WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS AND

CAUSES OF AUTISM?
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE FOR AUTISM? AUTISM ANALOGY

What does it mean?

The design of the ribbon which is inspired by jigsaw puzzles represents the complexity and the mystery of Autism. The different shapes and colors represent the diversity of people who are dealing with autism, whether they are the ones suffering from it or they are the family members of someone suffering from it. The colors used are bright and basic, which symbolizes hope for defeating the disorder

Autism

What is Autism Prevalence of Autism Autistic Spectrum Disorders Characteristics of Autism Diagnosing Autism Theories

the theory-of-mind deficit theory

What is Autism?
Autism is a developmental disability that significantly affects:
a students verbal and

nonverbal communication,
educational

social interaction,

performance.

Characteristics of Autism
Autism has six distinct characteristics
1.

Atypical language development

delayed and deviant peculiar use of sounds and words Difficulty in expressing needs; uses gestures or pointing instead of

words Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language Echolalia (echoing others language) Pronominal reversal - use 'i' where 'you' is meant and vice-versa

e.g. 'do you want a drink' instead of 'i want a drink' 'daddy piping', 'boy bubbling' (boy blowing bubbles) - 9 yr old autistic girl (Wing 1976)

Use of '-ing'

Characteristics of Autism
2.

Atypical social development

Insistence on sameness; resistance to change Laughing, crying, showing distress for reasons not apparent to others Prefers to be alone; aloof manner Difficulty in mixing with others May not want to cuddle or be cuddled Little or no eye contact

physical and emotional distance from others failure to develop social attachments lack of cooperative group play difficulties in reacting to or recognizing other people's feelings

Characteristics of Autism
3.

Repetitive Behavior

Repeated motor movements Repeated verbalizations

4.

Self-injurous behavior Agression Tantrums Property destruction

5.

Problem Behavior

Over/Under responsiveness to stimuli Tactile sensitivity Visual/auditory senstivity

Intellectual Functioning

Sensory and movement disorders

Savant syndrome (Rain Man)

6.

Intellectual functioning
Savant skills

ten times more common in people with autism than in others with mental handicap
occurring in approximately one in ten individuals with autism

Intellectual development
poor on verbal ability

may perform above average on memory or spatial

tasks may be talented in music or drawing 1/4 - 1/3 have IQ>70

Prevalence of Autism
2-6 cases per 1,000

growing at a rate of 10-17 percent per year

boy:girl 4:1 Usually identified before age 3

No racial or socioeconomic differences

Diagnosing Autism

no medical tests for diagnosing autism Early Diagnosis is important Diagnostic Tools The NICHD lists these five behaviors that signal further evaluation is warranted:

Does not babble or coo by 12 months

Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months Does not say single words by 16 months

Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months

Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.

Diagnosing Autism
several tests have been developed that are now used

in diagnosing autism

CARS rating system (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT)

The Autism Screening Questionnaire

The Screening Test for Autism in Two-Year Olds

Social development

Theories
Some current psychological theories of autism

The theory-of-mind deficit theory

Theory of Mind (ToM)

(ToM) developmentthe ability to attribute mental

states to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from ones own

autistic children don't seem to show pretend/symbolic play dont produce range of mental state words difficulty understanding complex causes of emotion dont know that eye region indicates thoughts/wants fail to make accidental-intentional distinction

unable to deceive
dont understand intentionally non-literal statements poor use of pragmatics

Executive Dysfunction
Not specific to autism also occurs in
schizophrenia obsessive-compulsive disorder Gilles de la Tourette syndrome ADHD Parkinsons disease and more.

So - by itself, executive dysfunction cannot explain

autism may co-occur with ToM deficit

Problems with ToM & Executive Dysfunction

Deficit accounts of autism fail to explain why people

with autism show not only preserved but also superior skills in certain areas.

CARS VS. TRAINS

Cars change lanes Cars take many different Trains stay on a track Trains go the way they

roads Cars go around obstacles

are pointed Obstacles stay out of the way of trains

One man with autism compared himself to a locomotive traveling down a railroad track.

Trains may function differently than cars, but if you let them stay on their tracks, they will eventually get to their destination.

If you park your car in the way, the train may will make a scrap heap out of it.

If you force a train off its tracks

THE TRAIN WILL PROBABLY MAKE BIG RUTS IN YOUR ROAD

What works for the average person may not be effective for a person with autism, just as what works for your car may not work for a locomotive.