Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders Flashcards
What are the ASD in DSM4?
Autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, pervasive developmental disorders, Rett’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder.
What is the ASD in DSM5?
Autism spectrum disorder
What does autism mean?
Within oneself
What does spectrum mean?
Symptoms, abilities, characteristics are expressed in many combinations across many degrees of severity
What is ASD like in infancy?
Crying is communication, cry sound is different, louder, more distressed, more screaming. Variations in the pitch, sound wave frequency, and amount of breath exalted between cries often make these cries difficult for parents to “decode”.
What is ASD like over time?
Symptoms may decrease because of interventions. Many experience a pubertal deterioration. Comorbid depression and anxiety often occur.
What is ASD like in adulthood?
20% live content, fulfilled lives. 30% report some difficulties but overall good social, educational, and operational functioning. 50% not able to live independently. Many are able to understand social expectations better. Less changes in stereotypies.
What are stereotypies?
Way to self-calm, self-regulate and comfort or to buffer against overstimulation. Also a way to express emotion.
What is the Theory of Mind?
Awareness of mental states in self and others, understanding that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from one’s own. By age 4, normal children can comprehend what others think but children with ASD have trouble. Difficulties with the Theory of Mind are unique to ASD.
What is the Mind-blindness theory?
Suggests that children with autism do not develop capacity to “mind-read” in the same way other children do.
What is the Sally-Anne Test?
A psychological experiment used to assess a person’s ability to understand that others have beliefs that differ from their own, a concept known as “theory of mind”. Children with autism have a hard time with the theory of mind.
Autism and eye contact
People with ASD have trouble with eye contact.
Autism and empathy
Lack of eye contact does not mean lack of empathy.
Cognitive empathy
Able to infer another’s emotions correctly. Often difficult for those with ASD.
Empathic concern
Able to respond to another’s emotions supportively. Often difficult for those with ASD.
Affective empathy
Able to feel the same emotions as another person. Those with ASD often better than others. Shown in fMRI.
What is Milton’s Double Empathy Problem?
Hypothesizes that there is a mutual misunderstanding between people who have autism and people who do not. Bidirectional difficulty understanding each other because of different communication styles of life experiences.
What are the sex differences in ASD?
3-4X more common in males. Mild ASD 10X more likely to be male.
What is the Empathizing-Systemizing Theory?
Highly controversial. Suggests that ASD may be an extreme manifestation of typical male cognitive traits with high systemizing abilities and low empathizing abilities.
What are systemizing abilities?
The drive to analyze, explore, construct, and understand systems and rules. This trait is typically stronger in males.
What are empathizing abilities?
The ability to identify others’ thoughts and emotions and respond appropriately. This trait is typically stronger in females.
What is the “extreme male brain”?
High systemizing abilities: Strong interest in patterns, details, and rule-based systems. Low empathizing abilities: Difficulties in social communication and emotional understanding. People with ASD score more highly on tests of systemizing than normal males.
With the “extreme male brain” and E-S theory, what is a possible cause of ASD?
Excessive exposure to fetal testosterone and other androgens. Studies show pregnant mothers with higher levels of testosterone in amniotic fluid are associated with ASD traits in children at ages 6-10 y/o.
