Read the following text. Use dictionary if necessary. Autism is a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder that first appears during infancy or childhood

Autism is a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder that first appears during infancy or childhood, and generally follows a steady course without remission. It is distinguished not by a single symptom, but by a characteristic triad of symptoms: impairments in social interaction; impairments in communication; and restricted interests and repetitive behavior. People with autism have social impairments and inability to understand the social communication of neurotypicals, or people with normal neural development.

Unusual social development becomes apparent early in childhood. Autistic infants show less attention to social stimuli, smile and look at others less often, and respond less to their own name. Autistic toddlers differ more strikingly from social norms; for example, they have less eye contact and do not have the ability to use simple movements to express themselves, such as the deficiency to point at things. Three- to five-year-old autistic children are less likely to exhibit social understanding, imitate and respond to emotions, communicate nonverbally, and take turns with others. However, they do form attachments to people who care about them. Children with high-functioning autism suffer from more intense and frequent loneliness compared to non-autistic peers, despite the common belief that children with autism prefer to be alone. Making and maintaining friendships often proves to be difficult for those with autism. For them, the quality of friendships, not the number of friends, predicts how lonely they feel.

There are many anecdotal reports, but few systematic studies, of aggression and violence in individuals with ASD. The limited data suggest that, in children with intellectual disability, autism is associated with aggression, destruction of property, and tantrums. The study that had been held in 2007 showed that about two-thirds of 67 children had periods of severe tantrums and about one-third had a history of aggression, with tantrums significantly more common than in non-autistic children. The Swedish study (2008) found that, of individuals aged 15 or older discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of ASD, those who committed violent crimes were significantly more likely to have other psychopathological conditions such as psychosis.

About a third to a half of individuals with autism does not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs. Differences in communication may be present from the first year of life, and may include delayed onset of babbling, unusual gestures, diminished responsiveness. In the second and third years, autistic children have less frequent and less diverse babbling, consonants, words, and word combinations; their gestures are less often integrated with words. Autistic children are less likely to make requests or share experiences, and are more likely to simply repeat others' words (echolalia). Attention seems to be necessary for functional speech, and deficits in attention seem to distinguish infants with ASD: for example, they may look at a pointing hand instead of the pointed-at object, and they consistently fail to point at objects in order to comment on. Autistic children may have difficulty with imaginative play and with developing symbols into language.

Autistic individuals display many forms of repetitive or restricted behavior. Here are some categories of repetitive behavior:

- Stereotypy is repetitive movement, such as hand flapping, making sounds, head rolling, or body rocking.

- Compulsive behavior is intended and appears to follow rules, such as arranging objects in stacks or lines.

- Sameness is resistance to change; for example, insisting that the furniture not be moved.

- Ritualistic behavior involves an unvarying pattern of daily activities, such as an unchanging menu or a dressing ritual. This is closely associated with sameness and an independent validation has suggested combining the two factors.

- Restricted behavior is limited in focus, interest or activity, such as preoccupation with a single television program, toy, or game.

- Self-injury includes movements that injure or can injure the person, such as eye poking, skin picking, hand biting, and head banging.

Ш. 1. Answer the questions:

1) What is autism distinguished by?

2) What are the sings of autism in the autistic infants?

3) How do the autistic toddlers differ from their normal peers?

4) How do the autistic children of three to five years act?

5) Is it true that children with autism prefer to be along?

6) Can you itemize the categories of repetitive behavior?

2. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1) Autism is distinguished by a single symptom.

2) People with autism have social impairments and inability to understand the social communication of neurotypicals, or people with normal neural development.

3) Autistic infants show more attention to social stimuli, smile and look at others less often, and respond less to their own name.

4) Three- to five-year-old autistic children are less likely to exhibit social understanding, imitate and respond to emotions, communicate nonverbally, and take turns with others.

5) Children with autism don’t form attachments to people who care about them.

6) Children with autism prefer to be alone.

7) The limited data suggest that, in children with intellectual disability, autism is associated with aggression, destruction of property, and tantrums.

8) Differences in communication may be present from the first year of life, and may include delayed onset of babbling, unusual gestures, diminished responsiveness.

9) Autistic children are more likely to make requests or share experiences, and are less likely to simply repeat others' words (echolalia).

10) Autistic children may have difficulty with imaginative play and with developing symbols into language.

3. Continue the sentences:

1) People with autism have...

2) Autistic toddlers differ…

3) Children with high-functioning…

4) The limited data suggest that…

5) The Swedish study (2008) found that…

6) Differences in communication may be present…

7) Attention seems to be necessary for…

8) Stereotypy is…

9) Ritualistic behavior involves…

10) Self-injury includes…

4. Which word in the list is odd?

1) to show less attention to social stimuli, to smile and to look at others less often, to pick skin, to respond less to their own name;

2) to show less eye contact, nonstop running, not to have the ability to use simple movements to express themselves, the deficiency to point at things

3) to be less likely to exhibit social understanding, to imitate and respond to emotions, to communicate nonverbally, and take turns with others, to have severe headaches;

4) aggression, sadness, destruction of property, tantrums.

 

5. Fill in the blanks with the words from the text:

Autism is a highly variable … … that first appears during infancy or childhood, and generally follows a … … without….

Autistic … differ more strikingly from social norms; for example, they have less … … and do not have the ability to use simple movements to… …, such as the deficiency to point at things.

However, they do form … to people who care about them. Children with high-functioning autism suffer from more intense and frequent loneliness compared to…...

In the second and third years, autistic children have less frequent and less… …, consonants, words, and word combinations; their … are less often integrated with words.

Autistic children may look at a pointing hand instead of… …, and they consistently fail to point at objects in order to comment on.

Autistic individuals display many forms of …or …behavior.

… behavior is intended and appears to… …, such as arranging objects in …or lines.

Sameness is resistance to…; for example, insisting that the furniture not be moved.

…behavior is limited in focus, interest or activity, such as … with a single television program, toy, or game.

Self-injury includes movements that injure or can injure the person, such as… …, skin picking, hand biting, and …...

6. Give synonyms from the text:

-person of the same age;

-people with normal neural development;

-narrow/particularistic interests;

-custom/tradition;

-concentration on a single thing or action.

7. Make up the plan of the text. Here are the titles in the wrong order. Make the order correct:

1) Aggression and violence in autistic children;

2) The triad of symptoms of autism;

3) The categories of repetitive behavior;

4) The difference between the children with autism from their non-autistic peers;

5) The development of speech in the children with autism.