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“Understanding the Nature of Autism: Behavior and Brain Science”

We are giving everyone a few moments to join us and will start the presentation just after the hour. If you have not yet dialed in, you may do so at any time. Call 1-866-516-5393 and use code 76211925 To download a copy of today’s slides, go to www.brookespublishing.com/autism Understanding the Nature of Autism: Behavior and Brain Science April 18, 2007 Copyright © 2007 Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Nature of Autism:

Behavior and Brain Science

Featuring Dr. Travis Thompson Dr. Anastasia Dimitropoulos Moderator: Steve Peterson

The Fine Print

• All information in this webinar and related material is provided for informational purposes only
• Observations and recommendations represent the expert opinions of the presenters based on their knowledge, experience, and training, but are in no way meant to substitute for the advice of a medical practitioner or other professional
• You should consult with a health professional or other specialist if you are interested in more information

Today’s Presentation

• Insights into why children with autism do the things they do
• An explanation of what the brain tells us about face recognition in children with autism
• A look at children’s need for predictability and control of their environment and how you can use that knowledge to help build trust out of potentially stressful situations
• Answers to your questions about autism, behavior, and brain science

Today’s Speakers

Travis Thompson, Ph.D. is the author of the new book Making Sense of Autism. He is supervising psychologist at the Minnesota Early Autism Project and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. He has received The Arc USA Distinguished Research Award, the Academy on Mental Retardation Life Time Research Award, the Don Hake Award of the American Psychological Association, and the Edgar A. Doll Award for his contributions to facilitating the transfer of research on intellectual and developmental disabilities into practice. Dr. Thompson has a grandson with an autism spectrum disorder. Anastasia Dimitropoulos, Ph.D. is a neuroimaging specialist and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Understanding the Nature of Autism:

Behavior and Brain Science

Travis Thompson, Ph.D. Professor Dept of Pediatrics University of Minnesota School of Medicine

We Will Discuss:

• Why Children with ASDs Do the Things They Do

• Characteristics of Autism: The Core Deficits

• Lack of Understanding of, and Skill with Communication

• Brain Basis of Social Deficits

• Compulsivity: Brain Differences in ASDs

Why Do Children with ASDs Do the Things They Do?

• It helps to try to see the world through their eyes

• They are doing the best they can to make sense of a disorderly world that causes them frequent distress

Characteristics of Autism:

The Core Deficits

• Communication Deficit

• Social Deficit

• Compulsive Disorder: Fixed Interests & Repetitive Behavior

Deficit in Communication as Problem Solving Tool

• Fail to grasp the idea that communication is a problem solving tool
• Slow language processing: Poor synchronization across brain’s language areas
• Difficulty with pragmatics

Fail to Understand Social Cues

• Don’t look at people’s eyes, as early as 6 months of age
• Lack amygdala and prefrontal cortex activation to faces exhibiting emotions
• Little response of fusiform gyrus to faces
• Mirror neuron deficits-inability to understand gestures
• Unable to draw social inferences

Eye and Facial Processing Deficits

• As early as 6 months, children who are later diagnosed with an ASD fail to look at eyes
• There is little or no amygdala and prefrontal cortex activation to eyes

Fusiform Gyrus and Mirror Neuron Dysfunction

• Fusiform “face area” under temporal lobe does not activate to faces
• Mirror neuron system required for understanding gestures is dysfunctional

Are faces special?

• People can often recognize objects regardless of orientation, but upside-down faces are much more difficult to recognize
• Recent research has examined what exactly drives this area’s activation – This research suggests that not just face processing but rather people’s expertise (i.e. experience) with faces underlies this activation

Developmental Hypothesis of Autism

• Early experience with faces shapes visual cortex
• Diminished social interest in children with autism: − leads to lessened attention to people (faces) during critical early developmental periods − failure to develop expertise for faces

Predicting Severity of Social Deficit from Amount of FFA Activation during Face Perception Tasks

Fusiform Face Area Activity to Faces Predicts Actual Face Recognition

r = .59, p = .0001 (N = 47 )

Fusiform Face Area Activity to Faces Predicts Severity of Social Disability Across Diagnoses

• Research also indicates that the more social deficits individuals with an autism spectrum disorder have, the less the Fusiform Face Area will activate

Implications

• Lack of Fusiform Face Area activation is directly proportional to degree of impairment and therefore:
• Fusiform gyrus function is a good target outcome variable for a treatment study

Fixed Interests & Repetitive Behavior

“The child’s behavior is governed by an anxiously obsessive desire for sameness that nobody but the child himself may disrupt on rare occasions. Changes in routine, of furniture arrangement, of a pattern, or the order in which everyday acts are carried out, can drive him to despair.”

Leo Kanner, 1943

Preference for Things

• Preference for objects that are constant…predictable

Making the World More Predictable

• Use visual schedules

• Give a warning before there will be a change in routine

• If possible, give the child a say in which things are done in what order

Gain Control by Relinquishing Control

• Teach legitimate means of requesting control over things important to the child but not very important to caregivers
• Choices-Mother: “Would like like apple sauce or pudding for dessert?”
• Child: “No! I don’t want to do spelling!” Teacher: “OK, let’s finish coloring, then we’ll do your spelling.”

Epilogue: The Little Stranger in Our Midst

• Teachers and parents look at a child with autism and see a little stranger in their midst. What makes him so different?
• It’s up to us to help them. We usually can do so if we see the world from their vantage point and apply sound basic intervention practices.

Making Sense of Autism

Learn much more about the topics discussed in today’s webinar in Dr. Thompson’s new book Making Sense of Autism—the authoritative guide for non-experts.

Thank You for Attending!

• Check your e-mail in the next day or two for a link to a recording of this webinar that you can access any time
• You can find a copy of today’s slides at www.brookespublishing.com/autism