ASD

Question 1

main difference between asperger’s and autism?

Answer 1

aspergers patients have average intelligence, autistic patients have cognitive impairment

Question 2

name the 5 conditions under the umbrella of ASD

Answer 2

aspergers
rett's syndrome
childhood aautism
pervasive developmental disorder
pervasive developmental disorder NOS

Question 3

name the 4 core impairments in ASD

Answer 3

social communication
social interaction
social imagination
repetitive behaviours

Question 4

describe how social communication is impaired in ASD?

Answer 4

cant understand jokes, metaphors, sarcasm
can’t grasp the meaning of conversation
monotonous voice
pedantic/idiosyncratic language
narrow interests; will talk about them over and over
struggle to show emotion

Question 5

language skills are generally good in ASD T or F

Answer 5

T but struggle with the meaning of conversations

Question 6

describe how social interaction is impaired in ASD

Answer 6

difficulties “reading” people
appear egocentric but they’re just trying to figure out social situations
can’t make/sustain personal relationships

Question 7

describe how social imagination is impaired in ASD

Answer 7

can’t think flexibly
don’t understand others’ points of view
can’t apply knowledge across different settings
struggle to think about the future

Question 8

describe the repetitive nature of behaviour in ASD?

Answer 8

repetitive motor movements
insistence on routine/patterns/rituals
highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity
hyper/hyporeactivity to sensory input from the environment

Question 9

which ASD domain is missed most often in adults?

Answer 9

repetitive behaviours

Question 10

how common is autism in the population?

Answer 10

1 in 60

Question 11

why are boys more affected by learning disabilities and ASD than girls?

Answer 11

testosterone is responsible for organising circuits in the brain via neuronal migration however too much testosterone at too fast a rate (eg in puberty) may have a negative effect on this

Question 12

gender identity disorder has a relationship with ASD T or F

Answer 12

T, ASD is around 3-4x more common in those with GID

Question 13

why do girls with CAH have a tendency to develop autism?

Answer 13

CAH involves abnormal levels of testosterone which will affect circuit formation in the brain

Question 14

cause of ASD?

Answer 14

no clear pathological mechanism

Question 15

most common inherited form of intellectual disability

Answer 15

fragile X syndrome

Question 16

organic risk factors for autism?

Answer 16

rubella in utero
tuberous sclerosis
fragile X
encephaliis
PKU
foetal distress - trauma, haemorrhage, LBW, anaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia, meconium aspiration

Question 17

is there a genetic element to autism?

Answer 17

yes, there is hereditability (About 90% in MX twins)

Question 18

at what point in pregnancy do teratogens take effect on the foetus?

Answer 18

8 weeks from conception

Question 19

what parts of the brain appear pathological in autism?

Answer 19

frontal lobes
amygdala
cerebellum

Question 20

an enlarged amygdala causes what symptoms?

Answer 20

severe anxiety

impaired social and communication skills

Question 21

role of GABA in development?

Answer 21

key role in regulation of cell migration, neuronal differentiation and maturation in early development

Question 22

if glutamate is dysfunctional what happens?

Answer 22

neuronal damage

Question 23

what neurotransmitters have a role in neuronal development?

Answer 23

serotonin

GABA

Question 24

what neurotransmitters may be impaired in autism?

Answer 24

glutamate
GABA
serotonin

Question 25

how do younger children with ASD present?

Answer 25

play alone difficlties understanding emotions and feelings cant pretend play cant start stick to routine, if they cant they throw a tantrums speech/language problems repeat things over and over

Question 26

what abnormal movements are present in children with ASD?

Answer 26

flap hands | twist/flick fingers when excited

Question 27

taste sensory problems in children with ASD?

Answer 27

flavours and foods too string and overpowering | restricted diet/textures

Question 28

smell sensory problems in children with ASD?

Answer 28

smells can be too intense and overpowering | toilet problems

Question 29

sound sensory problems in children with ASD?

Answer 29

noise can be magnified causing sounds to be muddled | cant cut out sounds eg background noise

Question 30

touch sensory problems in children with ASD?

Answer 30

can be painful and uncomfy dont like brushing/washing hair can only tolerate certain clothing/textures

Question 31

visual sensory problems in adults with ASD?

Answer 31

poor depth perception eg throwing. or catching focus on details of an object rather than the whole thing cant sleep as sensitive to the light

Question 32

how do adults with ASD present in terms of their communication?

Answer 32

``` cant understand other perspectives avoid eye contact cant read people repeat phrases ad expressions cant start a conversation - hate small talk cant work out humour seem rigid/obsessive ```

Question 33

social features of adults with ASD?

Answer 33

``` take things literally appear shy cant fit in - few friendships cant express needs to others ritualistic obsessive unusual body movements/clumsy/lack of coordination sensory issues ```

Question 34

what parts of the history are most important when assessing someone with potential ASD?

Answer 34

developmental history | collateral history

Question 35

main assessment tool used for autism?

Answer 35

autism diagnostic observation schedule | use of SLT/OT/psychology

Question 36

what do you need to bear in mind before making a diagnosis of ASD?

Answer 36

cultural differences - some people act a certain way because of their culture their personality - that is their "normal"

Question 37

name the 3 criteria for diagnosis of autism

Answer 37

1. present in early developmental period 2. significant impairment in social, occcpational or other functional areas (must present in different situations not just 1!) 3. disturbances are not better explained by another diagnosis

Question 38

Tx of ASD?

Answer 38

``` self and family psychoeducation social skills training SALT family/school support risperidone only if severely aggressive/self injury ```