Deck 1: Overview of Autism

Question 1

What is a possible consequence of a child with autism's tightly narrow activity focus?

A) He often seeks to avoid unpleasant sensory input or obtain sensory input.
B) She may show an extreme resistance to relatively benign changes to environmental variables.
C) She will bond most closely with only three to four of her most consistent caregivers.
D) His behavioral excesses will likely make up for these behavioral deficits, leading to more on-task behavior.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The developmental theory holds that ______ has/have caused individuals with autism to fail to meet typical developmental milestones.

A) environmental stress
B) genetic mutations
C) brain malfunctions
D) traumatic brain injuries

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Why is generalization important when teaching students with autism?

A) It increases the likelihood that the student will be able to use skills independently in all settings.
B) It results in an emphasis on skills as well as on age-appropriate settings and activities.
C) It results in a list of skills that a particular student needs to function in settings in which he currently participates.
D) It helps teachers apply strategies to deal with students' behavior excesses.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What are some formal assessment instruments that are used to diagnose autism and obtain information to plan educational programs?

A) Gilliam Autism Rating Scale and Autism Diagnostic Interview
B) Educational Planning for Autism and Revised Interviews for Autism Diagnosis
C) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and American Psychiatric Diagnostic Guidelines
D) DSM-5 and Rating Scale (Autism, III)

Question 5

Why might the current diagnostic criteria (DSM-5) for children with autism present barriers to early diagnosis?

A) Many children with mild symptoms of autism do not fit the characteristics included in the DSM-5 guidelines.
B) Since autism spectrum disorder is an umbrella term, the diagnostic criteria do not provide enough detail to diagnose very young children
C) The criteria require assessment of skills that generally appear only around age 3.
D) Some individuals previously included under the PDD diagnosis (diagnosed in early childhood) will be excluded from the current ASD diagnosis.

Question 6

Research points toward organic causes of autism such as genetic predisposition, abnormal brain structure, and ______.

A) abnormal brain chemistry
B) cold, nonresponsive parents
C) lead-based paints
D) lack of affective contact

Question 7

______ posits that brain malfunction can lead children with autism to have specific differences in their thinking ability and differences in the way they receive external input.

A) The behavioral explanation
B) Developmental theory
C) Perceptual and cognitive theory
D) Neurological research

Question 8

In 1992, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the incidence of autism in the United States as ______ children. In 2012, that number was ______.

A) 1 in 130,000; 1 in 8,000
B) 1 in 150; 1 in 68
C) 1 in 68; 1 in 150
D) 1 in 10; 1 in 10

Question 9

______ can help reduce a child's resistance when change occurs.

A) Prior cognitive preparation
B) Self-stimulatory behavior
C) Negative reinforcement
D) Peer pairing

Question 10

Who can diagnose autism?

A) Special education teachers
B) Well-baby pediatricians
C) Psychologists or psychiatrists trained to use the DSM-5 for that purpose
D) Special education administrators

Question 11

According to the text, what are some factors that could explain the increase in the number of children served under the special education category of autism?

A) Better diagnostic procedures, wider awareness of the disorder, and parental preference for the autism label over other disability labels
B) A greater number of special education classes, more teachers with knowledge of autism, and greater parental involvement
C) Increased state and federal funding as mandated in the No Child Left Behind legislation
D) Increased parental education and advocacy related to educating their children with autism

Question 12

Under current diagnostic criteria, students who used to be diagnosed as having Asperger's syndrome are now said to have ______.

A) Rett syndrome
B) high-functioning autism
C) pervasive developmental disorders
D) childhood disintegrative disorder

Question 13

______ is the special education law that school assessment personnel must follow when determining whether a student meets the definition of a disability such as autism.

A) IDEA 2004
B) No Child Left Behind
C) ESSA
D) Title IX

Question 14

From the perceptual and cognitive view, goals for teaching children with autism may include teaching students to communicate with people in _______ ways.

A) socially appropriate
B) evidence-based
C) developmental
D) cognitive

Question 15

Why is consistency an important teacher characteristic?

A) Because of the idiosyncratic response to common stimuli that students with autism often have
B) Because it enables the teacher to better elicit responses from students who cannot easily decipher subtle social cues
C) Because students with autism do not communicate well
D) Because individuals with autism typically dislike change and prefer set routines

Question 16

The text focuses on school-age students who meet the criteria for ______ as defined by the American Psychiatric Association and who also have ______ with more severe symptoms.

A) special education services; autism
B) intellectual disabilities; autism spectrum disorder
C) autism; autism spectrum disorder
D) autism spectrum disorder; intellectual disabilities

Question 17

Many parents of children with autism ______.

A) seamlessly incorporate their child with autism into the family unit
B) should be encouraged to stay current with CPR and first aid training
C) find autism support groups to be irrelevant
D) face continuous and pervasive challenges

Question 18

______ is an umbrella term for a wide range of symptoms that include restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior such as the presence of stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities along with persistent deficits in social interaction and social communication and across multiple contexts.

A) Asperger's syndrome
B) Autism spectrum disorder
C) Childhood disintegrative disorder
D) Autism

Question 19

Why does the general public often not realize a child with autism has a disability when he/she displays aggressive or bizarre behavior in public places?

A) Because of a lack of understanding of the characteristics of autism
B) Because many families attempt to hide the autism diagnosis
C) Because individuals with autism usually appear physically normal
D) Because all children with autism have unique needs and characteristics

Question 20

What do we mean when we say it's important for teachers to be intuitively sensitive?

A) Children with autism are very intuitive, and teachers should attend to that factor.
B) Teachers must seek to anticipate the needs of the children in their classroom to reduce students' need to ask for help.
C) Because of low language ability, teachers must attend to behaviors and contextual factors to understand what children with autism are really trying to communicate.
D) Teachers must be able to sense whether their students are achieving the program's goals and making progress with developing skills.

Question 21

Discuss how a lack of functional language can manifest itself in a child with autism.

Question 22

List at least six common characteristics of a child with autism.

Question 23

Provide at least five examples of self-stimulatory behaviors a child with autism might exhibit.

Question 24

Why is knowledge of the three main theories that explain the presence of common symptoms in children with autism important?

Question 25

What is the main overall consequence if a child with autism does not develop adequate life skills?

Question 26

The exact etiology of autism is not known, though there is strong evidence for genetic links.

Question 27

In most cases, autism is believed to be present at birth.

Question 28

A teacher needs to like children.

Question 29

What are the benefits of basing techniques used to teach children with autism on behavioral theory?

Question 30

How has the diagnosis of children with autism changed since the previous version of the DSM, and why has the change in diagnostic criteria been controversial?