Early Adolescent ASD: Theories That Explain ASD
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| Exon Publications |
Theories That Explain ASD:
Developmental Psychopathology
We know Leo Kanner published the first seminal work on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Kanner concluded that ASD was a neurodevelopmental disorder (a condition that affects the development and functioning of the brain). There is one theory that explains ASD well: Developmental Psychopathology.
Developmental Psychopathology Theory is the study of how psychological disorders develop over time. Developmental Psychopathology views ASD as a deviation from typical development that emerges early in life, arising from complex interactions of biological factors, environmental factors, and cognitive processes where key social and communication difficulties manifest as a result of disruptions in normal trajectories. Developmental Psychopathology Theory emphasizes studying how ASD symptoms develop over time within the context of of a child's overall development (Fein et al., 2021), (Developmental Psychopathology, n.d.), (Rutter & Sroufe, 2000).
Theory of Mind (ToM)
Theory of Mind is the degree of knowledge of the existence of mental processes in the self and in other people. It includes the understanding that people have thoughts, beliefs, intentions, feelings, etc. and these mental experiences may not reflect reality, and that they may be different in other people than they are in the self. It makes possible the capacity to take the perspective of another person (Broderick & Blewitt, 2020, p. 656).
Mindblindness, coined by psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen, is ToM deficit characterized by difficulties in understanding and interpreting the mental state of others. Baron-Cohen proposed that children with ASD suffer from mindblindness because they are unable to build on the fundamental step to intuit what others are thinking, perceiving, intending or believing (Cognitive Theories Explaining ASD, n.d.).
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| Verywell/JR Bee |
Weak Central Coherence (WCC)
Weak Central Coherence (WCC) suggests individuals with ASD may have difficulty integrating information across different sensory modalities, leading to challenges with understanding complex social situations. For example, children with ASD may focus on all the details but not the big picture. Students without ASD may see the whole is more than the sum of its parts, whereas students with ASD the whole is the sum of its parts. WCC also explains how individuals with ASD struggle to understand context or may take words in a literal manner. ASD students may misinterpret or misjudge multiple meanings (Frith, 2003), (Cognitive Theories Explaining ASD, n.d).
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| Loren Snow/X |
Executive Function Theory (EFT)
The Executive Function Theory suggests that individuals with ASD experience difficulties with executive functions such as planning, working memory, flexibility, self-regulation, or initiation. It can manifest itself in behaviors like difficulty following multi-step directions, transitions, or difficult adapting to unexpected changes. Other challenges may lead to challenges in social interactions, communication, and daily activities. EFT often links these difficulties abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region crucial for executive functions ("Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Executive Function," 2017).
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| NHS Leicestershire Partnership |
Conclusion:
No single theory explains all aspects of ASD. While these theories are widely discussed, scientists, psychiatrists, and other researchers contend that they are not mutually exclusive and may co-occur in varying degrees within individuals with ASD.
