Autism Spectrum Disorder (NSG 5720) - Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to Autism Spectrum Disorder based on lecture notes for NSG 5720, including definitions of the disorder, its characteristics, prevalence, associated conditions, and treatment approaches.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

A complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities.

Spectrum nature of autism

Refers to how children with autism may differ in their level of intellectual ability, severity of language problems, and how their behavior changes with age.

Core Deficits of ASD

Debated deficits likely affecting a child’s social-emotional, language, and cognitive development, which are all interconnected.

Worldwide prevalence of ASD

Approximately 100 children per 10,000 may suffer from some form of autism, with specific rates for autistic disorder, PPD-NOS, and Asperger's disorder.

Age of Onset (ASD)

Most often identified by parents in the months preceding a child’s second birthday, with diagnoses around 2-3 years generally stable; reliable detection is possible from 12-18 months.

Fragile-X anomaly

A chromosomal disorder occurring in 2-3% of children with ASD.

Tuberous sclerosis

A medical condition where about 25% of affected children have ASD.

Broader autism phenotype

A condition where 15-20% of siblings of individuals with ASD also have the disorder.

Heritability of ASD

The underlying liability for ASD is 90%, with concordance rates of 70-90% in identical twins and nearly 0% in fraternal twins.

Complex genetic disorder (ASD)

ASD is likely influenced by genes on many different chromosomes, with expression potentially affected by environmental factors during fetal brain development and epigenetic dysregulation.

Brain abnormalities in ASD

Include cerebral gray and white matter overgrowth, structural abnormalities in the cerebellum and medial temporal lobe, decreased blood flow in frontal/temporal lobes, and elevated blood serotonin in some cases.

Weak drive for central coherence

A general deficit in ASD referring to an impaired tendency to interpret stimuli in a relatively global way, often leading individuals with ASD to focus on parts of a stimulus.

Executive functions (ASD)

Higher-order planning and regulatory behaviors that are often deficient in individuals with ASD.

Social interaction impairments (ASD)

Deficits in social and emotional reciprocity, unusual nonverbal behaviors, limited social expressiveness, atypical processing of faces, and impairments in joint attention.

Protoimperative gestures

Gestures used by children with ASD (e.g., pointing) to request something, rather than to draw attention or comment.

Protodeclarative gestures

Gestures typically used by neurotypical children (e.g., showing an object) to draw attention or comment, which are often missed by children with ASD.

Qualitative language impairments (ASD)

Include pronoun reversals, echolalia, perseverative speech, and impairments in pragmatics among verbal children with ASD.

Regression (language in ASD)

Some children with ASD who begin to speak may lose their language skills between 12 and 30 months.

Self-stimulatory behavior (ASD)

Repetitive sensory and motor behaviors or insistence on sameness, hypothesized as a craving for stimulation or a way to block unwanted stimulation.

Sensory and perceptual impairments (ASD)

Include oversensitivities or undersensitivities to certain stimuli, overselective and impaired shifting of attention, sensory dominance, and stimulus overselectivity.

Intellectual impairment (ASD)

Co-occurs in about 70% of autistic children, often presenting with low verbal and high nonverbal scores.

Splinter skills / Islets of ability

Specific abilities where about 25% of children with autism excel, while 5% (autistic savants) display isolated and remarkable talents.

Deficit in mentalization / Theory of Mind (ToM)

A cognitive deficit in ASD referring to difficulty understanding others' and one's own mental states, leading to problems with pretense and understanding false-belief tests.

Common co-occurring disorders (ASD)

Intellectual disability and epilepsy are the two most common, alongside ADHD, conduct problems, anxieties, fears, mood problems, and sometimes self-injurious behaviors (SIB).

Coexisting medical conditions (ASD)

Include motor and sensory impairments, seizures, immunological/metabolic abnormalities, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal symptoms, and in about 20%, a larger-than-normal head size.

Course and outcome of ASD

Often involves gradual improvements with age, though symptoms may worsen in adolescence; complex obsessive-compulsive rituals can develop, and individuals develop along different pathways.

Treatment strategies for ASD

Aim to engage children, decrease disruptive behaviors, teach appropriate social behavior, increase functional communication, promote cognitive skills, and teach adaptive skills for independence.

Treatment goals for ASD

Minimize core problems, maximize independence and quality of life, and help the child and family cope more effectively with the disorder; there is no known cure.

Psychotropic medications for ASD

Include antidepressants, stimulants, and tranquilizers/antipsychotics, which offer limited and variable benefits, do not alter core deficits, and require careful evaluation of risks, benefits, and costs.