Chapter 9 Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders
9.1 Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Each of the following is a misconception about autism spectrum disorders EXCEPT
A) It is a single, well-defined category of disability.
B) People with autism spectrum disorders are all intellectually disabled.
C) People with autism are impaired in some cognitive areas but are highly
intelligent or geniuses in others.
D) There is no evidence that bad parenting causes autism.
Praxis: II.B.
CEC: CC1K1
2) The seminal work in the field of autism began in what year?
A) 1923
B) 1933
C) 1943
D) 1953
Praxis: I.A.
CEC: CC1K1
3) The words “autistic” and “autism” come from the Greek word autos, meaning
A) cars.
B) withdrawn.
C) others.
D) self.
Praxis: I.A.
CEC: CC1K1
4) One characteristic that distinguished children studied by Kanner was
A) an inability to relate to others in an ordinary manner.
B) a need to be picked up or held by parents.
C) surprisingly normal language development.
D) an extreme dislike of repetition.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC1K1
5) Kanner’s research with a group of children he called “autistic” indicated that these
children could be set apart from children with schizophrenia in each of the following
ways EXCEPT
A) Children with schizophrenia withdrew from the world at some point, while
children with autism had no social connections to begin with.
B) Children with autism exhibited unique language patterns, such as echolalia.
C) Children with schizophrenia exhibited bizarre, repetitive physical movement.
D) Children with schizophrenia tended to deteriorate in their functioning over
time, while children with autism did not.
Praxis: I.A.
CEC: CC1K1
6) Asperger identified children who had
A) average intelligence but channeled their intellectual pursuits into obsessive
preoccupation in narrow areas.
B) above average intelligence but channeled their intellectual pursuits into
obsessive preoccupation in narrow areas.
C) below average intelligence but remarkable ability in a particular area.
D) below average intelligence and a tendency toward violent, psychotic behavior.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC1K1
7) Asperger referred to the children he studied as having
A) schizophrenia.
B) childhood disintegrative disorder.
C) pervasive developmental disorder.
D) autistic psychopathy.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC1K1
8) Which term is used to describe disorders similar in many ways to autism?
A) autism spectrum disorder
B) autism-like disorder
C) autism behavior disorder
D) autism developmental disorder
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
9) A condition that is much like autism but usually without significant delays in cognition
and language is
A) Asperger syndrome.
B) Rett syndrome.
C) childhood disintegrative disorder.
D) pervasive developmental disorder.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
10) According to the APA, in order to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, an
individual must meet each of these criteria EXCEPT
A) clinically significant, persistent defects in social communication and
interactions
B) restricted, repetitive pattern of behavior, interests, and activities
C) symptoms must be present in early childhood
D) evidence of echolalia, a unique language pattern with repetition of words and
phrases
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
11) Each of the following is included within autism spectrum disorders EXCEPT
A) childhood disintegrative disorder.
B) pervasive developmental disorder.
C) Asperger syndrome.
D) Butler’s disorder.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
12) A condition characterized by normal development for at least 2 and up to 10 years,
followed by a significant loss of skills is
A) Asperger syndrome.
B) Rett syndrome.
C) childhood disintegrative disorder.
D) pervasive developmental disorder.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K1
13) A condition in which persons display behaviors typical of autism but to a lesser
degree and/or with an onset later than 3 years of age is
A) Asperger syndrome.
B) Rett syndrome.
C) childhood disintegrative disorder.
D) pervasive developmental disorder.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K6
14) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, how many people have
an autism spectrum disorder?
A) about 1 out of 110
B) about 1 out of 2,500
C) about 1 out of 333
D) about 1 out 91
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
15) Most scientists argue that the dramatic increase in prevalence statistics for autism is
due to each of the following EXCEPT
A) a widening of the criteria used for diagnosis.
B) a greater awareness of autism in general.
C) widespread use of vaccinations for babies.
D) “diagnostic substitution” (diagnosing with autism rather than intellectual
disability).
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
16) Which statement about the prevalence rate of ASD is TRUE?
A) It is 4 times higher for girls than boys.
B) It is 4 times higher for boys than girls.
C) It is higher for Latinos than European Americans.
D) It is higher for African Americans than for European Americans.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
17) Which term was once commonly applied to mothers of children with autism?
A) warmhearted moms
B) refrigerator moms
C) coldhearted moms
D) neglectful moms
Praxis: I.A.
CEC: CC1K1
18) During the 1960s, which idea was popular among professionals trying to explain
autism?
A) psychoanalytic idea that attributes cause to parents
B) biological basis that attributes cause to heredity
C) neurological basis that attributes cause to brain damage
D) childhood inoculations
Praxis: I.A.
CEC: CC1K1
19) Which statement about the causes of autism spectrum disorder is true?
A) Autism spectrum disorder is likely caused by parental attitudes and behavior.
B) Scientists have established unequivocally that the cause is neurological.
C) Psychoanalytic ideas attribute autism to brain malfunction.
D) Childhood inoculations have been proven to cause autism in some cases.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K1
20) Each of the following supports a neurological basis for autism EXCEPT
A) People with autism have a high incidence of brain seizures and cognitive
deficits.
B) Postmortem and neurological imaging studies have implicated several areas of
the brain that differ from those of people without disabilities.
C) People with autism may have experienced sudden, excessive brain growth
followed by a deceleration in growth.
D) Studies show that when one sibling is diagnosed with autism, the chances are
much higher that another sibling has autism.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K1
21) Neurological research that involves the brain and head size of people with autism
strongly suggests that for many
A) their brains are larger than average at birth.
B) their brains increase in size after about age five years.
C) their brains grow suddenly and excessively in the first two years of life.
D) their brains reach maximum size around age two or three years.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K1
22) Which of the following statements illustrates evidence for autism having a hereditary
component?
A) “Refrigerator mothers” have been shown to have had mothers who were
also “cold” and uninvolved.
B) Identical twins are much more likely to both have autism than are fraternal
twins.
C) When one family member has autism, the chances are 10 times higher that
another family member has autism than in the population as a whole.
D) Family members of those with autism are less likely to have a preference for
routines than people in general.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K1
23) Most children with autism can be diagnosed by the age of
A) 12 years
B) 9 years
C) 6 years
D) 3 years
Praxis: III.C.
CEC: CC1K5
24) What percentage of children with autism appears to experience autistic regression?
A) 10–27%
B) 20–47%
C) 30–57%
D) 40–87%
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K1
25) Each of the following is a characteristic that applies generally to individuals who may
be said to exhibit autism spectrum disorder EXCEPT
A) impaired social responsiveness.
B) impaired communication.
C) stereotyped and ritualistic behavior.
D) broad range of interests.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC3K1
26) The process by which one alerts another to a stimulus via nonverbal means, such as
gazing or pointing, is called
A) attention prompting.
B) prompt attention.
C) joint attention.
D) joint prompting.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC3K1
27) Children with autism have impaired communication; as many as 50 percent are
thought to
A) be mute.
B) lack communicative intent.
C) display stereotypic behavior.
D) exhibit echolalia.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC3K1
28) The desire to communicate for social reasons is
A) pragmatic language.
B) communicative intent.
C) echolalia.
D) conversational impetus.
Praxis: I.A.
CEC: CC1K1
29) Repetitive, ritualistic motor movements such as twirling, flapping hands, and rocking
are known as
A) impaired social responsiveness.
B) impaired communication.
C) stereotypic behaviors.
D) preoccupation with objects.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC3K1
30) Which of the following statements about intelligence and autism is true?
A) Intelligence does not appear to be affected by autism.
B) About 20% of individuals with autism have mental retardation as well.
C) People with autism are unusually intelligent as a group.
D) The majority of individuals with autism display cognitive deficits similar to
those with intellectual disabilities.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC2K1
31) Jeremy has severe autism. He does not interact with others socially and his
intellectual functioning appears to be very low. However, Jeremy has extraordinary
ability as a pianist (though he is not interested in performing for other people). Which
term best describes Jeremy?
A) Asperger syndrome
B) Rett syndrome
C) autistic savant
D) autistic genius
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC3K1
32) What percentage of the population of those with autism is thought to be autistic
savant?
A) about 10%
B) about 25%
C) about 75%
D) about 50%
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
33) A person whose sensory perceptions are so abnormal that he or she could appear to
be deaf or blind would be
A) hyporesponsive.
B) hyperresponsive.
C) overresponsive.
D) hypersensitive.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC1K1
34) A mixing of sensory or cognitive systems whereby stimulation of one elicits
stimulation of the other is
A) mirror neurons.
B) synaesthesia.
C) hyperresponsiveness.
D) hyposensitivity.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC2K1
35) The social skills that are not taught directly but people are assumed to know, or social
rules or conventions that most of us learn incidentally, are what is referred to as the
A) hidden curriculum.
B) secret curriculum.
C) social curriculum.
D) undisclosed curriculum.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC7K1
36) People with Asperger syndrome tend to be
A) overly literal but very illogical
B) logical and able to see situations in a nuanced way
C) focused on emotion over logic, and are quite literal.
D) overly literal and focused on logic over emotion.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC7K1
37) The way people use language in social situations is
A) communicative intent.
B) semantics.
C) pragmatics.
D) syntax.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC7K1
38) The three most prominent theories that identify the major impairments attributed to
autism spectrum disorders include each of the following EXCEPT
A) executive functions.
B) family systems.
C) weak central coherence.
D) theory of mind.
Praxis: III.A.
CEC: CC7K1
39) Executive functions include all of the following EXCEPT
A) ability to conceptualize stimuli as a whole.
B) working memory.
C) the ability to plan ahead.
D) self-regulation of emotions.
Praxis: III.A.
CEC: CC7K1
40) The natural inclination for most people to bring order and meaning to information in
their environment by perceiving it as a meaningful whole rather than as disparate
parts is
A) lateral coherence.
B) central coherence.
C) lateral adherence.
D) central synthesis.
Praxis: III.A.
CEC: CC2K5
41) Jean is a young woman with Asperger syndrome. Her coworker recently lost a family
member to cancer. Jean expounded on her knowledge of the cause and effects of the
illness, but did not offer condolences, nor did she notice the discomfort she was
causing her coworker. Jean’s inability to perceive the feelings or to understand the
emotional state of her coworker is related to
A) theory of central coherence.
B) theory of empathy.
C) theory of mind.
D) theory of executive functioning.
Praxis: III.A.
CEC: CC2K5
42) Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) includes each of the following components
EXCEPT
A) using structured lessons.
B) limited use of reinforcement.
C) focus on functional skills.
D) require continuous assessment of progress.
Praxis: III.E.
CEC: CC7K1
43) Functional behavioral assessment is used to reduce or eliminate negative behaviors.
The purposes the behaviors serve for a person are
A) antecedents.
B) setting events.
C) consequences.
D) motivations.
Praxis: III.F.
CEC: CC7S4
44) Educators of students with autistic spectrum disorder are putting increasing emphasis
on applying behavioral psychology in
A) structured settings and controlled environments.
B) normalized situations and normalized locations.
C) natural settings and natural interactions.
D) natural settings and in-vitro interactions.
Praxis: III.A.
CEC: CC7K1
45) The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) focuses on
A) teaching pivotal skills like motivation.
B) improving relatively severe language problems.
C) teaching pivotal skills like self-management.
D) teaching to more actively initiate responses.
Praxis: III.D.
CEC: CC4S3
46) What is currently the most popular placement for students with autism?
A) self-contained classroom
B) separate schools
C) resource rooms
D) general education classrooms
Praxis: III.D.
CEC: CC1K5
47) Two critical areas of assessment for students with autism spectrum disorders are
A) progress in academic skills and functional skills.
B) progress in academic skills and social/adaptive behavior.
C) progress in language development and functional skills.
D) progress in language development and social/adaptive behavior.
Praxis: III.C.
CEC: CC8K1
48) According to the National Research Council, each of the following is considered an
essential feature of effective educational programs for preschool children with autistic
spectrum disorders EXCEPT
A) entry into intervention programs as soon as diagnosis is seriously considered.
B) inclusion of a family component, including parent training.
C) low student/teacher ratios in the classroom.
D) active engagement in intensive instructional programming for at least 10 hours
per week.
Praxis: III.C.
CEC: CC8K1
49) In many ways, outcomes for persons with autism are similar to those with
A) learning disabilities.
B) intellectual disabilities.
C) emotional or behavioral disorders.
D) attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.
Praxis: III.D.
CEC: CC4S6
50) Planning for transition to adulthood for people with Asperger syndrome is largely
concerned with issues of
A) supported living.
B) competitive employment.
C) residential placement.
D) social interaction.
Praxis: III.D.
CEC: CC4S6
9.2 True/False Questions
1) Autism has been a separate category under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) since 1990.
Praxis: II.A.
CEC: CC1K1
2) The majority of people with autistic spectrum disorders have autism rather than
Asperger syndrome.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
3) Evidence strongly indicates that there is a connection between the measles, mumps,
rubella vaccine and autism.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K1
4) People with autism have a high incidence of brain seizures and cognitive deficits.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC2K1
5) Only occasionally are the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder noticed before a
child is two years old.
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
6) Some people with autism are highly intelligent and high achieving.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC2K6
7) Most people with autism exhibit remarkable ability or talent in particular splinter
skills, such as playing music, drawing, or calculating
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC2K6
8) The most popular placement for students with autism is the general education
classroom.
Praxis: III.D.
CEC: CC1K5
9) There are no standardized assessments available for outcome measures for people with
autism.
Praxis: III.C.
CEC: CC8K4
10) Social interaction problems for persons with Asperger syndrome tend to increase as
they reach adolescence and adulthood.
Praxis: III.C.
CEC: CC8K4
9.3 Short Answer Questions
1) Why is “autism” more appropriately thought of in terms of the broader phrase “autism
spectrum disorder”?
Praxis: I.C.
CEC: CC1K5
2) What is meant by the term “hidden curriculum”? Provide two examples from your own
experience.
Praxis: I.B.
CEC: CC3K1
3) Briefly describe attempts to construct a unifying theory of autism spectrum disorders.
Praxis: III.A.
CEC: CC1K1
4) Why has autism been “fertile ground for faddish and unproven treatment methods?”
Praxis: III.E.
CEC: CC7K1
5) What areas particularly need to be assessed for students with autism spectrum
disorders, what are appropriate methods of assessment, and what special concerns are
there regarding assessment?
Praxis: III.C.
CEC: CC8K4
6) Describe how you could use a system like the Picture Exchange Communication
System (PECS) to improve the functional communication of a person with autism.
Praxis: III.E.
CEC: CC6S1
7) Describe three strategies to help a student with autism be more included in a general
education classroom.
Praxis: III.E.
CEC: CC10K1
8) What characteristics should early education and interventions for students with autism
have?
Praxis: III.E.
CEC: CC7K1
9) What is the early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI) program, and why are
professionals cautious about recommending it?
Praxis: III.E.
CEC: CC7K1
10) What features should be present in a transition plan for students with autism spectrum
disorders?
Praxis: III.D.
CEC: CC4S6
Chapter 9 Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders
9.1 Multiple Choice Questions
9.2 True/False Questions
9.3 Short Answer Questions
