BCAT Autism Spectrum Disorder Knowledge 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an evidence-based practice for teaching new skills to individuals with ASD according to the National Professional Development Center (NPDC)?
- Facilitated communication
- Discrete trial training (DTT) (Correct answer)
- Auditory integration training
- Sensory integration therapy
Correct answer: Discrete trial training (DTT)
Discrete trial training is an NPDC-recognized evidence-based practice with strong research support for teaching skills to individuals with ASD.
Question 2: A BCAT notices a client with ASD appears overwhelmed in a noisy cafeteria and begins covering their ears and rocking. The most appropriate immediate response is to:
- Redirect the client to a preferred activity in the cafeteria
- Prompt the client to use their words to ask for help
- Offer the client a calmer, lower-stimulation environment (Correct answer)
- Ignore the behavior to avoid reinforcing escape
Correct answer: Offer the client a calmer, lower-stimulation environment
When a sensory overload reaction occurs, providing access to a calmer environment addresses the antecedent and supports the client's regulation.
Question 3: Pivotal Response Training (PRT) targets which 'pivotal' area believed to produce broad improvements across many behaviors?
- Verbal imitation
- Motivation and self-management (Correct answer)
- Eye contact and joint attention
- Compliance and task completion
Correct answer: Motivation and self-management
PRT targets pivotal areas like motivation and self-management because improving these areas leads to widespread gains in other untargeted behaviors.
Question 4: Which of the following communication systems is most appropriate for a minimally verbal child with ASD who has not responded to verbal imitation training?
- Sign language paired with vocal prompts only
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) (Correct answer)
- Prompting scripted phrases from memorization
- Waiting for spontaneous speech to emerge
Correct answer: Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
PECS is an evidence-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system developed specifically for individuals with ASD who are minimally verbal.
Question 5: A parent reports their child with ASD frequently wakes at night and has difficulty falling asleep. Sleep disturbances in ASD are:
- Rare and likely unrelated to the ASD diagnosis
- Common, affecting up to 80% of individuals with ASD (Correct answer)
- Exclusively caused by co-occurring anxiety disorders
- A side effect of behavioral interventions
Correct answer: Common, affecting up to 80% of individuals with ASD
Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in ASD, with research indicating up to 80% of individuals with ASD experience significant sleep problems.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'joint attention' in the context of ASD?
- The ability to focus on a task for an extended period
- Coordinating attention with another person toward a shared object or event (Correct answer)
- Attending to multiple sensory inputs simultaneously
- Following a one-step instruction given by a caregiver
Correct answer: Coordinating attention with another person toward a shared object or event
Joint attention involves coordinating attention between a social partner and an object/event, a foundational social-communication skill often impaired in ASD.
Question 7: Gender differences in ASD diagnosis suggest that:
- ASD is equally prevalent in males and females
- Males are diagnosed more frequently, with a ratio of approximately 4:1 (Correct answer)
- Females are diagnosed more frequently due to better help-seeking behavior
- Gender has no significant relationship with ASD prevalence
Correct answer: Males are diagnosed more frequently, with a ratio of approximately 4:1
ASD is diagnosed approximately four times more often in males than females, though females may be underdiagnosed due to better social camouflaging.
BCAT Autism Spectrum Disorder Knowledge 4
Which of the following is an evidence-based practice for teaching new skills to individuals with ASD according to the National Professional Development Center (NPDC)?