Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Flashcards

Flashcards to review key concepts related to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) based on lecture notes.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.

DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A category of disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, and Specific Learning Disorder, each with distinct core deficits.

Criterion A of ASD Diagnostic Criteria

Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts.

Criterion B of ASD Diagnostic Criteria

Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the specified symptoms.

Social-Emotional Reciprocity

Deficits include abnormal social approach, failure of normal back-and-forth conversation, reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect, and failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.

Nonverbal Communicative Behaviors

Deficits in nonverbal communication include poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication, abnormalities in eye contact and body language, and deficits in understanding and use of gestures.

Stereotyped or Repetitive Motor Movements

Examples include simple motor stereotypies, lining up toys, flipping objects, echolalia, and idiosyncratic phrases.

Insistence on Sameness

Inflexible adherence to routines or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior; extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, and need to take same route or eat same food every day.

Hyper- or Hyporeactivity to Sensory Input

Unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).

Protoimperative Gestures

Gestures used to get someone to do something.

Prodeclarative Gestures

Gestures used to share an experience with someone.

Echolalia

Repetition of another person's spoken words.

Perseverative Speech

Repetitive speech focused on a particular topic or idea.

Joint Attention

The ability to coordinate attention to a social partner and an object or event of mutual interest.

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)

A communication system that teaches spontaneous social communication skills through symbols (pictures) to request desired objects, often used with non-verbal children with ASD.

Early Intervention for ASD

Should be early, intensive, with a low student-teacher ratio, high structure, family inclusion, peer interactions, generalization, and ongoing assessment.

Treatment Goals for ASD

Include minimizing core problems of ASD, maximizing independence and quality of life, and helping the child and family cope effectively with the problems.

Applying Specifiers to ASD

Involves indicating the presence of accompanying intellectual impairment, language impairment, associated medical or genetic conditions, and catatonia. Also involves specifying the severity of ASD (level 1, 2, or 3).