Week 4

Question 1

What is ASD?

Answer 1

• ASD is a group of severe, pervasive conditions that begin in infancy or early childhood and affect:
  ○ Socialization
  ○ Communication
  ○ Stereotyped or perseverative behaviors

Question 2

When was ASD first considered a diagnostic entity, and when was it introduced as an official diagnostic criterion?

Answer 2

Recognized as a distinct diagnostic entity over 80 years ago, but not included in official diagnostic criteria until 1980.

Question 3

Why is there an increasing prevalence of ASD?

Answer 3

Expanded diagnostic criteria and awareness rather than an actual rise in cases

Question 4

What is the current estimate of children diagnosed with ASD?

Answer 4

1 in 36 children

Question 5

Is ASD more common in boys or girls?

Answer 5

Four times more common in boys

Question 6

True or false: Prevalence of ASD is inconsistent across race and ethnicity?

Answer 6

False

Question 7

What is another primary reason for the increase in prevalence of ASD?

Answer 7

Recognition of high-functioning autism (By the way, the correct term is now low-support autism, but I don’t think Dave knows that)

Question 8

Schools face increasing challenges with ASD due to

Answer 8

• More identified students
• Greater emphasis on inclusion in general education classrooms

Question 9

Major changes regarding autism from DSM-IV to DSM-V

Answer 9

• DSM-IV had 4 separate disorders:
  1. Autistic Disorder
  2. Rett’s Disorder
  3. Asperger’s Disorder
  4. Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Specified (PDD-NOS)
  
  • DSM-5 (2013) merged these into one category: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Diagnosis now requires:
    
    1. Deficits in social communication & social interaction
       
       • Lack of social-emotional reciprocity
       • Difficulty in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships
    2. Restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (at least 2 of the following):
       
       • Repetitive motor movements, object use, or speech
       • Insistence on sameness, inflexible routines, ritualized behavior
       • Highly restricted, fixated interests
         § Sensory abnormalities (hyper/hypo-reactivity to sensory input)

Question 10

IDEA identifies autism as

Answer 10

A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction.

Question 11

True or false: IDEA states autism should be evident before age 3

Answer 11

True

Question 12

What are other requirements the IDEA states for diagnosis of autism

Answer 12

• Adversely affects educational performance.
  
  • Often involves:
    ○ Repetitive activities & stereotyped movements
    ○ Resistance to change in routine
    ○ Unusual sensory responses
    Exclusion: Not due to emotional disturbance

Question 13

What are the core symptoms of ASD?

Answer 13

1. Social Interaction Deficits
2. Communication Impairments
3. Restrictive or Repetitive Behaviors

Question 14

What are examples of Social Interaction Deficits?

Answer 14

• Poor eye contact
  
  • Failure to use gestures for communication
  • Inability to develop appropriate peer relationships
  • Lack of awareness of others’ emotions

Question 15

What are examples of Communication Impairments?

Answer 15

• Delayed speech or absence of speech
  
  • Echolalia (repeating words/phrases)
  • Pronoun reversal (e.g., “you” instead of “I”)
  • Lack of pretend play

Question 16

What are examples of Restrictive or Repetitive Behaviors?

Answer 16

• Highly narrow interests
  
  • Rigid adherence to routines
  • Repetitive motor movements (e.g., hand-flapping, rocking)

Question 17

What are potential associated features of ASD?

Answer 17

• Sleep disturbances
  
  • Emotional abnormalities:
    ○ Mood swings
    ○ Sudden laughter or crying
    ○ Extreme overreactions
    ○ Over/under sensitivity to stimuli

Question 18

True or False: There is a specific cause for ASD?

Answer 18

False

Question 19

True or False: Vaccines cause autism

Answer 19

False

Question 20

Causes of autism

Answer 20

• Likely caused by interactions between genetic and environmental factors.
• Brain abnormalities:
• Some areas of the brain overdeveloped while others are underdeveloped.

Question 21

Where did the fraudulent claim that Vaccines cause autism come from?

Answer 21

Andrew Wakefield’s fraudulent studies (1998, 2002) on the MMR vaccine.

Question 22

What happened to Wakefield after his claims regarding vaccines and autism

Answer 22

Wakefield was discredited, lost his medical license, and the journal retracted the study.

Question 23

Goals of ASD assessment in schools?

Answer 23

1. Verification – Does the child have ASD?
   
   2. Programming – Developing effective interventions.
   3. Evaluation – Establishing baseline data for progress tracking.

Question 24

Core domains of ASD assessment

Answer 24

• Social competence
• Communication skills
• Behavioral patterns
• Environmental factors

Question 25

Other domains to assess regarding ASD

Answer 25

* Motor skills * Leisure skills * Vocational skills * Educational performance

Question 26

Methods of ASD assessment

Answer 26

1. Direct Observation (Most important) ○ Observing child’s social interactions and classroom behavior. ○ CARS (Child Autism Rating Scale) – a behavioral rating scale used for screening, not for diagnosis. 2. Verbal Reports ○ Parent & teacher interviews provide insights into developmental history. ○ Age of onset is key to diagnosis. ○ Medical history should be reviewed to rule out other conditions. 3. Cognitive Assessment ○ IQ tests may not be valid for students with ASD, especially those with co-occurring intellectual disabilities. ○ Not required for diagnosis.

Question 27

True or False: There is no cure for ASD

Answer 27

True

Question 28

Best evidence-based treatments for ASD

Answer 28

1. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) – Based on operant conditioning, teaches social and communication skills. 2. Early intervention programs – Improve developmental outcomes. 3. Specialized educational support – Structured classroom settings. 4. Speech & language therapy – Helps with communication deficits. 5. Occupational therapy – Helps improve sensory and motor skills. 6. Social skills training – Helps develop peer interactions.