Neurodiversity

Question 1

What does the PARC study look at?

Answer 1

Autism

Question 2

Name the 4 areas where there are differences in those with autism:

Answer 2

• social interactions
• Communication
• Interests and activities
• Adaptive behavior

Question 3

What age will autism occur

Answer 3

before age 3

Question 4

Describe the difficulties in social interaction - experienced in those with Autism

Answer 4

Social interaction
- few non-verbal behavior
- challenges developing relationships with peers
- challenges in reciprocal social interactions
- differences in theory of mind

Question 5

What test is used in autism to asses theory if mind?

Answer 5

Minds eye test
- show people eyes and ask them what the person is thinking
- neurotypical people have more diversity in their results

Question 6

Describe the difficulties in communication - experienced in those with Autism

Answer 6

Communication
- later acquisition, or total absence, of spoken language
- challenges initiating and maintaining conversations
- unusual language - preservations, echolalia, pronoun reversal

Question 7

Describe the activities in interests - experienced in those with Autism

Answer 7

Activities and interests
- preoccupation
- stereotypes and repetitive movement
- less typical use of objects
- preoccupation with parts of objects vs the whole

Question 8

People with autism show a ______ preference to report global properties of a stimulus when given a choice, their ability to process global properties when instructed to do so is _______. Thus people with ASD show a _______, not a disability, in _____ ______

Answer 8

People with autism show a __reduced____ preference to report global properties of a stimulus when given a choice, their ability to process global properties when instructed to do so is __unimpaired_____. Thus people with ASD show a ___disinclination____, not a disability, in __global___ __processing____

Question 9

What is the diagnostic criteria for autism?

Answer 9

A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by:
1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity
2. Deficits in nonverbal communication behaviors used for social interaction
3. Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships

B. Restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by 2+ of the following
1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects or speech
2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior
3. Highly restricted fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus
4. Hyper- or hypoactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment

C. symptoms must be present in the early developmental period

D. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning

E. Not better explained by an intellectual disability

Question 10

What is the severity of autism based on?

Answer 10

Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior

Question 11

Describe level 3 Autism

Answer 11

Social: severe deficits in verbal and non verbal skills impairing functioning

Behavior: inflexible, extreme difficulty coping with change

Support: 1 on 1 educational assistance
- alternative communication skills

Question 12

Describe level 2 Autism

Answer 12

Social: marked deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills, social impairments even with support, limited initiation of social interactions

Behavior: inflexible, difficulty coping with change

Support: School accommodations
Social/communication skills support

Question 13

Describe level 3 Autism

Answer 13

Social: without support have noticeable deficits in social communication, difficulty initiating social interactions, may have decreased interest in social interactions

Behavior: inflexibility of behavior causes significant interference with functioning, difficulties switching activities, problems with organization

Support: supportive therapy
- Life skills coach

Question 14

What is the etiology of ASD

Answer 14

• Genetics
• People are waiting longer to have kids
• Environmental toxins

Question 15

What is the treatment for ASD?

Answer 15

Applied Behavioral Analysis
- early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI)
- Focus in cognitive communication, and behavioral difficulties
- Effectiveness: reduction in challenging behaviors in 90-80% of cases

Question 16

What are the 2 areas of functioning that can be different in - Intellectual Disability?

Answer 16

1. Intellectual functioning: reasoning, problem solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgement, academic and experiential learning
2. Adaptive functioning: difficulty living without ongoing support, affecting functioning in one or more activities of daily life across multiple environments