Autism
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. It is a spectrum disorder, meaning individuals with autism can have a wide range of symptoms and levels of impairment. While the exact cause of autism is not fully understood, it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
6 Key excerpts on "Autism"
eBook - ePubChild and Adolescent Psychopathology
Theoretical and Clinical Implications
- Cecilia A. Essau, Cecilia A. Essau(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...10 Autism A psychological perspective Hanna Kovshoff, Corinna F. Grindle, and Richard P. Hastings First identified in 1943 by Leo Kanner, Autism affects an individual’s ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally, interact socially, play imaginatively, and relate to those around them. Autism is a spectrum disorder such that it affects individuals differently, and with varying degrees of severity. It is estimated that between 3.3 and 16 children per 10,000 are affected with Autism, taking into account differing diagnostic criteria, genetic factors, environmental influences, and/or case finding methods of a range of epidemiological studies. The latest incidence rates of persons living with Autism spectrum disorders in the United Kingdom, according to the National Autistic Society, are 91 per 10,000, and 1 in 1000 (Bryson, 1997) in the United States. Autism is three to five times more likely to affect boys than girls (American Psychiatric Association 1994; Klinger and Dawson, 1996). Autism is not a behavioural disorder; however, diagnosis relies on the presence, as well as the absence, of various key behaviours. It is a lifelong, complex neurodevelopmental disability, which affects central nervous system and brain functioning. Behaviours commonly associated with Autism may become apparent by the time the child reaches the age of 18 months, and are usually present by 3 years of age. As described in the DSM-IV (APA, 1994) and the ICD-10 (WHO, 1992) diagnostic manuals, Autism is characterized by a pattern of deficits in social behaviour, communication, and imagination, and is associated with repetitive and/or stereotypical patterns of behaviours or interests. Autism forms part of a subcategory of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (DSM-IV; APA, 1994) which are characterized by severe and lifelong impairment in multiple areas of development. These areas of impairment are relative to the individual’s developmental level or mental age (DSM-IV; APA, 1994)...
eBook - ePubAutPlay Therapy for Children and Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum
A Behavioral Play-Based Approach, Third Edition
- Robert Jason Grant(Author)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...1 Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disabilities Autism Spectrum Disorder Overview This handbook is not intended to provide a thorough or in-depth presentation of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neurodevelopmental disorders, and developmental disabilities. Brief information is presented on these areas to help practitioners have a better understanding of such disorders and disabilities as it relates to understanding AutPlay Therapy and implementing directive play-based interventions for treatment. Practitioners are encouraged to engage in continual learning and advancement in their knowledge of ASD and other developmental disorders. To assist in advancement, references and a recommended reading list are presented in the Appendix. According to the Autism Society of America (2014), Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. ASD is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain. This disorder primarily impacts the normal development of the brain in areas of social interaction and communication skills. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015) have proposed that ASD is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from severely challenged to gifted. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need far less. A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used to be diagnosed separately: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger’s syndrome...
eBook - ePubAccessing the Curriculum for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Using the TEACCH programme to help inclusion
- Gary Mesibov, Marie Howley, Signe Naftel(Authors)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Chapter 1 Overview of the Autism spectrum Autism spectrum disorders The word ‘Autism’ first appeared in the professional literature when Leo Kanner, a child psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, wrote a description of 11 children from his child psychiatric unit in 1943. These children were different from the others in his unit who were diagnosed with Childhood Schizophrenia. The children Kanner wrote about in his original paper had little interest in other people, peculiar language, an insistence on routines, and they displayed unusual body movements and repetitive behaviours. Kanner’s original description emphasised three areas of difficulty: social isolation, abnormal communication and an insistence on repetitive, narrow routines. These major areas of impairment have continued to be the foundation of the Autism diagnosis in the major diagnostic systems used throughout the world. The definition of Autism spectrum disorders has transformed over the years, but the ‘triad of impairments’ (Wing and Gould 1979) has remained central to the diagnosis of Autism. The most recent transformation of the definition of ASD occurred in 2013 when the term Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) shifted to the umbrella term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Current diagnostic systems, DSM-5 and ICD-10 (WHO 1992), define ASD as differences in social communication and social interaction skills as well as restricted behaviours or interests. Communication differences are not considered a separate diagnostic criterion, as is in previous definitions, but instead, are thought to be intertwined with social impairments. Therefore, communication differences are contextualised within the social communication and social interaction diagnostic criterion...
eBook - ePub- Michael Wolff, Bradley Bridges, Thomas Denczek(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...1 THE EVOLUTION OF Autism SPECTRUM DISORDER Michael Wolff and Rochelle Manor Historical Timeline In 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner, psychiatrist, discussed 11 children who seemed to be more isolated and who had also demonstrated an obsessive desire for sameness. He referred to these children as being autistic and suggested it would be important to further research in terms of the biological basis and effect of Autism. In 1944, Hans Asperger described children that he had also referred to as autistic, but seemed to have higher perceptual reasoning/nonverbal intelligence and had a tendency to use broader vocabulary appropriately. Through the 1950s and 1960s, autistic spectrum disorder children were commonly thought to have a form of childhood schizophrenia. Attribution was often given to this being caused from schizophrenogenic mothers, who were not always accessible to their children. Finally, in the 1970s, Autism started to become better researched and started to be differentiated on the biological basis of the disorder. Research started to recognize a variation in brain development. In DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders) (1980), the first description of Autism was finally articulated. The DSM-III distinguished Autism from childhood schizophrenia: children with an Autism spectrum disorder do not often endorse auditory or visual hallucinations in childhood. Clinically, there can be some distortion, discussed later in their development, where they might have difficulty separating reality from fantasy. However, their beliefs are not necessarily delusional in nature, though there is an atypicality to their belief structure. Rather, those with Autism are persistent in their ideas and areas of focus. And behaviors, although repetitive in nature, are not necessarily varied and bizarre (like behaviors commonly demonstrated in schizophrenia)...
eBook - ePubAutism Spectrum Disorders
Identification, Education, and Treatment
- Dianne Zager, David F. Cihak, Angi Stone-MacDonald, Dianne Zager, David F. Cihak, Angi Stone-MacDonald(Authors)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Chapter 1 Definitions and Classification of Autism Spectrum Disorders Melissa P. Maye, Ivy Giserman Kiss, and Alice S. Carter Autism Spectrum Disorder, a new diagnosis in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), was developed to classify individuals with impairments due to difficulties with social communication and social interaction, as well as the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) replaces a set of diagnoses that were included in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), including Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) – Not Otherwise Specified, and Asperger’s Disorder (APA, 2000). These diagnoses were previously grouped together within a category labeled Pervasive Developmental Disorders. At present, it is estimated that one in 68 children (one in 42 boys; one in 189 girls) have an ASD diagnosis (Center for Disease Control, 2014). In this chapter, the ways in which the conceptualization of the construct Autism has changed over the last century are explored, and modifications made to the diagnostic criteria in each edition of the DSM are described. Special emphasis is placed on the most recent changes introduced in the DSM-5 in 2013. Symptom criteria that are used to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder in the DSM-5 are described in detail. A number of screening tools and diagnostic measures have been developed to aid clinicians and researchers in making earlier and more accurate diagnoses of the previous diagnosis of PDD and the current diagnosis of ASD (e.g., Lord et al., 2012; Lord, Rutter, & Le Couteur et al., 1994; Luyster et al., 2009; Robins et al., 2014; Rutter, Bailey, Lord, Cianchetti, & Fancello, 2007; Schopler, Van Bourgondien, Wellman, & Love, 2010; Stone, Coonrod, & Turner; 2004; Stone, McMahon, & Henderson, 2008)...
eBook - ePubDiagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders
A Lifespan Perspective
- Donald P. Gallo(Author)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
...Chapter 5 Diagnostic Criteria for the Autism Spectrum Disorders In the DSM-IV-TR, under “Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence,” five pervasive developmental disorders are listed: autistic disorder, Rett’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, Asperger’s disorder, and PDD-NOS (including atypical Autism). 1 With this “newer” mindset of looking at ASDs, we are only going to focus on the three most common disorders, namely, autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, and PDD-NOS. The DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for each of these disorders are as follows. Autistic Disorder A: A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3): (1) Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following: (a) Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction. (b) Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level. (c) A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest). (d) Lack of social or emotional reciprocity. (2) Qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following: (a) Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through...
