ASD exam 2

list some comorbities to ASD

GI disorders, seizure disorders, sleep dysfunction, sensory processing, Pica, hyperlexia, anxiety and depression

what might you observe with sensory and feeding in ASD

sensory modality difficulties, preference for nonsocial stimulu, intense interests with sensory aspect of objects/events, responsiveness to specific food textures, limited variety of foods consumed

list some behavior and emotional regulation observations

difficulties with transitions, challenges with generalization of new skills, use of objects in unusual ways and uncommon attachments, difficulty sleeping, restricted/repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities

list some executive function skills you might observe in someone with ASD

limited flexibility, poor problem solving, poor planning and organization, lack of inhibition

literacy observations in someone with ASD

hyperlexia, more success with nonficiton

conversational skills observations in someone with ASD

inappropriate and unnecessary information, difficulties with turn taking, difficulty initiating shared topics, preference for specific topics

observations in symbolic play

attwntion to parts not wholes or function

observations in vocalizations

atypical responses to others vocalizations, atypical vocal production, atypical prosody

observations in nonverbal communication

difficulty understanding and using nonverbal communication

observations in language development

impaired development - typically nouns and attributes dominate, receptive is often more delayed than expressive (because of echolalia)

observations in cognition

difficulties with managing emotions, appreciating other perspectives, using interpersonal skills to complete tasks, differentiating ones own feelings from others, integrating diverse information in a context to formulate meaning

observations in social/social-emotional reciprocity

difficulty initiating and responding to bids for interaction, limitations with maintaining turn taking, problems with providing contingent responses to others turns, difficulty sharing of interests, emotions, affect

observations in joint attention

may not look at or engage with others, difficulty orienting to others, limited shared attention, impaired monitoring of emotional states, limitations in considering others’ intention and perspective

is there credible evidence to support that vaccines cause autism

no

how can paternal age influence risk of autism

advanced paternal age at time of conception increases risk of child having autism

influence of genetics on autism vs cancer

genes play a larger role in autism than cancer

can genetic mutations happen spontaneously

yes

potential broad causes of autism

genetics, neurobiological factors, environmental factors

Diagnostic criteria A

persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts

social communication vs social interaction

social communication is narrow and social interaction is broad

diagnostic criteria A. 1.

deficits in social-emotional reciprocity

diagnostic criteria A.2.

deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction

diagnostic criteria A.3.

deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships