IndexProfile of the autistic individualCognitive theoriesCognitive theories and interventionsConclusionAutism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to others people and the way they experience the world around them'. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published in 2013 provides a "more accurate, medically and scientifically useful way to diagnose individuals with autism-related disorders." People with autism were previously diagnosed according to the fourth edition of the DSM-4 criteria by identifying differences in the underlying "triad" of behaviors. This triad of impairments included difficulties with social interaction, social communication, and social imagination. Within the DSM-4, the diagnosis fell under four separate disorders: Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). As a result, a broader spectrum of criteria for diagnosis with the DSM-5 (2013) has now combined these four areas into one category: Autism Spectrum Disorder. The previous 3 areas of impairment have been reduced to 2 main areas: communication and social interaction; and Limited and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. With this dyad of impairments, people with a diagnosis may also exhibit unusual sensory responses. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayAutistic Individual ProfileGreg is an autistic individual who I work with on a daily basis, as an ASD class teacher, in a secondary school with an attached ASD unit. Greg is currently a 14-year-old boy with a diagnosis of ASD and a comorbid diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attends an ASD unit in a small group classroom with a number of other students of the same age . He presents as an attractive young man, with difficulties including attention, emotion and sensory regulation, essentially exhibiting a complex and fluctuating profile of behavioral difficulties. Greg manifests the first deficit in communication and social interaction with inappropriate conversations and is able to highlight the defects of others. Greg demonstrates great difficulty distinguishing strangers from familiar people. Exhibits concrete and meaningful thinking. For example, he has no "stranger danger" awareness and may become confused when parents or teachers talk while trying to teach him "stranger danger" awareness. In addition to his multiple diagnosis, Greg has moderate to severe language difficulties, characterized by severe receptive language difficulties and moderate expressive language difficulties. With the second impairment of restricted behaviors, interests and activities, Greg displays a certain degree of obsessiveness and very rigid behavior patterns. Every day, Greg can be very kind and easy to interact with as long as his requests are met. Sometimes he may show significant intolerance towards requests that contradict his preferences and this leads to difficulty in accepting unwanted transitions or changes. Greg can feel very overwhelmed by the level of stimulation in a classroom, he finds it very difficult to manage the noise and close interaction with people. His level of obsessiveness can be demonstrated with his collection of teddy bears; this is a good example of how difficult you find it to adjust. He will fixate on the need to have a teddy bear from a clawing machine. Along with thesetwo disorders a component of sensory responses may also be evident. In Greg's case, I observed his behavior fluctuate between three states. These three states present as: Stable level: Greg is able to hear and respond to firm-boundary verbal communications, however, he remains at risk for dysregulation. He may become anxious and seeks movement. High Level: Greg presents himself in constant fight-or-flight mode. His behavior can be extremely dysregulated, hyperactive and impulsive. If you get tired, you can access calming activities and focus on your breathing. Lethargic Level: Greg becomes unmotivated and defiant at times. On these occasions he responds well to fun and competitive team games, framing them as helping an adult with whom he has a good relationship. Cognitive Theories Since Bleuler's (1911) initial definition of autism, doctors have been on a journey with their autism research. It is evident that understanding the cognitive processes involved in the condition has been the main reason for most of the research. Smalley et al, (1988) discussed that although genetic factors play an important role in the occurrence of this condition, the diagnosis is made on the basis of behavioral tests and tests. From Kanner (1943), Aspegers (1944), Baron-Cohen et al. (1985), Happé (1994), Milton (2012) and Frith (2015), numerous cognitive theories have been formulated to better explain autism. In recent psychological research the three most evident theories are; a theory of mind deficit, executive dysfunction. These three theories (theory of mind, executive dysfunction, and weak central coherence) have painted a clear and accurate picture of the nature of ASD. The first cognitive theory I will discuss is Theory of Mind (ToM). Rajendran & Mitchell, (2007) refers to an autistic individual who has an impairment in the development of social cognition. This suggests that individuals with autism fail to understand and take into account the mental states or points of view of others. Frith (2015) refers to a person's ability to read facial expressions, to feel empathy, to imagine the thoughts and feelings of others. It has been noted that individuals with ASD have underdeveloped ToM, so they have difficulty analyzing the thoughts and feelings of others and struggle with empathy. While both of these hypotheses can explain most of the behavioral, social, and cognitive deficits presented, they appear to fail to offer an explanation for behaviors such as insistence on sameness, repetitive behaviors, and transitions from one task to another. Research suggests that there are two components of theory of mind: a cognitive component, the intuitive knowledge that something is wrong with another, and emotional, the inability to feel pain or distress for another. Individuals with autism have been found to exhibit cognitive, not emotional, deficits. Research indicates that the individual is capable of having an emotional reaction to this distress once he understands that the other person is in difficulty. Greg shows these two components of ToM quite clearly. When present in a stable and regulated state, understanding of the distress and joy of others is evident. In the previous academic year we completed 'The alert program – How your engine works' as a class group. We use the scale described as "ride high", "ride right" and "ride low" daily, based on self-regulation throughout the day. All teachers, special needs assistants and students participate. On the occasion that a person is "burning out", Greg will ask why and show an appropriate emotional response to that person's distress. Grandinrefers to having emotions, but "they are more similar to the emotions of a child than of an adult" (2006). It would appear that Greg displays emotions in a similar way to that described by Grandin: "childhood tantrums were not really expressions of emotion so much as overloading of circuitry." When I calmed down, the emotion was over." The second cognitive theory I will talk about is Executive Function (EF). EF can be described as a set of cognitive processes involved in the organization and control of mental and physical activity. As such, these are the skills required for goal-directed behavior; skills such as managing time, managing one's behavior, planning and organizing, solving problems and making decisions and choices. Schaber (2015) refers to EF in people with ASD as individuals experiencing “executive dysfunction.” A person when given a task to do may know he or she has a job to do but be unable to start, stop, or stay on task. Greg shows enormous EF difficulties on most tasks. I question the addition of the comorbid diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which adds to his dysfunction. Kutscher (2005) describes EF as the skills needed to make a plan and actually execute it. It is clear that there is an overlap of deficits in the areas of expertise. Barkley (2000) describes the executive functions to include; the ability to inhibit, working memory, foresight, hindsight, organization, self-talk, sense of time, transition from agenda A to agenda B, and separation of emotions from facts. It is evident that these symptoms are not just incidental and are commonly found in both ASD and ADHD diagnoses. In Greg's case, EFs in general are very poor. However, with analyzing the tasks and breaking down each task into small achievable steps, some success was evident. Greg thrives on structured activities, a daily visual schedule provides support throughout the day. On an everyday level, foresight may be the most essential EF. It refers to the ability to predict one's future needs. For Greg, any behavior displayed does not seem to warrant consequences. It presents a lot in the here and now, with neither the past nor the future having a huge impact on behavior changes. Greg demonstrates gaps in separating emotions from facts. In the past he has traveled by bus to school with a small number of students with additional needs, accompanied by a chaperone. When he finds himself in a traffic jam, Greg does not see it as a relaxing time but can become quite anxious and display heightened behavior. This is also evident in his inability to wait, thus underlying a lack of foresight and the need for homework to be done immediately and his need for teachers' attention most of the time. Cognitive Theories and Interventions Boucher attributes the goals of 'treatment of people with ASD are aimed at facilitating development and increasing the individual's skills and control over their life. ' (2017). Research shows that intervention can improve significantly affects an individual's developmental outcomes. Interventions must be chosen wisely, as some may not have the desired effect. In most cases, a multidisciplinary perspective is often needed for interventions, as there is no single intervention pending, but it is necessary to take a holistic view effective response to an intervention is evident when it is provided in a safe and familiar environment by a professional where a good relationship has been built and.