All of the disorders described above can have their onset during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. Some often begin early in life (lots of adolescents develop anxiety disorders or depression), and in fact, half of all disorders begin by age 14, and three-
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Marco is a 4-
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition beginning in early childhood in which a person shows persistent communication deficits as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities. In DSM–
A condition beginning in early childhood in which a person shows persistent communication deficits as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities.
The true rate of ASD is difficult to pinpoint. Estimates from the 1960s indicated that autism was fairly rare, occurring in 4 per 10,000 children, but current estimates range as high as 60 per 10,000 children (Newschaffer et al., 2007). It is unclear whether this increased rate is due to increased awareness and recognition of ASD, better screening and diagnostic tools, or to some other factor. Boys have higher rates of ASD than girls by a ratio of about 4:1.
One current model suggests that ASD can be understood as an impaired capacity for empathizing, knowing the mental states of others, combined with a superior ability for systematizing, understanding the rules that organize the structure and function of objects (Baron-
What is the relationship between ASD and empathy?
Although many people with ASD experience impairments throughout their lives that prevent them from having relationships and holding down a job, many go on to very successful careers. The renowned behavioral scientist and author Temple Grandin (2006) was diagnosed with autism at age 3, started learning to talk late, and then suffered teasing for odd habits and “nerdy” behavior. Fortunately, she developed ways to cope and found a niche through her special talent—
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Optimal Outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorder
What comes to mind when you think of the word autism? What kind of people do you imagine? As adults, can they hold a job? Can they care for themselves? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is considered by many to be a lifelong condition in which those affected will forever experience significant difficulties and disability in their interpersonal, educational, and occupational functioning. Several recent studies are helping to change this outlook.
For years, researchers have noticed that some children diagnosed with autism later fail to meet diagnostic criteria for ASD. One recent review suggested that 3 to 25% of children ultimately lose their ASD diagnosis over time (Helt et al., 2008). There are several potential explanations for this. The most obvious is that some portion of children diagnosed with ASD are misdiagnosed and don’t really have this disorder. Perhaps they are overly shy, or quiet, or develop speech later than other children, and this is misinterpreted as ASD. Another possibility is that children who lose their ASD diagnosis had a milder form of the disorder and/or were identified and treated earlier. There is some support for this idea, as predictors of recovery from ASD include high IQ, stronger language abilities, and earlier age of identification and treatment (Helt et al., 2008).
Can ASD be effectively treated? In one study, researchers assigned 19 children with autism to an intensive behavioral intervention in which the children received over 40 hours per week of one-
Extending this earlier work, Geraldine Dawson and colleagues (2010) are testing a program called the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), an intensive behavioral intervention (20 hours per week for 2 years) similarly designed to improve outcomes among those with ASD. Dawson and colleagues found that toddlers with ASD who were randomly assigned to receive ESDM, compared to those assigned standard community treatment, showed significant improvements in IQ (a 17-
Chances are you have had the experience of being distracted during a lecture or while reading one of your other textbooks. We all have trouble focusing from time to time. Far beyond normal distraction, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a persistent pattern of severe problems with inattention and/or hyperactivity or impulsiveness that cause significant impairments in functioning. This is quite different from occasional mind wandering or bursts of activity. Meeting criteria for ADHD requires that a child have multiple symptoms of inattention (e.g., persistent problems with sustained attention, organization, memory, following instructions), hyperactivity–
A persistent pattern of severe problems with inattention and/or hyperactivity or impulsiveness that cause significant impairments in functioning.
For a long time, ADHD was thought of as a disorder that affects only children and adolescents and that people “age out” of the disorder. However, we now know that in many instances, this disorder persists into adulthood. The same symptoms are used to diagnose both children and adults (e.g., children with ADHD may struggle with attention and concentration in the classroom, whereas adults may experience the same problems in meetings). Approximately 4% of adults meet criteria for ADHD, and adults with this disorder are more likely to be male, divorced, and unemployed—
What are the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis?
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Because ADHD, like most disorders, is defined by the presence of a wide range of symptoms, it is unlikely that it emerges from one single cause or dysfunction. The exact cause of ADHD is not known, but some studies suggest a strong genetic influence (Faraone et al., 2005). Brain imaging studies suggest that those with ADHD have smaller brain volumes (Castellanos et al., 2002) as well as structural and functional abnormalities in brain networks associated with attention and behavioral inhibition (Makris et al., 2009). The good news is that current drug treatments for ADHD are effective and appear to decrease the risk of later psychological and academic problems (Biederman et al., 2009).
1. | Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by which of the following? |
a.
2. | Attention- |
c.