Diagnostic Criteria and Clinical Features
This neurodevelopmental condition is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
True or False: Introducing AAC decreases the likelihood of speech development.
What is False?
This ethical principle refers to doing good and acting in the client’s best interest.
What is beneficence?
Name one component of a comprehensive ASD evaluation.
What is parent interview / developmental history / observation / standardized testing?
Early intervention services are most effective when started before what approximate age?
What is before age 5 (ideally before age 3)?
Two core domains required for diagnosis under DSM-5-TR.
What are (1) social communication deficits and (2) restricted/repetitive behaviors?
Core words make up approximately what percentage of daily language use?
What is roughly 75–80%?
Define cultural humility in clinical practice.
Ongoing self-reflection and openness to learning from clients and families.
Why should language delay alone not automatically result in ASD diagnosis?
Because social communication differences must also be present.
Name one early red flag for autism observable before age 2.
What is limited joint attention / lack of response to name / reduced eye gaze / limited gestures / lack of pointing?
Name one example of a restricted or repetitive behavior that is NOT motor stereotypy.
What is insistence on sameness / highly restricted interests / sensory sensitivities?
Give one reason a verbally fluent autistic child may still benefit from AAC.
What is support for emotional regulation / shutdown periods / complex expression?
A family declines diagnostic referral due to stigma. What is the clinician’s first responsibility?
Provide respectful education and ensure informed decision-making.
A bilingual child shows language delay in English but typical skills in home language. What must be ruled out?
What is second-language acquisition difference?
Why is joint attention considered foundational in early intervention?
Because it supports shared meaning, language development, and social learning.
Why were previous subtypes e.g., Asperger’s Disorder removed?
Because ASD is now conceptualized as a spectrum with severity levels rather than distinct categories.
What ethical principle supports early AAC introduction even without a formal diagnosis?
What is beneficence or communication rights ?
Equality vs equity — which ensures individualized supports?
What is equity?
What does “presumption of competence” mean in assessment?
Assuming understanding and capability unless clearly demonstrated otherwise.
In early intervention, parent coaching is preferred over therapist-directed drill because
What is it promotes generalization, empowers families, and increases intensity of intervention in natural environments?
A child has strong vocabulary but cannot sustain reciprocal conversation. Which diagnostic domain does this reflect?
What is social communication deficit?
A school refuses AAC because the student is “too verbal.” Identify the flawed assumption
What is equating speech with full communication competence?
Social prejudice against physically or mentally disabled people. When low expectations limit educational placement, this bias may be present.
What is ableism?
Why is relying solely on standardized test scores ethically problematic
Because it may ignore cultural, contextual, and functional communication factors
A 20-month-old has limited words but strong social engagement and joint attention. What must be carefully considered before diagnosing ASD?
What is differentiating language delay from autism?