Chapter 6. Autism Spectrum Disorder

Question 1

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system

Answer 1

Techniques used to supplement the communication skills of children with ASD as they acquire spoken language or compensate for spoken language in children who are mute

Question 2

Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network

Answer 2

A group of programs funded by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to estimate the number of children with ASD in the United States, using medical and educational records

Question 3

Autism Genome Project

Answer 3

A private/public partnership of researchers in 19 different countries who are investigating the genetic causes of ASD

Question 4

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Answer 4

A DSM-5 disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities that begin in early life and cause significant impairment in social functioning

Question 5

Developmental social–pragmatic (DSP) model

Answer 5

An evidence-based approach to treating youths with ASD that encourages imitation, pretend play, and spontaneous social interaction in everyday contexts

Question 6

Discrete trial training

Answer 6

A behavioral technique to teach skills to children; each skill is broken into component parts; each part is systematically introduced, modeled, practiced, and reinforced; parts are combined to produce more complex behaviors

Question 7

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI)

Answer 7

A behavioral treatment for ASD that relies on intensive use of direct instruction to teach and reinforce social communication and language skills

Question 8

Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)

Answer 8

A developmental social–pragmatic approach to treating young children with ASD; children are taught imitation, social orientation, joint attention, and positive emotion communication skills using a developmentally sequenced curriculum

Question 9

Echolalia

Answer 9

The repetition of words or sounds uttered by others

Question 10

Empathy

Answer 10

The ability to take the perspective of another person in order to understand her thoughts, intentions, and feelings

Question 11

False belief task

Answer 11

A laboratory-based test of theory of mind

Question 12

Growth dysregulation hypothesis

Answer 12

Posits that youths with ASD show abnormal maturation of the cortex, large head circumference, and high synaptic density in early childhood but poor neural connectivity, especially in brain regions responsible for social communication and language

Question 13

Hand-over-hand assistance

Answer 13

A scaffolding technique to help children acquire new skills; the therapist guides the child’s hands with her own

Question 14

Joint attention

Answer 14

An infant’s ability to share attention with a caregiver on a single object or event in the outside world; often delayed in children with ASD

Question 15

Joint attention symbolic play engagement and regulation (JASPER)

Answer 15

An intervention for young children at risk for ASD; therapists reinforce joint attention and symbolic play in naturalistic interactions

Question 16

MSSNG

Answer 16

A project involving the genetic mapping of 10,000 individuals with ASD with the goal of determining the genetic risk factors for the disorder

Question 17

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

Answer 17

A low-tech AAC in which children communicate by pointing to or exchanging cards with symbols or pictures that represent actions, feelings, ideas, or objects

Question 18

Pivotal response treatment

Answer 18

A behavioral intervention usually administered by parents in naturalistic settings; designed to increase the motivation and self-regulation skills of children with ASD

Question 19

Pragmatics

Answer 19

The use of language in specific social contexts, especially the natural give-and-take that occurs during conversation and the ability to tell coherent stories with appropriate background information

Question 20

Pronoun reversal

Answer 20

The tendency of a child with ASD to say “You are happy” when he means “I am happy”

Question 21

Prosody

Answer 21

The pattern of stress or intonation in a person’s speech

Question 22

Reciprocal imitation training (RIT)

Answer 22

An intervention for young children at risk for ASD; teaches imitation skills through modeling and natural reinforcers

Question 23

Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities

Answer 23

A problem shown by all youths with ASD; characterized by (1) stereotyped or repetitive behaviors, (2) excessive adherence to routines or resistance to change, (3) restricted, fixated interests, or (4) unusual reactivity to sensory input

Question 24

Right fusiform gyrus

Answer 24

A brain region responsible for processing human faces and interpreting social behavior; often underactive in youths with ASD

Question 25

Scaffolding

Answer 25

A term used by Vygotsky to describe guidance and support provided to help children learn new skills as they interact with the environment

Question 26

Social communication

Answer 26

A deficit shown by all youths with ASD; reflects problems with (1) social–emotional reciprocity, (2) nonverbal communication, and (3) interpersonal relationships

Question 27

Social brain

Answer 27

A term used by some researchers to explain a neural pathway involved in social cognition and communication; includes the amygdala, right fusiform gyrus, and portions of the prefrontal cortex

Question 28

Social orientation

Answer 28

A child’s ability to attend to, and interact with, important aspects of interpersonal interactions(e.g., eyes, faces, emotional expressions, interactions between people); often delayed in children with ASD

Question 29

Structured teaching

Answer 29

A component of TEACCH; the use of structures and supports to help children understand and master the classroom environment

Question 30

Symbolic play

Answer 30

The child’s ability to allow one object to represent another object; important for language acquisition; often delayed in children with ASD

Question 31

Theory of mind

Answer 31

The understanding that people have mental states (e.g., thoughts, beliefs, intentions) that motivate their behavior; often deficient in children with ASD

Question 32

Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children (TEACCH)

Answer 32

A classroom-based intervention that relies on a highly structured teaching environment and scaffolding to improve social communication and reduce challenging behaviors in children with ASD

Question 33

UCLA Young Autism Project

Answer 33

An EIBI study conducted by Lovaas and colleagues that relied on discrete trial training for young children with ASD who were largely nonverbal; participants demonstrated gains in IQ and language

Question 34

Visual scene display (VSD)

Answer 34

A high-tech AAC system; children communicate and develop language skills by pressing on pictures on tablets that depict everyday scenes (e.g., bedroom, kitchen, school)

Question 35

Visual schedules

Answer 35

A chart containing pictures and symbols to organize and direct children’s daily behavior at home or school