HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 2nd degree (Master)

Responsible Department: Early Childhood

Semester: 2nd Semester

Teaching Languages: Hebrew

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Professor Cory Shulman

Coordinator Email: cory.shulman@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: Wednesdays 12:00-13:00

Teaching Staff:
Prof. Cory Shulman

Course/Module description:
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are developmental disorders with have been widely researched, and yet still many questions remain. The cause/s of ASD are unknown and the number of intervention strategies abound. The course will expose the students to the complexity and the heterogeneity of ASD. We will examine its characteristics, diagnostic and assessment challenges and the effect that ASD has on the family, by relating to recent empirical findings.

Course/Module aims:
1. Teach about the complexity and the heterogeneity of ASD.
2. Discuss the importance of developmental changes throughout life in ASD.
3. Passing on knowledge about intervention strategies for ASD.
4. Relate to the effects of raising a child with ASD on the family system.

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Acquire knowledge about the definitions of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Become familiar with the history of ASD, including evolving diagnostic criteria and rising prevalence rates.
Become familiar with up-to-date diagnostic criteria according to the DSM 5.
Acquire knowledge about diagnosis and assessment including understanding the different diagnostic methods and instruments.
Address and discuss various hypotheses regarding the causes of ASD.
Assess the various intervention strategies in ASD.
Examine the implications of raising a child with ASD on the family.

Attendance requirements(%):
80%

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: Teaching methods include frontal lessons and in-depth discussions incorporating material from the lesson and readings from the reference list.

Course/Module Content:
1. Definition of autism and its characteristics.
2. The importance of "spectrum" in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
3. Causes of ASD.
4. Diagnosis and Assessment in ASD.
5. Intervention goals in ASD.
6. Evidence-based practice in ASD intervention.
7. The family and ASD.

Required Reading:
Boucher, J. (2009). The autistic spectrum: Characteristics, causes and practical issues. London, England: Sage Publications.
Kabot S., Masi W. & Segal M. (2003). Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 34(1), 26-33.
Levy, S.E., Mandell, D.S. & Schultz, R.T. (2009). Autism. The Lancelot, 374(9701), 1627-1638.
Lord, C., Wagner, A., & Rogers, S. (2005). Challenges in evaluating psychosocial interventions for autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(6), 695-708.
Tager-Flusberg, H., Joseph, R., & Folstein, S. (2001). Current directions in research in autism. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 7, 21-29.
Taheri, A., & Perry, A. (2012). Exploring the proposed DSM-5 criteria in a clinical sample. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-8.

Additional Reading Material:
Autism Characteristics: American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-4th edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Boucher, J. (2009). The subtypes model of autism: Concepts and definitions. In J. Boucher. The autistic spectrum: Characteristics, causes and practical issues (pp. 3-21). London, England: Sage Publications.
Lane, A., Young, R., Baker, A. & Angley, M. (2010). Sensory processing subtypes in autism: Association with adaptive behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 112-122.
Loukusa, S. & Moilanen, I. (2009). Pragmatic inference abilities in individuals with Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism: A review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 3, 890-904.
Whitehouse, A., Barry, J. & Bishop, D. (2008). Further defining the language impairment of autism: Is there a specific language impairment subtype? Journal of Communication Disorders, 41, 319-336.
Zwaigenbaum, L. (2005). Behavioral manifestations of autism in the first year of life. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 23, 143-152.
Diagnosis and Assessment
Bitsika, V., Sharpley, C.F., Orapeleng, S. (2008). An exploratory analysis of the use of cognitive, adaptive, and behavioral indices for cluster analysis of ASD subgroups. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities Research, 52, 973-985.
Boucher, J. (2009). Explaining autism as a while: attempts at a synthesis. In J. Boucher. The autistic spectrum: Characteristics, causes and practical issues (pp. 209-231). London, England: Sage Publications.
Falkmer, T., Anderson, K., Falkmer, M., & Horlin, C. (2013). Diagnostic procedures in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic literature review. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
DOI 10.1007/s00787-013-0375-0.
Klin, A., Saulnier, C., Tsatsamis, K., & Volkmar, F.R. (2005). Clinical evaluation in autism spectrum disorders: Psychological assessment within a transdisciplinary framework. In F.R. Volkmar, R. Paul, A. Klin, & D.J. Cohen (2005). Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders, 3rd edition (pp. 772-798). New York: Wiley and Sons Publishing.
Marcus, L., Garfinkle, A., & Wolery, M. (2002). Issues in early diagnosis and intervention with young children with autism. In E. Schopler, N. Yirmiya, C. Shulman, & L. Marcus (Eds.). The Research Basis for Autism Intervention (pp. 171-183). New York: Springer Publishing.
Young, R. & Brewer, N. (2002). Diagnosis of autistic disorder: Problems and new directions. In L. Glidden (Ed.). International Review of Research in Mental Retardation, 25, 107-134.
Causes of Autism
Akshoomoff, N. (2000). Neurological underpinnings of autism. In A.M. Wetherby & B.M. Prizant (Eds.). Autism spectrum disorders: A transactional developmental perspective-volume 9 (pp. 109-142). Baltimore, MA: Brookes Publishing Co.
Baron Cohen, S., Leslie, A., Frith, U. (1985). Does the autistic child have a theory of mind? Cognition, 21, 37-46.
Boucher, J. (2009). First causes and brain bases. In J. Boucher. The autistic spectrum: Characteristics, causes and practical issues (pp. 114-141). London, England: Sage Publications.
Folstein, S. & Rosen-Sheidley, B. (2001). Genetics of autism: Complex etiology for a heterogeneous disorder. Nature Reviews Genetics 2(12), 943-955.
Herbert, M. (2005). Autism: A brain disorder, or a disorder that affects the brain? Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 2(6), 354-379.
Kana, R. K., Wadsworth, H. M., & Travers, B. G. (2011). A systems level analysis of the mirror neuron hypothesis and imitation impairments in autism spectrum disorders. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(3), 894-902.
Pellicano, E., Mayberry, M., Durkin, K., & Maley, A. (2006). Multiple cognitive capabilities /deficits in children with an autism spectrum disorder: "weak" central coherence and its relationship to theory of mind and executive control. Development and Psychopathology, 18, 77-98.
Rutter, M. (2000). Genetic studies of autism: From the 1970s into the millennium. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 28, 3-14.
Teunisse, J.P., Cools, A.R., van Spaendonck, K.P.M., Aerts, F.H.T., & bergerm H.J.C. (2001). Cognitive styles in high functioning adolescents with autism disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 55-66.
Intervention Strategies
Boucher, J. (2009). Intervention. In J. Boucher. The autistic spectrum: Characteristics, causes and practical issues (pp. 279-306). London, England: Sage Publications.
Callahan, K., Shukla-Mehta, S., Magee, S. & Wie, M. (2010). ABA versus TEACCH: The case for defining and validating comprehensive treatment models in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 74-88.
Dawson, G., Rogers, S., Munson., J., Smith, M. Winter, J., Greenson, J., Donaldson. A., Varley, J. (2010). Randomized, controlled trial of an intervention for toddlers with autism: The early start Denver model. Pediatrics, 125, e17-e26.
Herbrecht, E., Poustka, F., Birnkammer, S., Duketis, E. Schlitt, S, Schmotzer, G. & Bolte, S. (2009). Pilot evaluation of the Frankfurt social skills training for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 18, 327-335.
Kasari, C., Freeman, S., & Paparella, T. (2006). Joint attention and symbolic play in young children with autism: A randomized controlled intervention study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(6), 611-620.
Meadan, H., Ostrosky, M.M., Zaghlawan, H.Y. & Yu, S.Y. (2009). Promoting the social and communicative behavior of young children with autism spectrum disorders: A review of parent-implemented intervention studies. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 29(2), 90-104.
Odom, S., Boyd, B.A., Hall, L.J. & Hume, K. (2010). Evaluation of comprehensive treatment models for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 425-436.
Schertz, H. H., Baker, C., Hurwitz, S., & Benner, L. (2011). Principles of early intervention reflected in toddler research in autism spectrum disorders. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 31(1), 4-21.
Siegel, M., & Beaulieu, A. A. (2012). Psychotropic medications in children with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review and synthesis for evidence-based practice. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-14.
Williams, S.K., Johnson, C. & Sukhodolsky, D.G. (2005). The role of the school psychologist in the inclusive education of school-age children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of School Psychology, 43, 117-136.
Autism and the Family
Gray, D. (1998). Autism and the family: Problems, prospects and coping with the disorder. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.
Karst, J. S., & Van Hecke, A. V. (2012). Parent and family impact of autism spectrum disorders: A review and proposed model for intervention evaluation. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 1-31.
Randall, P. & Parker, J. (1999). Supporting the families of children with autism. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Grading Scheme :
Essay / Project / Final Assignment / Referat 75 %
Active Participation / Team Assignment 25 %

Additional information:
Ongoing reading of material from the bibliography and active participation is 10% of the grade