Week 8: Introduction to Autism

Question 1

Which 2 psychologists were the first to come up with autism as a pathological condition?

Answer 1

Kanner and Asperger - seperately but around the same time

Question 2

What areas of social communication do people with autism struggle with?

Answer 2

Building friendships
Initiating and maintaining relationships
Emotions
Poorly integrated verbal and non-verbal communication
Eye contact
Gestures
Facial expressions

Question 3

What are the two main clusters of characteristics of people with autism

Answer 3

Social communication difficulties

Repetative behaviour and restricted interests

Question 4

How is behaviour of autistic people diverse?

Answer 4

Many traits are found in the neurotypical population - we are diagnosed with autism if we have enough of them

Question 5

What are the main methods used to diagnose autism?

Answer 5

Questionaires and in person assessments

Question 6

Why is it important to run multiple tests before someone can be diagnosed?

Answer 6

High variability in behaviour so people don’t always present the same

Question 7

Is autism higher in boys or girls?

Answer 7

Boys

Question 8

What is the ratio of boys to girls in the prevelence of autism?

Answer 8

4x as high for boys

10x as high for ASD

Question 9

How has prevelence of autism changed in the last 50 years?

Answer 9

Diagnosis has increased rapidly from 0.4% of the population to closer to 1%

Question 10

Why has the prevelence of autism increased in the last 50 years?

Answer 10

Definition and criteria are wider now

Variance is more acknowledged and people have more access to professionals who can diagnose them

Question 11

How does autism have a strong genetic componant?

Answer 11

36% concordance rate in MZ twins

Broad phenotype so family members will score highly on autistic traits without having to be diagnosed

Genetic mutations account for 20% of cases

Question 12

What are the main 3 cognitive theories of autism?

Answer 12

Theory of mind
Weak central coherance
Social motivation

Question 13

How can theory of mind be used to explain autism?

Answer 13

Incapable of understanding that other people’s minds are different and difficulty understanding social context and scarcasm

We can learn theory of mind as a compensation stratergy

Question 14

What are the criticisms of using theory of mind to explain autism?

Answer 14

Deficits are not found in all autistic people
Other neurodevelopmental disorders fall into the same catergory
Doesn’t explain emotional or repretative behaviours