Alexithymia and emotional processing in autism - West Palm Beach Autism

Alexithymia and emotional processing in autism - West Palm Beach Autism



Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties in identifying,
describing, and processing one's own feelings, often marked by a lack of
understanding of the feelings of others, and difficulty distinguishing
between feelings and the bodily sensations of emotional arousal.
Alexithymia is not a formal clinical diagnosis and is best
conceptualized as a dimensional personality trait that is normally
distributed in the general population (with estimates of 10%) and varies
in severity from person to person. However, there is evidence to
suggest that it is associated with an increased risk for mental health
problems. For example, several studies indicate that even in childhood,
alexithymia and difficulties in the domain of emotion processing are
positively related to internalizing problems such as anxiety and depression.




Research indicates that alexithymia overlaps with autism
spectrum disorder (ASD). Although alexithymia is not a core feature of
autism, recent studies have found varying degrees of this trait in 50 to
85% of individuals with autism ASD. The alexithymia trait appears to
have the following properties: (a) it is more common in individuals with
ASD than in the general population (b) it is more common in parents of
individuals with ASD than in parents of individuals with another
developmental disabilities, (c) it is stable over time in ASD, and (d)
problems in the domain of emotion awareness are positively related to
depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, worry and rumination. There is
also evidence to indicate that the alexithymia trait might be part of
the broader autism phenotype and a significant component of the emotion
processing difficulties observed in ASD.



Given the apparent association between alexithymia and autism, it’s
especially important to investigate the relative contribution of this
dimensional trait to the impairment in social functioning experienced by
individuals with ASD. An important question for future research relates
to the prevalence of high levels of alexithymia in ASD compared to
neurotypical individuals and how to explain the high co-occurrence
(comorbidity) between alexithymia and ASD. Is alexithymia a
neuroanatomical structural consequence or is the result of a
neurobiological impairment, or is it a distinctive personality trait of
individuals with ASD? Does the level of alexithymia predict symptom
severity in ASD? Although not a diagnostic feature of autism, would
alexithymia be a useful diagnostic marker for ASD? Because alexithymia
is associated with increased risk of mental health problems (i.e.,
anxiety and depression), should a measure of alexithymia be included in
an assessment battery for ASD? As with most autism research, there are
more questions than answers.

Comments

bestpracticeautism.com said…
This article was written by Dr. Lee A. Wilkinson, West Palm Beach Autism & Education Examiner. Lee A. Wilkinson, PhD, NCSP, CPsychol, AFBPsS is the author of the award-winning book, "A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Schools." He is also editor of a recent volume in the American Psychological Association (APA) School Psychology Book Series, "Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Evidence-Based Assessment and Intervention in Schools" and author of the new book, "Overcoming Anxiety and Depression on the Autism Spectrum: A Self-Help Guide Using CBT."

Continue reading at http://bestpracticeautism.com
July 17, 2015 at 8:58 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Missouri Schools - The Washington Post

Missouri Schools - The Washington Post Some schools brag about their high passing rates on AP or IB, meaning the percentage of test-takers who scored 3, 4 or 5 on the 5-point AP exam or 4, 5, 6 or 7 on the 7-point IB exam. Passing scores make students eligible for credit at many colleges and universities. I decided not to count passing rates in this way because I found that many high schools kept those rates artificially high by allowing only top students to take the courses. AP, IB and AICE are important because they give average students a chance to experience the trauma of heavy college reading lists and long, analytical college examinations. Research has found that even low-performing students who got a 2 on an AP test did significantly better in college than similar students who did not take AP. On the list, we also give readers a sense of how well each school’s students are doing on the tests by posting the Equity and Excellence rate, which is the percentage of all graduating s...
Read more

My Letter Requesting To Become A Board Member

Sherri R. Tucker 1200 SE London Way Lee’s Summit, MO   64081 816-554-3017 autism@kc.rr.com Lee’s Summit R-7 School District C/o Linda Ismert, Board Secretary Stansberry Leadership Center 301 NE Tudor Road Lee’s Summit, MO   64086 Ms Ismert I would like to submit my name for the position on the Lee’s Summit R-7 School Board.   As you know, I have expressed an interest in being on the school board in the past.   On my first attempt I only lost by 2% which would indicate that the voters have an interest in me being on the board as well.   I would think that the voters’ wishes would be taken into consideration. I have a strong relationship with many of the districts’ families and I can help to bridge the gap between them and the district.   I understand the commitment to the time and energy required each week for meetings, phone calls, conversations, visits to schools, and professional development seminars and workshops.   I already do that with the f...
Read more

School Board Candidates

I am attempting to find information on the school board candidates.  It has been much easier in the past.  This year it has been more difficult.  Susan D. Coffman Susan Coffman has served as the Outreach Program Coordinator and Finance Officer for Lee’s Summit CARES since 2008. She has been a mayor-appointed representative to the Human Services Advisory Board, facilitated alcohol retailer trainings, organized the annual Holly Festival with the DARE program, managed bookkeeping and accounting, and served as the community liaison between LS CARES and local business, universities and the cities.  Coffman’s financial background includes work as a customer support specialist at Jack Henry & Associates Inc. for 11 years and assistant vice president and customer support specialist at Merchants Bank for 17 years.  Her community activities include serving on the Human Services Advisory Board, Paradise Park Advisory Board, Lee’s Summit Social Services Board, form...
Read more