Aims
This course aims to:
- provide a basic level of understanding about what ASD is and how it manifests
- provide information about the diagnostic and aetiological aspects of ASD
- provide understanding that will support and facilitate more fruitful interactions with people
with ASD
Content
Autism is a developmental disorder that was first documented by Leo Kanner in 1943. The term in its original form was used to capture something of the withdrawn behaviour and separateness that is central to the condition. Autism typically affects a person’s ability to communicate and form relationships with other people and generally respond appropriately with their environment. In clinical terms it involves a tripartite of features (1) impairment in social interaction, (2) impairment in communication (3) presence of restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interests and activities (APA, 1994).
Autism is normally diagnosed in childhood and cases number approximately 15 per 10,000. A condition closely related to autism is Asperger syndrome (AS), first described in 1944. Diagnostically, the only difference between the two conditions is the absence, in AS, of any significant delay in language or cognitive development. It remains unclear as to whether autism and AS really constitute two distinct conditions or whether the difference is only quantitative. Currently, these two conditions are regarded as being part of a broader category know as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite the research of the last 80 years, autism remains a puzzle. Most people have heard of it yet many remain unclear about what it actually is. Even one of the most talented researchers in the field has referred to it as ‘the enigma’.
Presentation of the course
The five sessions will involve lecture presentation of material but will involve a high degree of group discussion and debate.
Course sessions
- Introduction - defining ASD and exploring diagnostic / prevalence issue.
- Exploring ASD at the cognitive level - features and causation.
- Exploring ASD at the biological level - features and causation.
- ‘Treatment’ approaches of the past and current interventions and approaches.
- The ontology of ASD - revisiting the cognitive level and reflecting on the concept.
Learning outcomes
You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.
The learning outcomes for this course are:
- to gain an understanding of what the autism spectrum is and how it manifests on the behavioural level
- to understand how such behaviours are used to formulate a diagnosis
- to understand how ASD manifests on other levels of functioning eg in terms of cognition and brain function
- to gain an appreciation of the complexity of ASD and how this relates to intervention approaches
Required reading
Baron-Cohen, Simon, Mindblindness: An Essay on Autism and Theory of Mind (Massachusetts: Institute of Technology Press, 1997)
