Lecture 18: Autism Spectrum Disorder Flashcards
Theory of mind - (2)
The ability to represent mental states including the repsentation of:
1. One’s own mental state
2. Other’s mental states
Mental states include: (6)
- Thoughts
- Beliefs
- Emotions
- Motivations
- Intentions
- Desires
Deficits in ToM are common and perhaps universal among people with ASD
Some tests reveal differences between people with ASD and people without. What are some key differences (7)
- Mental vs physical
- Functions of the brain
- Appearance vs reality
- First-order belief tasks
- Second-order belief tasks
- Inferences from gaze-direction
- Seeing leads to knowing
Mental vs physical representation deficits in ASD Example
One person is holding a dog and another person is thinking about a dog. Who can pet the dog?
Children with ASD have difficulty answering.
Functions of the brain deficit example
Children at 4 with ASD have difficulty naming parts of the brain
Appearance vs reality representation example
Children at 4 with ASD mistake appearance for reality more than children without ASD eg. A candle shaped like an apple
First-order belief tasks difficulty example
Children at 4 with ASD have difficulty attributing belief states to others eg. Mommy believes I brushed my teeth
Second-order belief tasks deficit example
Children at 6 with aSD have difficulty attributing beliefs about beliefs eg. Mommy believes that Daddy believes I brushed my teeth
Inferences from gaze direction deficit example
Children at 4 with aSD have difficulty inferring what someone wants/interested in from the direction where they’re looking
Seeing leads to knowing deficit example
Children at 3 with ASD have difficulty with the principle that seeing leads to knowing eg. One person touches a box while the other looks into it. Who knows what’s in the box.
Children with ASD have difficulty answering
Other tasks children with ASD have difficulty with other than the main 6 (2)
- Deception
- Detecting deception/irony/jokes
Who is more likely to have ASD between males/females
Males
When are symptoms first observed for people with ASD
Early depending on severity but usually 2 years
Some children with ASD undergo a period of social regression which means?
The loss of developed social capacities
ASD is classified as a __________ disorder
Neurodevelopmental disorder
Because ASD is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder it indicates that it involves:?
Atypical brain development during the first years of life
Is ASD a neurodegenerative disorder?
Yes/No - What does this mean?
No - learning and skill building can occur!
There is a wide range in the degree of _____ and _______ among people with ASD
Distress and impairment
Level 1 of Distress and impairment levels in people with ASD - without support deficits in social communication are noticeable (3)
- Difficulty with back/forth conversation
- Mild difficulty switching between activities
- Interests are somewhat limited
Level 2 of Distress and impairment levels in people with ASD - deficits in social communication are evidence even with support in place e
- Most communications highly fixated on one topic
- Moderate difficulty switching between activities
- Interests are limited to a narrow range
Level 3 of Distress and impairment levels in people with ASD - Severe deficits in social communication (3)
- Difficulty initiating any social interaction
- Severe distress when switching between activities
- Severely limited interests interfere with functioning in all domains
Associated features of ASD (10)
- High rates of comorbidities
- Language impairment
- Intellectual disability
- Motor control problems
- Catalonia
- Self-aggression
- Inattention/hyperactivity/impulsivity
- Sleep disorders
- Seizures
- Anxiety and depression
Catalonia
Non-responsiveness to people/environment, mutism, unusual body position, and/or repetitive non-goal directed movement
Why might people with ASD have a seizure disorder?
Underlying cause of cerebral dysgenesis (abnormal brain development)
