Psy270 Appendix F

Associate Level Material

Appendix F

Autism and Mental Retardation

Respond to the following:

1. List the primary features of autism.

The primary features of autism are a lack of responsiveness, language and communication problems, echolalia, pronominal reversal, limited imaginative play and very repetitive or rigid behavior, a presentation of sameness, unusual motor movements, self-stimulatory behavior and self-injurious behavior, and overstimulation/under stimulation.

2. Which explanation for autism is no longer considered valid and lacks research support?

The sociocultural explanation has led investigators in the wrong direction and lacks research support. It suggests that children who have parents or caretakers that are rigid, rejecting, or socially unstable are at risk of developing autism.

3. What forms of treatment are helpful for a person with autism?

Behavioral therapy, communication training, parent training, and community integration are some forms of treatment that may be helpful for a person with autism. Sometimes psychotropic drugs and vitamins can help in combination with other approaches.

4. List the criteria for a diagnosis of mental retardation:

A person is diagnosed with mental retardation when he or she displays intellectual functioning below average combined with poor adaptive behavior. This means that a person has a low IQ and has difficulty in communication, work, self-direction, safety, or home living. These symptoms need to present itself prior to the age of 18.

5. Explain one way in which sociocultural biases in testing might pose problems for assessing mental retardation.

One way in which sociocultural biases in testing can create problems for assessing mental retardation is that those brought up in middle and higher socioeconomic levels are at an advantage because they are exposed to the kinds of language and thinking these tests measure. Tests do not...