TeachME Professional Development

Summarizing Advances in Autism Research

Question 1: When Should I Be Concerned?

1. Each of the following is an accurate statement about the neural activity and autism EXCEPT:

A. Researchers have found that 72 percent of children with ASD showed decreased synchronization across brain hemispheres in areas commonly associated with language and communication B. This decreased synchronization was rarely seen in typically developing children, or those with delayed language development who did not have autism C. Strong synchronization between the right and left hemisphere of the brain is critical for proper functioning, and there is evidence of disrupted synchronization in neurological disorders such as dementia and dyslexia D. Brain scans revealed that weak neural synchronicity is evident in the early stages of autism and that the strength of synchronization is linked to the degree of the childâ€™s symptoms

2. The Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist is a five-minute checklist filled out by parents at the one-year, well-baby check-up has been shown to predict autism or other developmental delays in about 75 percent of cases.

A. True B. False

Question 2: How Can I Understand What is Happening?

3. One study found surprising consistency in molecular changes seen in the brains of people with autism across the spectrum, suggesting a common biological basis that may span multiple subtypes.

A. True B. False

Question 3: What Caused This to Happen and Can it Be Prevented?

4. A study of autism in twins that was designed to model the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the development of autism showed that:

A. When looking at 192 pairs of identical and fraternal twins, researchers found that 65 percent of male identical twins and 40 percent of female twins were both affected by autism B. The researchers propose that environmental factors accounted for 55 percent of autism risk, while genetic heritability contributed less than 40 percent C. The fraternal twins in the study had a 25 percent concordance rate, much lower than rates among identical twins but higher than rates among siblings D. All of the above

5. The __________ theory of autism suggests that that a combination of mutations in the same genetic pathway is necessary to cause severe autism or related disorders.

A. Multi-hit B. Mixed-hit C. Sequential-hit D. Poly-hit

6. Although earlier studies suggested that 3 to 10 percent of infants who had an older sibling with autism would go on to develop the disorder themselves, new findings suggest that the risk of recurrence is substantially higher, at approximately:

A. 15 percent B. 19 percent C. 23 percent D. 27 percent

Question 4: Which Treatments and Interventions Will Help?

7. While there has been strikingly little evidence to support the benefits of most medications prescribed for children with ASD, the antipsychotics olanzapine and haloperidol showed clear benefit for managing challenging and repetitive behavior.

A. True B. False

8. Medications that have shown positive results for treating ASD tend to cause significant side effects including marked weight gain, sedation, and a number of movement disorders, and as a result are generally limited to patients with severe impairment or risk of injury.

A. True B. False

9. In a study of two year olds with ASD, one an interpersonal strategy known as Interpersonal Synchrony showed promise in improving _____________, which is believed to be critical in developing social communication skills.

A. Social mimicry B. Social duplication C. Social parroting D. Social imitation

10. The LEAP (Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Their Parents) preschool model uses teaching opportunities that arise naturally and incorporates typically developing students by training them to support the cognitive and language development of their peers with ASD.

A. True B. False

Question 5: Where Can I Turn for Services?

11. Recent evidence suggests that young adults with autism have shown a dramatic increase in the use of medical, mental health, and case management services after leaving high school, likely because they no longer support through the school system.

A. True B. False

Question 6: What Does the Future Hold, Particularly for Adults?

12. Although relatively little is known about older adults with autism spectrum disorder, one recent study indicated that rates of autism appear to be relatively similar across generations, suggesting that there is a large group of older adults with ASD who have gone undiagnosed.

A. True B. False

Question 7: What Other Infrastructure and Surveillance Needs Must Be Met?

13. A study highlighting trends in the prevalence of developmental disabilities in U.S. children revealed that these disabilities increased overtime, with the largest growth in autism, followed next by:

A. Down syndrome B. ADHD C. Bipolar disorder D. Learning disability

Visit us at https://www.teachmeceus.com