Chapter 10 - Causes 2: Additional shared characteristics and major specifiers Flashcards
Do individuals with ASD have a lack of imagination and creativity?
They are considered to lack imagination and creativity, however, they can be creative in certain contexts. It is difficult to be spontaneously creative, but if they are prompted they can (ex: can’t ‘generate as many words as possible’ but can ‘ generate many names of animals’)
What theories explain an impaired ability to engage in imagination and creativity?
An inability to generate without a cue, to plan, to initiate (psychic akinesia)
What are ‘fine cuts’? (Islets of ability)
The phenomenon of two closely-related facets of behaviour, one of which is impaired, the other of which is unimpaired
What are examples of ‘fine cuts’?
Relatively normal attachment contrasting with generalized SEC impairments, proto imperatives (indicating that you want something) vs proto declaratives (ability to understand what someone else wants), intact non-declarative (implicit) memory contrasting with impaired declarative (explicit) memory, unimpaired mechanical reading contrasting with impaired meaningful reading, dextrous fitting and assembly skills contrasting with generalized learning difficulties and impaired motor skills, savant abilities in learning disabled individuals
What are common motor impairments?
Abnormalities of gait and posture, clumsiness and slower than average movement repetition, coordination problems, impaired imitation of other’s self-directed body movements
What are the physical factors that explain motor impairments?
Reduced muscle tone (hypotonia), joint laxity, ‘tight heel cords’ (Achilles’ tendons are hypertonic or congenitally short) (leads to toe-walking)
What are the psychological causes that explain motor impairments?
Impaired motor planning and control, problems of self-other equivalence mapping (issue with mirror neurons)
How do individuals with ASD have an impaired sense of self?
They may have factual knowledge about themselves but they lack autobiographical memories and lack an understanding of their own emotions, as well as a poor understanding of how they are seen by other people
What theories explain the learning disability specifier in ASD?
Subaverage fluid intelligence, impaired semantic memory, impaired language, socio-cultural deprivation (lack of environmental stimulation that can contribute to learning disability)
What linguistic anomalies are common to all individuals with ASD?
Impaired dyadic interaction, defective mentalizing/ mindreading, sensory-perceptual anomalies, working memory impairment, impaired episodic memory
What explains language impairments in high-functioning individuals?
Impaired knowledge of the phonology of spoken language (abnormal speech perception, inattention to others’ speech), comorbid developmental language impairment (DLI), verbal dyspraxia (motor disorder)
What explains language impairments in low-functioning individuals?
Subaverage fluid intelligence, comorbid DLI, pervasive impairment of declarative memory
