Mindful Continuing Education

1. Although research suggests that early identification paired with early intervention leads to better outcomes in children with ASD, the number of children currently receiving early intervention (EI) services fall short of the number estimated to need them.

2. A new study identifies signs of ASD that emerge in the first months of life, focusing on ____________________, which has been one of the key predictors that a child might have the condition.

3. Retrospective studies examining two patterns of ASD symptom onset have developed concrete evidence regarding the relationship between regression and severity of development outcomes indicating that regression occurs in mostly all cases and leads to developmental problems.

4. Each of the following is an accurate statement about the association between gastrointestinal (GI) problems associated with ASD EXCEPT:

5. In addition to GI issues, ASD is sometimes accompanied by one more comorbid health condition, such seizures, sleep disorders and psychiatric disorder, but the relationship between ASD and comorbidity is poorly understood and these conditions do not occur evenly across ASD populations.

6. 'High-confidence' ASD genes have been identified in multiple families with ASD, with the greatest impact of these genes tending to occur in the period of fetal development ranging from:

7. New research supports the argument that that fetal exposure to certain maternal antibodies may play a role in the development of ASD, and that target particular fetal brain proteins have been found in 18% of mothers of children with ASD and only in 6% of mothers of typically developing children.

8. Several recent studies have shown an increased risk for ASD in the children of older fathers, possibly because of spontaneous mutations in sperm cells that may accumulate overtime and results in cellular and molecular functions that may give rise to ASD symptoms in the next generation.

9. New correlational findings suggest an association between prenatal folic acid supplementation and a decreased risk of autistic disorder, and have been able to clearly establish causality for this decreased risk as well as to demonstrate how folic acid acts as a protective factor against ASD.

10. Children with ASD who attain verbal skills by ______ of age have been found to demonstrate the best social outcomes, and improvement in such skills as joint attention can positively impact the development of verbal communication in these children.

11. Brief behavioral interventions that are provided along traditional therapies show much potential in targeting joint attention and play skills and can result in the improvement of core deficits in minimally verbal children with ASD.

12. Although there is no established drug treatment to address social impairment, previous work in children and adults with ASD suggests that oxytocin treatment results in each of the following EXCEPT:

13. Two intervention models that are widely used in schools are LEAP, which uses applied behavior analysis (ABA) approaches with the goal of reducing characteristics of ASD that interfere with learning, and TEACH, which makes changes and accommodations to the student's environment to promote the child's engagement and learning.

14. While data imply that high quality classrooms lead to benefits for ASD children, the degree of ASD severity may play a role in the type of classroom that best fits the individual child.

15. Several studies on treatment models for preschool aged children with ASD have observed that inclusion in classroom settings alongside their typically developing peers have resulted in cognitive gains for them. although some researchers argue that inclusive classrooms may expose children with ASD to social rejection from typically developing peers.

16. ASD children who undergo early intervention in inclusive school settings and in mixed disability placements consistently show improvement in cognitive assessments compared to those in autism only placements.

17. Previous research has demonstrated that some people who were diagnosed with ASD as children grew up to lose their symptoms and their ASD diagnosis, but concerns have remained about _____________________________________ and whether they had indeed fully recovered.

18. Unemployment is high among adults with ASD, but those who enroll in supported employment programs that offer job placement and support throughout employment have shown greater individual satisfaction greater financial gains, and more independent living.