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1: Impaired theory of mind.
Ability to recognize thoughts beliefs and intentions of others. They can't make sense of their behavior. "Mind blindness" They have difficulty putting themselves in your shoes.

2:Weak central coherence.
Children with autism can be great at attending to detail, but have difficult understanding the overall picture.

3:Impaired executive function.
They often have problems with organization and time management. They can be very impulsive.

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"ASD is diagnosed four times more often in males than in females.  However, the ratio can be 2:1 when comparing boys and girls with ASD level 1".  Many girls have the same clinical depth of ASD characteristics but it is often hidden in younger girls and may not come to light until their adolescent years.

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Causes: Infections in Pregnancy & Early Childhood.

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Causes: Infections in Pregnancy & Early Childhood.

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Certain viral infections can cause autism. Some examples are rubella, herpes, or measles. Immigrants are at a greater risks but few studies have examined these theories. Some people believe mercury in vaccines cause it, but this is not proven.

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There is an association between ASD and autoimmune disorders. Common autoimmune disorders amongst Autism include Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, Crohn's disease, and increased levels of celiac disease.

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Children born with phenylketonuria have a deficiency in the enzyme that converts phenylalanine to tyrosine. This leads in a toxic buildup that results in brain damage and intellectual disability. A diet without meat and milk prevents this buildup.

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Involves persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction. Includes deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors, deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships.
Involves restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
Severity of the disorder is based on social communication impairments and restricted repetitive patterns of behavior.

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Neuropathological studies have indicated that about 25% of children with level 1 autism have a heavier & larger brain than others (Macrocephaly).

These studies have also identified structural abnormalities in the limbic system. This is associated with emotions. Areas of the brain associated w/ emotional regulation and social reasoning are not functioning as expected.

Dysfunction ofSerotonin and dopamine  in the brain.

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"If a family has a child with Autism, the chances of having another child with autism range from 18-22%...".  The sex of a child is also a factor in autism. Autism affects more boys than girls. "Some specific chromosomal abnormalities have been associated with ASD," specifically fragile X syndrome. Researchers have also recognized an increase in ASD with advancing parental age, low birth weight, and fetal exposure to psychotropic mediation.

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"The severest expression of impaired communication or language abilities for children who have ASD is the silent child who has a vocabulary of sounds, but not words".

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1: Social Reasoning.
Child who avoids social interactions. Passive.

2: Language Abilities.
Severest impairment is silence. Trouble speaking. If speech is there, it requires a prompt.

3:Cognition.
Profound learning difficulties. Significant intellectual impairment. Fascination with shapes and patterns.

4:Special interests.
Wide range of intense or special interests. Preoccuption with parts of objects. May remember many facts about a specific topic.

5:Sensory Sensitivity.
They are sensitive to light, sound, and touch. There can be a lack of response to pain. They develop strategies to avoid specific sensory experiences.

6:Expression and Managements of Emotions.
Deficit in social/emotional reciprocity. They can have anxiety, despair, and anger.

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Not included in DSM 5 because it is basically level 1 autism without language/intellectual impairment.

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3= requiring very substantial support. Severe deficits

2=requiring substantial support. Difficulty coping w/ change, deficits in communication.

1= requiring support, without support there are noticeable impairments in communication. Restricted and repetitive behaviors.

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APA has dispensed with the term pervasive developmental disorder And replaced it with ASD. Single umbrella term.