Cognitive Theories of ASD Flashcards
ASD is a recent condition only discovered within the last
30 years
What does the phrase ‘lost generation’ refer to?
The generation of older adults 50/60s who have missed an ASD diagnosis
There is a misconception that ASD is more common in what age group
Children
How many people have ASD in the UK?
1% of the population
700,000 people
A study in 2006 showed that how many in 100 suffer with ASD
1 in 100
Why is ASD on a spectrum
Mild to serve
ASD is not referred to as an illness but a
Condition
What defines AS and High functioning ASD
They don’t have a language delay or learning disability
When was AS introduced
1992
What diagnosis manual has AS been removed from
DSM V
What way did Kenny et al. 2016 find that ASD people prefer to be refered to?
Autistic people or person
What are the key features of an ASD diagnosis
Innate inability to form the usual biologically provided affective contact with people.
Poverty of facial expressions.
Many stereotypical movements that do no convey meaning.
Impulsive and stimulus driven.
Can have amazing logical and abstract thought.
What were Kanner’s cardinal features?
Autistic aloneness.
Obsessive insistence on sameness (Intolerante to change)
When was ASD define as a social detachment or social non-integration
1940s
Who created the triad of impairments
Wing and Gould 1979
What are the triads of impairment
Socialisation
Communication
Imagination
What are the 3 characteristics of social impairment?
Social attachment
Understanding others minds/thoughts/feelings
Emotion regulation and coping with change.
Define social attachement
- indifference to other people; difficulty making friends - biological independent contact
- may seem independent as a toddler, resists or does not seek affection
- can be affectionate and show attachment on a simple level
Define understanding others minds/thoughts/feelings
- difficulty interpreting other person’s need for affection
- difficult to understand other people’s thoughts and emotions- and responding appropriately to those.
- irregular eye contact -> do not follow gaze -> seem to be ‘in a world of their own’
Define emotional regulation
- difficulty managing emotions, -> expressed as outbursts of anger or aggression - emotional regulation difficulties.
- difficulties coping with new situations
- difficult to accept simple social rules, causing problems at school - parents describe lack of social inhibition or socially limited behaviour.
What forms of communication does impairment of communication effect?
Non-verbal
Verbal
Define impairment of imagination (narrowing of interests and behaviours)
- inability to play imaginatively with objects or toys (pretend play) or others, restirced range of imagnination.
- is an outward manifestation of this impairment
may be overly interested in repetitive activities, resistance to novel topics, narrow interest act out certain interests even from a young age. - may take up a special interest at a young age, such as collecting, or music and art
- older children/adolescents may develop obsessions (excessive interest in timetables or lists, storing up trivial facts/encyclopaedic knowledge)
What earlier symptoms can be found in children with ASD
- sit up or walk later than most children, sensory or motor difficulties.
- be oversensitive to noise or touch
- have odd mannerisms such as rocking back and forth, hand flapping, walking on tip- toes or head banging
- be clumsy and struggle with physical activity
- like sticking to the same routines, and may get very upset if these are disturbed
- be over or under sensitive to sight, sound, smell, touch and taste
What non-social features of ASD have also been identified?
- restricted area of interest/preoccupation with parts of objects* looking at objects in close interest.
- desire for sameness and routine - intolerance of uncertainty.
- excellent rote memory
- savant abilities - out of keeping with the persons functioning, difficulty with language but amazing artists.
- islets of ability
ASD co-ocurance with other difficulties has found to be high by
Gilberg and Billstedt 2000
What percentage of people with ASD have an unspecified cognitive impairment and specific impairment
80% non-specified
10-25% specifed
Lever and Guests 2016 found that what percentage of ASD people meet the criteria for at least 1 psychiatric condition?
79%
What is the gender ratio of ASD diagnosis
10 boys : 1 girl
but this is changing
How is ASD diagnosed?
Autism diagnosis interview (AD)
Autism diagnosis observational schedule (ADOS)
What factors make a good cognitive theory of ASD
Specificity
Uniqueness
Universality
What are the three main theories of ASD
Theory of mind
Executive Dysfunction
Weak central coherence
When was it suggested that ASD might arise from primary cognitive deficits
1980s
Define the Theory of Mind stance
Agent without a machine
Who created the Sally Anne test to support the ToM stance
Baron-Cohen et al. 1985
What was ASD performance on Baron-Cohen 1985 Sally Anne test
80% of ASD failed
What group of people did Baron-Cohen 1985 include to prove Sally Anne performance was not due to learning difficulties?
Downs Syndrome