Asperger's Syndrome
a syndrome characterised by obsessive behaviors and impairments in social functioning, A disorder more common in boys impaired social interaction, non verbal/facial expression and body posture, peer relationships that lack a shared enjoyment, and lack of
prosopagnosia
inabilty to recognize faces
proprioception
the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts
joint attention
skill related to language development witrh child and conversation partner attending to same object or event
childhood disintegrative disorder
shares behavioral characteristics with autism; doesn't begin until age 2-10; common medical complications; prognosis for improvement is poor
GFCF diet
a diet recommended for people with autism because of poor digestion of the two proteins
rumbling stage
the beginning of a meltdown
rage stage
the peak of a meltdown
recovery stage
the diminishment of a meltdown
Rett's Disorder
A rare neurobiological disorder that primarily affects females and is caused by a deviation on the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene.
stimming
Repetitive motion that provides comfort and sensory balance
comorbid disorders
disorders that can occur together at the same time and often share the same symptoms
thematic apperception test
a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.
theory of mind
people's ideas about their own and others' mental states�about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts and the behavior these might predict. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 151)
Hyperlexia
The ability to read words above age-level expectation
tactile defensiveness
aversion to touch
sensory processing disorder
a disorder which causes the person to be either hypersensitive or hyposensitive to certain sensory stimuli
SSRI
an antidepressant drug that acts by blocking the reuptake of serotonin so that more serotonin is available to act on receptors in the brain
rote memory
The process of memorizing and using language overheard from others rahter than producing spontaneously generated language.
nonverbal learning disorder
disorder characterized by very high verbal ability but very low spatio-visual, social, and motor skills
social stories
a method developed by Carol Gray to teach autistics social skills by presenting social scenarios in a written form
Kanner's autism
classical autism, characterized by a speech delay followed by a developmental delay and social difficulties
autism spectrum
autism, pervasive developmental disorders, learning disabilities, sensory integration disorder
cognitive behavioral therapy
Treatment involving the combination of behaviorism (based on the theories of learning) and cognitive therapy (based on the theory that our cognitions or thoughts control a large portion of our behaviors).