Autism Spectrum Syndrome Flashcards
Executive function
Higher order control process to guide behavior in changing environment: planning, mental flexibility, working memory, mental flexibility, response initiation, impulse control and monitoring of action
Autism spectrum syndrome
Executive dysfunction
Planning
Cognitive skill that requires constant monitoring, evaluation and updating of actions
Mental flexibility
Ability to shift to a different thought or action in response to situational changes
Response inhibition
Ability to suppress irrelevant or interfering information or impulses
Generativity
Ability to generate novel ideas and behaviors spontaneously
Self monitoring
Ability to monitor one’s own thoughts and actions
results of executive function study
Planning: ASD children used significantly more moves and made more errors
Mental flexibility: no significant difference in errors—> negative correlation between errors and age in both groups
Response inhibition: no significant difference between groups but ASD group inhibited significantly fewer incongruent items
Generativity and self-monitoring/ verbal fluency: no significant difference in groups —> in ASD children no correlation between age and correct answers
Inclusion of ASD children in school
Facilitate the presence, participation, acceptance and achievement of pupils with ASD in mainstream settings
Strategies for inclusion
Challenge stereotypes and raise expectations Create order from chaos Promote peer understanding Develop social skills Adapt academic subjects Modify conversational language
Difficulties of people with ASD
Difficulty in making sense of the world
Problems in communication and social development
Displaying ritualistic and stereotyped behavior and resistance to change
Challenge stereotypes and raise expectations
Look beyond the label —> pupils do not get defined by their diagnosis
Create order from chaos
Picking quiet, well-behaved classes for pupils with ASD
Create certain areas that are used as a refuge
Create schedule that allows them to know daily routine —> putting small photos of rooms and teachers etc. on schedule
Promote peer understanding
‘Circles of friends’ activities can be successful strategy—> works by building relationships around vulnerable children to establish support networks that then develop into natural friends
Students need to understand why students with ASD have such ‘quirky behaviors’
Develop social skills
ASD children have difficulties to learn a set of skills that are not taught directly but are taken for granted like body language
Social stories:
Descriptive sentences: define situation/ event and introduce characters and roles
Perspective sentences: information regarding the internal states of characters
Directive sentences: define what is expected in response to a particular cue or behavior
Modify conversational language
ASD children tend to understand and use language in a very literal manner
—> try not to use metaphors, figures of speech, sarcasm, and irony
Power
Can be attained through advantages in social status or popularity, physical size and strength, age, intellectual ability, membership in a socially defined dominant group
Bullying
individual or a group of people with more power, repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people who feel helpless to respond
Children who are bullied are more likely to exhibit:
Psychosomatic symptoms Poor social and emotional adjustment Low ratings of school commitment Depressive symptoms Anxiety, and clinically significant social problems Criminal behavior (substance abuse)
Reasons why ASD children get victims of bullying
Atypical interests and/ or behaviors
Intense emotional and/ or behavioral reactions to victimization
Struggling with initiating and sustaining peer interaction
Difficulties in communication
Protective factors in face of bullying
Assertiveness, healthy communication, and peer relationships
Different types of bullying
Physical
Verbal
Social
Cyber
Factors that predict victimization (independently)
Child age Communication difficulties Internalizing mental health problems Parent mental health problems Child having few friends at school
4 participant roles in bullying
Assistant to the bully, reinforcer of the bully, outsider, and defender of the victim
Important skills to cope with bullying
Adaptive emotional and behavioral regulation strategies and coping skills
Ignoring peer provocation
Identifying and engaging with supportive peers
Problem solving
Communicating assertively
Prevention focuses
Different types of bullying Power imbalances inherent in bullying Student rights for feeling safe Responsibility of bystanders to support those who are victimized Reporting procedures within the school
