Chapter 14 - Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Diagnosed first in infancy, childhood or adolescence.

Developmental psychopathology

Study of how disorders arise and change with time.

• disruption of early skills can affect later development.

Childhood-onset fluency disorder

Often call stuttering

• is a communication and motor disorder

• occurs twice as often in boys as girls

Language disorder

Limited speech in ALL situations

• is a communication and motor disorder

• occurs in 10 to 15% of children younger than 3 years of age.

Social (pragmatic) communication disorder

Difficulties with social aspects of verbal and nonverbal communication.

• is a communication and motor disorder

Tourette’s disorder

Motor and vocal tics.

• is a communication and motor disorder

• high comorbidity with ADHD and OCD.

Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity disorder

Central features of inattention, overactivity and impulsivity.

• associated wiht behavioral, cognitive, social and academic impairments.

• occurs in about 5% of children in the world.

• general population 5 to 9%

• Girls are less likely to be diagnosed.

• symptoms appear around age 3 to 4

Specific learning disorders

Academic problems in reading, matematics and/or writing.

• problems persist for six or more months despite targeted intervention.

• 5 to 15% prevalence.

• reading difficulties are most common (7%)

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Includes what used to be called autisitc disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and Rett Disorder.

• problems in language, socialization and cognition.

• pervasive

• three levels of severity based on the amount of support needed.

Intellectual Disability (Intellectual Development Disorder)

Below average intellectual and adaptive functioning.

• first evident in childhood

• range of impairment varies greatly

• IQ typically below 70 to 75.

• prevalence of 1 to 3% of general population

• chronic course

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

Intellectual disability, symptoms of cerebral palsy, self-injurious behaviors.

Phenylketonuria

Cannot break down phenylalanine which is found in some foods.

• results in intellectual disability when the individual eats phenylalanine.

Down Syndrome

Most common chromosomal cause of intellectual disability

• extra 21st chromosome.

• distinctive physical symptoms.

Fragile X syndrome

Caused by mutation in the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome.

• learning disabilities, hyperactivity, short attention span, gaze avoidance, persverative speech.

• primarily affects males.

Cultural-Familial Intellectual Disability

Refers to intellectual disability influences by social and environmental factors such as:

• abuse

• neglect

• social deprivation