Psychopathology Chapter 14

Developmental Psychopathology

A subfield of clinical psychology that studies how disorders arise and change over time

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A category of disorders characterized by neurological bases that typically manifest early in a child’s development and often persist through adulthood

Echolalia

A pattern involving the repetition of the speech of others, which is considered a sign of delayed language skills rather than a symptom of a specific disorder like autism

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

One of the most common reasons for child mental health referrals, characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity

Inattention

A symptom category where individuals may be disorganized, forgetful, fail to finish tasks, or appear not to listen when spoken to directly

Hyperactivity and Impulsivity

A symptom category including fidgeting, an inability to sit still, excessive talking, and blurting out answers before questions are finished

Copy Number Variants (CNVs)

Genetic mutations involving the addition or deletion of genes on a chromosome, which can disrupt development and contribute to disorders like ADHD

Specific Learning Disorder

A diagnosis for academic performance that is substantially below what is expected based on an individual’s age, IQ, and education

Dyslexia

A term sometimes used for reading disorders specifically involving difficulties with word recognition and decoding

Response to Intervention

An alternative diagnostic approach that identifies a learning disorder when a child’s response to a known effective intervention is significantly inferior to their peers

Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder

Previously called stuttering, this is a disturbance in speech fluency involving syllable repetition, sound prolongation, or obvious pauses

Language Disorder

A condition where a child’s expressive language (what is said) is significantly lower than their receptive language (what is understood)

Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder

A disorder involving difficulties with the social aspects of communication (such as verbosity or dominating conversations) without the restricted, repetitive behaviors found in ASD

Tourette’s Disorder

A condition characterized by involuntary motor movements (tics) and vocalizations that occur suddenly and in rapid succession

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant impairments in social communication and interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior or interests

Joint Attention

A social act involving the desire to share an interest in an object with another person, a skill that is often limited in individuals with ASD

Prosody

The appropriate tone of voice or facial expressions used when speaking, which may be lacking in those with milder forms of ASD

Maintenance of Sameness

An intense preference for the status quo, where an individual becomes extremely upset if small changes are introduced to their environment or routine

Intellectual Disability (ID)

A disorder evident in childhood characterized by significantly below-average intellectual and adaptive functioning in conceptual, social, and practical domains

Down Syndrome

The most common chromosomal form of intellectual disability, caused by the presence of an extra 21st chromosome (trisomy 21)

Fragile X Syndrome

A common heritable cause of intellectual disability caused by a chromosomal modification that makes the tip of the X chromosome appear fragile

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

A recessive disorder where an individual cannot break down the chemical phenylalanine; if untreated, it can lead to intellectual disability and seizures

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

An X-linked disorder characterized by intellectual disability, signs of cerebral palsy, and self-injurious behavior

Flynn Effect

The phenomenon where average IQ scores rise over time, necessitating periodic adjustments to IQ tests to keep the average at 100

Task Analysis

A behavioral training procedure where a skill is broken into its component parts to be taught one step at a time

Augmentative Communication Strategies

Tools such as picture books or computer-assisted devices that help individuals with severe communication deficits express their needs