- intense knowledge in a certain category ex. music

Question 4

motor development

Answer 4

60% show dysdiadochokinesia
33% have difficulties with gait or postural positioning
15% have abnormal muscle tone

Question 5

theory of mind

Answer 5

our understanding of the mental activity and expressed emotions of others
- individuals with autism lack in theory of mind

Question 6

problems with theory of mind

Answer 6

• social impairments occur before
• tom and communicative ability develop separately
• high functioning autistic children often do well on tom tasks
• tom deficits appear in intellectual disabilities

Question 7

extreme male brain theory

Answer 7

males are more systemizers

- autism have exaggerated male profile

Question 8

intense world theory

Answer 8

strong response to sensory stimulation is the root of autism

Question 9

vpa in rats

Answer 9

rats treated in utero to vpa show withdrawn social behaviour and hyper-reactivity to stimuli similar to that of autism

Question 10

empathy imbalance hypothesis

Answer 10

children with autism have weak cognitive empathy but heightened emotional empathy

Question 11

3 functional deficits in autism

Answer 11

social cognition
language
motor behaviour and motor coordination

Question 12

structures in motor behaviour and motor coordination

Answer 12

motor cortex
premotor cortex
cerebellum

Question 13

structures in language

Answer 13

brocas area

wernickes area

Question 14

structures in executive function

Answer 14

prefrontal lobe

Question 15

social cognition

Answer 15

various areas referred to as the social brain