Individual With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Executive function theory deals with planning, working memory, impulse control, inhibition and mental flexibility. Also, it includes the initiation and monitoring of action. This theory explains some of the autism symptoms. For example, repetitive and restricted behaviour observed in autistic children might be explained due to executive dysfunction. In addition, the poor social interaction could be due to defect in cognitive shifting which is a vital part of executive function.

Autism is a developmental disorder, which is characterized by a dyad of difficulties in a) communication and social interaction and b) restricted interests and imagination (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might find it challenging to understand what other people think or what the reasons for their behaviours are, as their ‘theory of mind’ may not be well developed (Schuwerk, Vuori & Sodian, 2015). It is possible that this is why they might behave in socially inappropriate ways, being unable to differentiate between different contexts, while they might also find it difficult to make friends. Moreover, it is likely that they are fond of routines, repetition and structure (Carnahan, Musti-Rao, & Bailey, 2009), as they might be nervous with unknown, new situations. In addition, some of them might not do eye contact with other people, whereas some others might not endure to be touched and might have a difficulty developing speech (Jordan, 2005). Individuals on the Autism Spectrum might sometimes be prohibited to initiate conversations and might struggle with finding different ways to play and behave, due to the possible deficit of imagination, which in some cases might result in them having a narrow sphere of interests. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this group of people is rather heterogeneous, as characteristics of autism may differ from one individual to another (Gwynette, 2013). Another point is that people with Autism

Three theories of Autism Spectrum Disorder are the theory of the mind and the extreme male brain theory and the empathising-systemising theory. According to an article, “Mnesic Imbalance: A Cognitive Theory About Autism Spectrum Disorders”, states that the theory of the mind was developed by Leo Kanner in 1943. Simon said that the theory of the mind explains the social impairment of autism. The theory states that autistics children tend to have a challenging time with understanding emotions and attitudes of others. Autistic children also have difficulty believing other people have their own desires. The theory of the mind is used in developmental psychology today. This may explain why autistic children, especially recognized by two years of age act. Children desire sameness and have difficulty with change. Children also exhibit excellent memory by resisting sentences from long times ago and remember things very well. Learning by a sequence that is consistent is more rewarding due to consistency and not change. Autistic children like to show their abilities rather

Theory of mind (ToM) is “the specific ability to attribute mental states to oneself and to others” (Pellicano, 2007, p. 974). Attributing mental states essentially allows one to read another’s body language and therefore predicts their behavior. This is important in the socialization of a child, something that an autistic child struggles with. Baron-Cohen et al. (2000) believe the term ToM is synonymous with social intelligence. The executive function (EF) is “a set of functions thought to be necessary for flexible, future-oriented behavior, especially in novel circumstances” (Pellicano, 2007, p. 974). The executive function is involved in many aspects of development, including working memory, the ability to plan effectively, and flexibility in focusing one’s attention to different people and objects. In a young child’s development, EF and ToM play a significant role. There are contradicting theories about which aspect affects the other, but it appears that the general belief is that together, they have an affect and that the two functions feed off of each (Pellicano, 2007). Pellicano (2007) found that in autistic children, when the EF is impaired, ToM is not intact. In other words, autistic children cannot read other’s body language if they have an impairment in their EF. Additionally, because of this impairment, they show an inability to be flexible, use their working memory, or plan for the future (Pellicano, 2007). One of the

According to research a difficulty developing Theory of Mind is central to the social deficits associated with autism (Sivaratnam, Cornish, Gray, Howlin, and Rinehart 2012). Theory of Mind is the ability to infer, understand and predict the beliefs, intentions, emotions of oneself and others. In typically developing children the understanding of intention as an “internal goal-oriented internal state is evident around 4-5 years of age (Sivaratnam, Cornish, Gray, Howlin, and Rinehart 2012). It is often the more subtle aspects of Theory of Mind, such as the ability to recognize complex emotions and facial expressions, and the interpretation of social-emotional cues in naturalistic settings, are where cognitively more able groups of individuals with ASD struggle (Sivaratnam, Cornish, Gray, Howlin, and Rinehart 2012). Those children with ASD that are of low IQ are most likely to struggle with Theory of Mind because they are not fully able to utilize cognitive reasoning to compensate for their social deficits (Sivaratnam, Cornish, Gray, Howlin,

Children with autism spectrum disorder will be able to receive increased services in educational settings (Hatton, et al., 2006). Teachers who educate children with autism spectrum disorder may benefit from learning the general characteristics of the disorder and evidence-based instructional strategies. Children may benefit from

Autism is the main form of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism is a developmental disorder that is manifested in problems with communication, impairment of social functioning, and repetitive behaviours. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), ASD diagnoses must meet four different areas of criteria. There are three symptoms of "deficits in social communication and interaction across contexts," four symptoms of "restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities," "symptoms must be present in early childhood," and the symptoms must "together limit and impair everyday functioning" (Carpenter, 2013). There are many theoretical positions on the causes of autism spectrum disorders. Some of which have been discounted by empirical studies that have been researched and performed.

Mindreading is defined as the ability to “make sense of other people and to coordinate our behavior with theirs” (Bermudez, 354). Many cognitive scientists believe the theory of mind mechanism (TOMM) is important to mindreading. These scientists contend that autistic individuals suffer from an impairment to this theory of mind module. However, others have argued that theory of mind, which is “the ability to form beliefs about the mental states of others”, is not a modular ability, but instead the result of the interaction of many different cognitive skills. In their paper “Generous or Parsimonious Cognitive Architecture? Cognitive Neuroscience and Theory of Mind,” Philip Gerrans and Valerie E. Stone take this view of theory of mind. I will review this paper and its arguments, then address the response to Gerrans and Stone made by Carl Hildebrand.

According to Kids Health (2014), “children with Autism have difference in the way their brains develop and process information”. For example, “language delay, trouble communicating with their brains, perform certain unusual or repetitive behaviors, or have difficulties learning in school” (p. 1).

In contradiction to this claim, studies have shown that autism can be strictly categorized as a cognitive disorder (Nolen & Rector, 2015). Again, with that being said, there are cases where such cases of intellectual disabilities may be seen as intertwined with sensory and communication issues. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, autism does highly affect the cognitive process of an individual, and may manifest itself in a range of manners and with respect to the environmental conditions (ASHA, 2018). In children, some may exhibit normal intelligence levels while others may have slightly delayed intellectual development, if not completely stalled, will pick up new knowledge and procedures very slowly as they are continually taught and exposed (Nolen & Rector, 2015). At this stage of identifying the state and stage of each child, their strengths are recorded and they can be taught at a personal level. Some children may exhibit a high auditory memory while others may be strong in visual skills and understanding. Most of them if not all, have their unique pattern of

When the word autism is stated what is the first picture that comes to mind? Is it a child throwing themselves on the ground and having an uncontrollable fit because the situation has changed from the standard routine all of a sudden? Or a child that is rocking back and forth constantly, or playing with one or two toys for a very long time without getting bored. “Currently one out of 88 children is diagnosed with having an autism spectrum disorder also known as ASD”. Smith R, Hannah S, Sengmuller E (2014 p9) Is there a way to help a child on the autism spectrum without the need for them to be on medication that has its own side effects on how the child behaves? Can a change in the diet help to control some of the side effects of being on the autism spectrum? To answer this question, we need to look at several things 1. How can a specialized diet help a child on the autism spectrum? 2. What are the common diets for autism and what is the difference between these diets. 3. What is the gluten free casein free diet all about and how do you implement it for a child with autism? 4. What evidence is there in support of specialized diets for autism from the medical profession and the parents point of view? 5. How does being on a special diet compared to the national guidelines set by this date for childcare facilities?

The journal article Enhanced Decision Making and Risk Avoidance in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (South et al., 2014) that is being reviewed is an experiment with High-Functioning autistic individuals and nerurotypical individuals inquiring if there is a difference in the behavior when making decisions if there is a risk involved. The researchers begin by explaining their supporting information in conducting this experiment. They reference previous written material that explains the impairments that individuals with Autism have in their neurocognitive processes, including the social and typical behaviors that occur during a normal day. The researchers’ hypothesis going into the experiment was that the due to the impairments

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of many developmental disabilities that affect students learning. In fact, in the United States, Autism is the fastest-growing severe developmental disorder (“What is Autism,” n.d.). Also, the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder is 1 in 68 children and the prevalence in boys is 1 in 42 children (“What is Autism,” n.d.). Furthermore, Autism Spectrum Disorders also affects the way a child learns and over the years, several teaching strategies have been developed to help teachers to effectively educate students with Autism. Research has also been conducted to develop and test new teaching strategies for Autism and continues in playing an important role in the education of students with Autism.

Autism is associated with a range of differences and difficulties typically related to core skills in reciprocal social interaction, communication and imagination

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurological disorder that affects 1 in 110 American children. Children with autism have poor communication throughout brain regions, which hinders them from understanding another person’s viewpoint, ultimately resulting in an impaired theory of mind. Theory of mind is a person’s ability to interpret other’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which is extremely difficult for children with autism. Though autistic children lack social and communication skills, some are actually “high-functioning,” meaning they have high intelligence and are usually exceptionally skilled in certain areas. On the other hand, those with “low-functioning” autism typically