What is the definition of diagnosis?
-Identifying or determining the nature and cause of a disease or injury
-Opinion derived from evaluation
Involves evaluation of patient history, examination, and review of laboratory data.
True or false: Most medical disorders have a biological basis that can confirm disease.
TRUE
Examples include measurable factors like blood pressure and blood sugar.
What are the disadvantages of diagnosis?
-Stigma
- Impact of the disorder on the person’s life
- Potential for increased resources
These factors can affect the individual’s experience and treatment options.
What are the two main classification systems for disorders?
- International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10)
- Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM)
ICD-10 is prepared by the World Health Organization, while DSM is prepared by the American Psychiatric Association.
In what year was the first DSM published?
1952
The DSM has undergone several revisions since its inception.
What significant change occurred in DSM-5(2013)?
- All subgroups of PDD were removed
-Present under one category: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
This change was due to lack of genetic/psychological evidence for subgrouping.
What are the two impairments described in DSM-5 for Autism Spectrum Disorder?
- Socio-communicative impairment
-Restricted, repetitive behaviours
The triad of impairments from earlier versions was collapsed into these two categories.
What is the Theory of Mind hypothesis of autism?
Ability to attribute mental states to others
Proposed by Baron-Cohen et al (1985), it explains deficits in social interaction and communication.
What is the Sally-Anne task used to assess?
Understanding of others’ beliefs
It is a false belief task where 80% of individuals with autism are unsuccessful.
What are the characteristics of Autistic Disorder according to DSM-IV-TR?
-Onset prior to 30 months
- Impairments in socialisation
- Communication issues
- Restricted interests/repetitive behaviours
These criteria help in diagnosing Autistic Disorder.
What is PDD-NOS?
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
Individuals show marked impairments but do not meet criteria for other PDD categories.
What is Rett’s Disorder characterized by?
- Only seen in females
-Brief period of typical development followed by decline in psychomotor and language development
It involves loss of purposeful hand movements and decelerated head growth.
What is the developmental trajectory of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder?
Dramatic deterioration after around 2 years of normal development
This includes loss of language, social skills, and bowel or bladder control.
What percentage of individuals with ASD experience sensory abnormalities?
Between 69 and 90%
Sensory issues are included in the restricted and repetitive behaviour symptom cluster of DSM-5.
Define executive functioning.
Brain-based abilities used to combine information to meet goals effectively and consistently
The central executive controls attention, selection, and termination of processing routines.
What are the key skills related to executive function?
-Planning
- Neurocognitive flexibility
-Attention control
- Working memory
Children with autism may have impairments similar to those with brain damage, particularly in the frontal lobes.
True or false: All children with autism (CWA) have executive function impairments.
FALSE
Not all CWA exhibit deficits in executive functioning.
What does the Tower of Hanoi task assess?
Planning abilities
CWA show impairments in this task, which is also seen in other developmental disorders.
What is central coherence?
Ability to integrate pieces into a whole for contextual interpretation
CWA may have weak central coherence, processing information at a local rather than global level.
How can weak central coherence explain savant skills?
Attention to detail
It can also account for difficulties CWA have in finding global meaning.
What is the empathising-systemising theory?
Theory that describes two separate constructs: empathising and systemising
Empathising is the drive to identify and respond to others’ emotions, while systemising is the drive to analyze variables in a system.
List the types of systemising mentioned.
- Sensory systemising
- Motoric systemising
- Collectible systemising
- Numerical systemising
- Motion systemising
- Spatial systemising
- Environmental systemising
- Social systemising
- Natural systemising
- Mechanical systemising
- Vocal/auditory/verbal systemising
Each type reflects different interests and behaviors in individuals with autism.
What is the Extreme Male Brain theory?
Proposes that CWA have hyper-systemising skills but poor empathising skills
This theory suggests a link between brain type and the prevalence of autism in males.
What are the changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5 regarding autism diagnosis?
- Social communication and interaction
- Imagination/Rigidity/Obsessions
- Unusual sensory responses
These changes reflect a broader conceptualization of autism spectrum disorder.
