BCAT Autism Spectrum Disorder Knowledge 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A BCAT works with a teenager with ASD who has begun 'masking' social difficulties at school. Masking refers to:
- Using a visual schedule to manage transitions
- Consciously suppressing autistic behaviors to appear neurotypical (Correct answer)
- Wearing noise-canceling headphones in sensory-challenging environments
- Using a social story before engaging in new situations
Correct answer: Consciously suppressing autistic behaviors to appear neurotypical
Masking (also called camouflaging) involves consciously suppressing autistic traits and mimicking neurotypical behaviors, which is associated with mental health risks.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT a genetic syndrome that is commonly associated with ASD?
- Fragile X syndrome
- Tuberous sclerosis
- Down syndrome (Correct answer)
- Prader-Willi syndrome
Correct answer: Down syndrome
While Down syndrome (trisomy 21) can co-occur with ASD, it is not one of the genetic syndromes most strongly associated with ASD; Fragile X and tuberous sclerosis are among the most common.
Question 3: Under IDEA, students with ASD are eligible for special education services under which disability category?
- Other health impairment
- Autism (Correct answer)
- Developmental delay
- Emotional disturbance
Correct answer: Autism
IDEA includes 'Autism' as one of its 13 disability categories, making children with ASD eligible for special education and related services.
Question 4: A child with ASD frequently lines up toys in precise rows and becomes very upset if any object is moved. This behavior most directly reflects:
- Preference for visual-spatial activities
- Insistence on sameness and restricted patterns of behavior (Correct answer)
- Advanced spatial reasoning skills
- Preference for solitary play
Correct answer: Insistence on sameness and restricted patterns of behavior
Lining up objects and distress over disruption reflects insistence on sameness, a key restricted/repetitive behavior in ASD.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'sensory diet' in supporting individuals with ASD?
- A specialized nutritional plan to reduce ASD symptoms through diet
- A scheduled set of sensory activities tailored to regulate arousal and attention (Correct answer)
- A program that eliminates sensory stimulation from the environment
- A medical protocol for treating sensory processing disorder with supplements
Correct answer: A scheduled set of sensory activities tailored to regulate arousal and attention
A sensory diet is an individualized plan of sensory activities scheduled throughout the day to help regulate a person's arousal level and sensory needs.
Question 6: Which of the following communication features is most characteristic of higher-functioning individuals with ASD?
- Absence of expressive language
- Literal interpretation of language and difficulty with figurative speech (Correct answer)
- Selective mutism in all social settings
- Inability to use augmentative communication devices
Correct answer: Literal interpretation of language and difficulty with figurative speech
Higher-functioning individuals with ASD often have formal language but struggle with figurative language, sarcasm, idioms, and pragmatic communication.
Question 7: The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) is best described as:
- A parent-completed rating scale for ASD symptoms at home
- A standardized, semi-structured assessment of social communication and play used by clinicians (Correct answer)
- An intelligence test adapted for individuals with ASD
- A behavior checklist completed by teachers in the school setting
Correct answer: A standardized, semi-structured assessment of social communication and play used by clinicians
The ADOS-2 is a gold-standard, clinician-administered semi-structured observation tool used to assess social communication and play behaviors associated with ASD.
BCAT Autism Spectrum Disorder Knowledge 5
A BCAT works with a teenager with ASD who has begun 'masking' social difficulties at school.
Masking refers to: