Theories about autism related to psychology. A Perspective on Psychological Theories of Autism 2019-01-16

Autism Resource Center

Many critics argue that behaviorism is a one-dimensional approach to understanding human behavior. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License, which permits for noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any digital medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not altered in any way. Specific discrete behavioural deficits are seen in autism such as impaired social functioning, impaired communication and lack of imaginative play. Though researchers have not gained a solid understanding as to why parental age can influence the risk of bearing a child with autism, it is still one of the top theories of what may cause autism. It had a round table where each student sat. The second line of evidence is the relation between assortative mating and autism. This process seems fairly straight forward—simply observe a behavior and then offer a reward or punishment.

Explain Theories About Autism Related to Brain Function and Genetics and to Psychology Essay

This movie was based on a true life story of Sean Tuohy and Leigh Anne. What the new studies have shown, however, is that in an autistic brain, the typical bundles of axons which connect specific parts of the brain are not laid out in the usual way that is expected to be seen in a neurotypical brain. Jan 1; 289 1 :49-55. While some behaviors improve in the teenage years, some get worse. The combination of a nervous system that favors defensive behaviors, and the inability to use social communication with people, places the autistic individual outside the realm of normal social behavior. The injury to the brain stem and the growth interferes with the neuron functioning of other brain regions. A fitness indicator is a trait that takes considerable energy to develop, maintain, and display.

Evolutionary approaches to autism

Poor Nutrition — Malnutrition by itself is not likely the cause of Autism. Towards an integration of different approaches on the evolution of autism: Autism as the result of epistatic interactions between the effects of genes Each theory described above has its merit; each theory explains some part of the phenotype of autism, and is supported to various degrees by empirical evidence. Skinner described as the process in which learning can occur through reinforcement and punishment. In addition, a separate table summarizing these theories can be found at Theory of Mind Deficit ToM One of the most common and most researched theories of autism is the Theory of Mind ToM , hypothesis developed by Simon Baron-Cohen. Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that a contributing cause for autism may be abnormal brain development beginning in the infant's first months.

Cognitive Theories Explaining ASD

Adults with autism can do a local online search, but may be better served by connecting with autism self-advocacy organizations such as. An effective treatment program will build on the child's interests, offer a predictable schedule, teach tasks as a series of simple steps, actively engage the child's attention in highly structured activities, and provide regular reinforcement of behavior. Fragile X Fragile X syndrome the most commonly inherited form of mental retardation, named for a defective piece of the X chromosome that appears pinched and fragile under a microscope is found in 2 percent to 5 percent of people with autism. However, Skinner discovered that the has an important influence on how quickly a new behavior is acquired and the strength of the corresponding response. Also the article emphasises facial and bodily differences for both ignoring syndromic or indirect causes and ignoring that the physical features usually cluster in patients, and they prefer to say atavism instead of the growing evidence of the neuropathology.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

First, deficits in theory of mind can be seen as an exaggeration of gender based differences that are seemingly hard-wired to our brain. Research continues into this hypothesis. Weak central coherence, a pattern typical of autism, is a cognitive style that emphasizes low-level features in lieu of high-level integrative processing. Children with Asperger's syndrome have repetitive behaviors, severe social problems, and clumsy movements, yet their language and intelligence are usually intact. Planning ahead, preparing for the next activity 2. For others, genetic changes may make a child more susceptible to autism. It is well-established that autism is a polygenic disorder, and that the genes contributing to autism interact.

A Perspective on Psychological Theories of Autism

In this lucid and elegant book, Francesca Happé provides a concise overview of current psychological theory and research that synthesizes the established work on the biological foundations, cognitive characteristics, and behavioral manifestations of this disorder. Desmond Morris once said that we tend to think of ourselves as fallen angels, not risen apes. We learn to recognize smells and remember the last time we smelled such a thing and how it made us feel. It has been suggested that this association between these three areas of functioning could be explained by a single cognitive deficit, that is, an inability to cognitively represent mental states, otherwise know as the Theory of Mind ToM. However, megavitamin therapies have been used for many years to treat autistic symptoms. Our senses help us encounter information that will arouse our minds and therefore gather new data.

Autism : Theory of mind

Unsurprisingly, the number of psychological theories about a condition is a direct reflection of how little is known about its etiology. Experts are divided on the factors that may cause the autistic brain differences. Others can live semi-independently in their own home if they have assistance with solving major problems, such as personal finances or dealing with the government agencies that provide services to persons with disabilities. Precursors to a theory of mind: Understanding attention in others. In other cases, there is a plateau or leveling of progress, and the difference between the child with autism and other children the same age becomes more noticeable.

Autism Resource Center

Clinicians have proposed different psychological theories to explain mental illness from the perspective of the mind. This can cause some children to be oblivious to extreme cold; others may fall and break an arm yet never cry. Paternally expressed imprinted genes tend to promote fetal growth, whereas maternally expressed imprinted genes tend to suppress fetal growth. The central nervous system receives and sends information to the peripheral nervous system. It had a sink far out from the working area, where they could wash up after themselves.

Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders

A third piece of evidence for the involvement of epistatic interactions between genes in autism is the co-occurrence of autism and several other disabilities. Very early setbacks can alter proper advancement of joint-attention behaviors, which may lead to a failure to form a full theory of mind. This is true to an extent, but I believe an important upshot of this fact has been completely overlooked. The goal of this paper is to determine whether autism is genetic or not. Several screening instruments have been developed to quickly gather information about a child's social and communicative development within medical settings. When an association disappears, this is known as , causing the behavior to weaken gradually or vanish. Scientists are exploring genetic conditions such as fragile X and tuberous sclerosis to see why they so often coincide with autism.