Current Understanding of the Autism Spectrum

1. Current Understanding of the Autism Spectrum Prof Rita Jordan PhD OBE Emeritus Professor in Autism Studies University of Birmingham, UK Magherafelt, Feb. 20, 2012

2. Current Diagnosis • ICD:10 & DSM:IV - based on underlying ‘triad’ of difficulties: • social & emotional understanding • communication • flexibility in thinking & behaviour • ASD part of PDD • autistic disorder (classical autism) • Asperger syndrome • atypical autism/ PDD-NOS • DSM V coming (2012?) • future of Asperger syndrome? • some excluded from help?

3. Roots in Biology • MMR link finally discredited • mirror neurons • difficulty with ‘motor intuition’ & agency • atypical amygdala functioning re emotions • difficulty with ‘emotional attunement’ & awareness • fear from faces - social anxiety

4. Roots in Biology (2) • social signals not salient • attentional differences • categorisation problems • hard to detect relevance • no social referencing for danger • frontal lobe differences & connectivity • Casanova 2003 - mini-columns • ‘bottom-up’ processing • memory differences

5. Roots in Biology (3) • premature brain development (Courchesne) • less modulation from learning • strengths in ‘pure’ perception • excess fetal testosterone? • extreme male brain • systemisers vs empathisers • linked to characteristic style - not disorder

6. Sensory Issues • evidence that at extremes • both over- and under-responsive to different senses • ‘over-responsive’: sensory avoiding; ‘under-responsive’: sensory seeking • sensory profiles e.g. Bogdashina (2003) • shield from sensitivities and/or desensitise • attach meaning to perception - reduce ‘bombardment’ of meaningless stimulation • aware of variability - use proximal blocks • give environmental control to individual if possible • reduce overall stress • teach to monitor and manage levels of arousal

7. A Developmental Disorder • compensation • secondary 'handicaps' • transactional process

8. Psychological Functioning in ASD • perception/ sensation • ‘chicken & egg’ • no socially meaningful patterns • idiosyncratic • ‘backgrounding’ difficult • attention • mono attention • joint attention & monitoring • social signals

9. Psychological Functioning in ASD (2) • sense of self • intersubjectivity fails to develop • ‘experiencing self’ & consciousness • socialisation • social brain dysfunctional • sensory cues dominate • memory • paradoxical - rote vs meaningful • slow & accurate - not reconstructed • needs cues

10. Psychological Functioning in ASD (3) • concept development • abstract as verb not adjective - fuzzy concepts • feelings & emotions • understanding then symbols • external cueing of own feelings • flexibility & self control • comes from understanding • plan do reflect sequences & consequences

11. Communication and ASD • language and communication separate • often associated language problems • prognosis • all aspects: • gesture • posture • facial expression • emotion • pragmatics

12. What’s Special about ASD? • need to learn explicitly what others acquire intuitively or through social tutoring • identity of self/ other • saliency of social signals • agency and intention • relevance and priority • social/cultural meaning • nature of communication • emotional consciousness

13. The ‘ASD’ lens • individual needs determine learning and should determine teaching • individuality is even more the case in ASD • yet a lack of mutual empathy means • teachers have to use non-intuitive routes in teaching those with ASD • just as those with ASD have to use non intuitive routes in their learning