Final Study Guide
Disorders:
What is a disorder?
significant disturbance usually associated w/ significant distress and disability in social,occupational, or other important activities
an expectable or culturally approved response to a common stressor or loss such as the death of a loved one, is not a mental disorder
socially deviant behavior and conflicts that primarily between the individual and society are not mental disorders unless the deviance or conflict results from a dysfunction in the individual, as described above
Behavioral indicators of disorders
time course
developmental regression
development delay
difficulty persists over time
quantitative
high frequency /low frequency
high/low intensity
qualitative
inappropriate to a situation
behavior is different from normal
Gender differences in diagnosis?
differential expressions
boys more biologically vulnerable
gender role socialization (emotional expression)
referral bias
male are more likely to be referred for diagnosis and treatment
one gender is more represented because they are studied more
Separation anxiety- excessive fear or anxiety when separated from an attached individual
3 of the following symptoms need to be present over a series of months
excessive distress when anticipating or separated from home or attachment figure
worry about losing attachment figure (illness, injury, disaster)
worry and distress regarding events to themselves that may cause them to be separated from attachment figure
refusal to go to school, sleep w/o figure, being alone or away from home or figure
repeated nightmares about separation
complaints about headaches, nausea, stomach aches when separation occurs
more prevalent in children 12 or younger than in adolescents and adults
Social anxiety
symptoms must be persistent for 6 months or more
fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which they may be exposed to scrutiny or judgemental from others
for children, this occurs in peer settings and interactions with adults
fearful that their symptoms will be on display for others to see and they’ll be judged humiliated, or rejected
in children, this can be expressed through crying, tantrums, freezing, clinging, shrinking, or failure to speak in social situations
social situations are avoided
significant distress or impairment in social functioning
if performance only: fear is specific to public speaking or performance
most cases seen in ages 8-15 any is more commonly seen in girls because of concern about social competence, and interpersonal relationships
can be a cause of a stressful or humiliating experience or may be unrelated
Phobia
Must have all symptoms for at least 6 months
fear or anxiety about an object or event
for kids it may be shown through crying, tantrums, freezing, or clinging
object or event is avoided
distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
there are 5 subtypes
animals
natural environment
blood injection injury
situational
other
more common in children and adolescents (7-11 yrs old) and in females
less likely to be resolved if phobia follows into adulthood
Generalized anxiety disorder
excessive anxiety or worry occurring for multiple days than not where they find it difficult to control the worry for at least 6 months and must have at least three of the following symptoms (one for children)
restlessness or on edge
easily fatigued
difficulty concentrating or mind goes blank
irritability
muscle tension
sleep disturbance
significant distress or impairment
more common in females
onset rare before adolescence, but if onset is found to be earlier it is more severe
symptoms are on and off but tend to be persistent
kids with GAD are described as little adults (perfectionstic, punctual, eager to please, illusion of maturity)
Panic disorder
recurrent panic attacks and at least one of the attacks has been followed by one month of one or both of the following
persistent concern or worry about another panic attacks
significant maladaptive change in behavior because of the attacks
more prevalent in adolescents and adults
more prevalent in girls
if it goes untreated it, more likely to be chronic on and off
Major depressive disorder
main symptoms are sadness, anhedonia, and irritability and must have 5 of the following criteria and one has to be depressed mood or anhedonia and only needs to be occurring for 2 weeks to diagnose
depressed mood most of the day nearly everyday
irritable mood
loss of interest or pleasure in all or most everyday activities
significant weight loss or in kiddos it can be a failure to gain weight
insomnia or hypersomnia
agitation or retardation nearly everyday
fatigue or loss of energy everyday
feelings of worthlessness or extreme guilt
difficulties concentrating
40% recovery begins within 3 months of onset
80% recovery begins within one year of onset
each episode increases the likelihood of future episodes
12 month prevalence in the US and it increases risk of suicide
more likely in women
likely to be diagnosed with bipolar later on
having a parent with MDD increases the risk for children
Persistent depressive disorder
depressed mood for most of the day on most days for at least 2 years (1 year in children and adolescents)
unhappy or irritable mood most of the time
usually begins gradually where MDD onset is rapid
chronic symptoms but less severe than MDD
2 years for adults and occuring for at least one year for children and adolescents to get diagnosed, following criteria
poor appetite or overeating
insomnia or hypersomnia
low energy or fatigue
poor concentration or difficulty with decision making
feelings of hopelessness
12 month prevalence in the US
more common in females
Things to know for all disorders:
What treatment(s) are the most effective?
What are the components of those treatments (e.g. how does cognitive behavioral therapy work, what thoughts are targeted).
For Anxiety Disorders
Exposure (invivo, imagined, virtual reality)
Systematic desentization
development of hierarchy
relaxation techniques
Graded exposure (slowly exposing a person to feared stimuli without relaxation techniques)
Flooding ( intense exposure until anxiety decreases)
CBT ( useful for social anxiety, GAD, and separation anxiety disorder)
modify negative thoughts and self talk
recognize signs of anxiety
identify cognitive processes associated with anxiety
strategies for managing
FEAR (feeling frightened, expecting bad things to happen, actions/attitudes, results/rewards)
CBT for panic disorder
relaxation training
reduce arousal
interoceptive exposure
times of calm, intentionally produce symptoms to understand that they can be intentionally produced, controlled, and they are not life dangering
cognitive restructuring
arousal is not catastrophic
graded in vivo exposure
for situationally-bound panic attacks)
Depressive Disorders
CBT
teaches coping strategies
plan fun activities
cognitive restructuring
identifies evidence and alternative explanations
what if
70% respond
ACTION
find something to do to feel better
catch the positive
think about it as a problem to solve
inspect situation
open yourself up to the positive
never get stuck in negative mindset
Combined treatment with CBT + medication is most effective
How many symptoms are necessary for an official diagnosis (this is only important for questions in which “no diagnosis” might be an answer choice. Probably not many questions like this, but something good to know) Done
What school-based interventions are helpful for each disorder?
Anxiety
friends program
group based CBT (anxiety prevention program)
students are taught skills for coping, emotional recognition, relaxation, etc.
10 weekly sessions, 2 booster sessions
cool kids
CBT group intervention (7-12 yrs old)
8 weekly sessions (1 hr each)
psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring during early sessions)
successful when done by professionals
Depressive disorders
Universal (includes all students with present onset depression to build resilience)
selective
target at risk student
indicated
ACTION (for students who already have depression or depressive symptoms)
20 group sessions, 2 individual meetings, and 8 parent training meetings
psychoeducation
explanation for treatment and info on the disorder such as causes
building awareness of emotions, false thoughts, and behaviors common in depression( mood thermometer)
goal setting
individualized intervention
collaboration with therapist/ professional
emphasizes child's needs
coping skills training
behavioral activation
re- engage in things that creative positive moods and interactions
5 strategies: do something fun/distracting, soothing/relaxing, expands energy, talk about it, change thinking mindset
create a list of activities that work and homework is to use these skills
break down problems into 5 stamps
cognitive restructuring
we can pay attention to multiple things at once, we have choices, and we ask questions to restructure thoughts (evidence, multiple perspectives, conversations)
parent training
teach parents skills that students are learning to change family environment, promote positive behavior management, family problem solving, change affective tone at home
activities to build and maintain positive self concept
How does a school psychologist determine whether a student qualifies for an IEP under IDEA? How do they determine if a student qualifies for a 504?
For Anxiety
falls under emotional disturbance for IDEA and only if they experience a disturbance in learning abilities that cannot be explained
for and iep the curriculum is changed to accommodate the student but in a 504 plan small supports are offered to help student
For Depression
falls under emotional disturbance and has to affect educational abilities
it has effects on a student by causing low motivation, attendance, memorization skills,recall, concentration, emotional well being, social isolation and anhedonia which undermines learning
important to address because it can lead to suicide, substance abuse, academic underachievement
For a given set of symptoms/challenges, what might example IEP goals be? What might examples of 504 accommodations be?
Ex of IEP goal for Anxiety
Goal: Josh will learning strategies to decrease his anxiety from shutting down and refusing to do work 50% of the time to no more than 40% of the time
Objective 1: will work with staff to identify when he is feeling anxious 4 out of 5 times and can keep an ongoing list that he can revise when needed
Objective 2: will learn strategies to use during high feelings of anxiety and practice them successfully in small groups using role play 5 out of 6 times
Objective 3: Josh will use these strategies to decrease anxiety in the classroom as measured by his teacher 4 out 5 times
EX of 504 Goal for Anxiety
Josh is a student who has recently been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder
will have extra time for quizzes/tests, given a separate space to complete exams and will sit in the front and have access to the door
will have a back pocket pass to see school nurse when overwhelmed
If I gave you examples of someone’s IEP goals or 504 accommodations, how could you work backwards to figure out what diagnosis the student might have?
Key Terms:
Anhedonia - feeling little joy and loss of interest in nearly all activities
Dysphoria - prolonged bouts of sadness or irritability
HPA axis
during anxiety
high cortisol = stress hormone
sensitivity in the amygdala
dysregulation in norepinephrine and decreased levels of serotonin
People with anxiety disorders have an overactive HPA axis
during depression
high levels of stress hormones (cortisol)
low serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine
Serotonin - inhibits the tendency to explore
regulates eating, sleeping, and aggression
very important in OCD and depressive disorders
Dopamine - involved in exploratory, extroverted, and pleasure seeking behaviors
important in depressive disorders and ADHD
Norepinephrine- controls emergency reactions and alarm responses
regulates emotions and behaviors
IDEA (and relevant categories we’ve discussed)
makes public education free to students with disabilities and ensures they receive the special education and services needed to help them succeed
categories that qualify
emotional disturbance ( anxiety, depression, ptsd, conduct disorders, and ODD)
other health impairments (ADHD)
autism
intellectual disabilities
learning disabilities
multiple disabilities
hearing impairments
developmental delays
TBI
speech/language impairments
visual impairment
deaf/blindness
orthopedic impairments
504 plan
plan offered if child doesn’t met IDEA requirements
must demonstrate a physical/mental impairment that limits at least one major life activity
a record of impairment must exist and impairment cannot be temporary
Individualized education plan (IEP)
documents students current functioning level and areas of concerns
measurable annual goals
suggests adaptations and interventions to instruction and environment
provides methods to evaluate goals
for eligible students a disorder or disability must be affecting their academic performance and this document outlines the services, and modifications needed to help them succeed
outlines where services will be provided
must be reassessed every 3 years
Least restrictive environment (LRE)
students should be in general education class as much as possible in order to feel more involved and build social skills with peers
will help them develop normally in areas they don’t need more supports in
Free and appropriate education (FAPE)
everyone has a right to a free and appropriate education regardless of disability
Positive/Negative reinforcement/punishment
positive reinforcement: adding something to increase/maintain behavior
money or praise
positive punishment: adding something to decrease behavior
spanking or scolding
negative reinforcement: take something away to increase/maintain behavior
take away clothes
negative punishment: take away something to decrease behavior
takeaway food
Multifinality
similar initial pathways lead to different outcomes
Equifinality
different initial pathways lead to the same outcome
Concordance rate
percentage of cases in which a characteristic displayed by one individual is also displayed by another
can be investigated by comparing family members , specifically twins
helps quantify the genetic component of various traits
Monozygotic/Dizygotic twins
monozygotic - share 100% of genes
dizygotic- share 50% of genes
Risk factors
increase the chances that an outcome will occur
more risk factors = greater the risk
a risk factor does not determine which disorder
Protective factors
reduce the risk and increase resiliency
more protective factors can reduce chances of receiving a diagnosis
Fear
immediate reaction to danger
Panic
sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety
Anxiety
strong negative emotion and bodily symptoms of tension in which one apprehensively anticipates danger or misfortune and often a feeling of a lack of control
Modeling/social learning
behavior can be learned through observation
behavior is especially liked to be copied if its rewarded
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
reinforcement vs punishment
punishments are more hostile and aggressive behaviors
If it does not teach children new, prosocial behaviors, it can lead to abuse
Exposure therapy
Types of exposure therapy for anxiety disorders
Systematic desensitization
Development of hierarchy
Relaxation techniques
Graded exposure
Without relaxation techniques (slowly exposes person to feared stimuli)
Flooding
Intensely exposed until anxiety is lessened
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Useful for SAD, Social Anxiety Disorder, and GAD
Modify negative thoughts and self-talk
Recognize signs of anxiety
Identify cognitive processes associated with anxiety
Strategies for managing
FEAR
F- feelling frightened
E- expecting bad things to happen
A - actions and attitudes
R- Results and rewards
CBT for Panic Disorder
Relaxation training
Reduce arousal
Interoceptive exposure
In times of calm, intentionally produce symptoms
See that symptoms can be intentionally produced
See that they will not die or pass out
Cognitive restructuring
Arousal is not catastrophic
Graded in vivo exposure (for situationally-bound panic attacks)
ADHD
What are the three attention deficits?
Attentional capacity
Amount of info that can be remembered and attended to for a short time (phone number)
Selective attention - ability to focus on relevant stimuli and not be distracted by an irrelevant stimuli
Sustained attention - ability to maintain persistent focus on a task over an extended period of time
What are the three symptoms of ADHD?
Inattention
Lack of focus on demands/details
Careless mistakes, not listening
Difficulty in organizing
Distracted and forgetful
Sluggish, slow to respond, daydreaming, lack of activity and energy
Hyperactivity
On the go motion
Difficulty sitting still and regulating their behavior
More active at night
Impulsivity
Acting without thinking
Can be seen as careless, irresponsible, immature, lazy or rude
What are the different types of presentations and how many symptoms must they show to be diagnosed?
Inattentive Presentation (6 out of 9)
Hyperactive- Impulsive Presentation (6 out of 9)
Combined (6 attentive and 6 hyperactive-impulsive symptoms)
What is DSM-5 Criteria for Inattentive ADHD?
Failure to pay close attention to details and careless mistakes
Difficulty sustaining attention in activities (lectures, conversations, assignments)
Does not seem to listen when spoken to
Does not follow directions or completes responsibilities
Difficulty organizing tasks, materials, and activities
Avoids in engaging in tasks that require sustained mental effort
Loses items for tasks and activities
What is DSM-5 Criteria for Hyperactive- Impulsive ADHD?
Fidgets or squirms in seat
Difficulty remaining in their seat
Runs about or climbs when it is inappropriate
On the go behavior
Talks excessively
Blurts out answers beforing a question has been completed
Difficulty waiting for their turn
Interrupts or intrudes others
What criteria does one have to meet to be diagnosed with ADHD?
Symptoms must have been occurring before the age of 12
Multiple symptoms must occur in at least 2 settings
Negatively impacts social and academic/occupational activities
For older adolescents or adults they have to show they have at least 5 of the required symptoms
Cannot be a relation to another mental disorder
What characteristics are seen in those who have ADHD?
Social behavior/Relationships
56-76% have no mutual friendships are those with inattentive are more likely to be neglected by peers and those with combined are more likely to be rejected by peers
Health, sleep, accidents
Have difficulty sleeping and have a higher accidental injuries
Executive Functioning
Deficits in cognitive processes, verbal self regulation, inhibition, and planning
Adaptive Functioning
Low self care and independence
Academic achievement
Many have learning disabilities
Who is more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD?
More common in boys but girls are more likely to present with inattentive features
More likely in childhood than adolescence, most are diagnosed in childhood
What is the prognosis of ADHD?
Hyperactive symptoms are less obvious in adolescence and adulthood but other difficulties may persist
Children with ADHD remain relatively impaired into adulthood
What are the causes of ADHD?
Neurobiology
Front lobe
Transmitters
Low dopamine and norepinephrine
ADHD runs in families and children
Birth complications and prenatal risk
Low birth weight or injury
Prenatal smoking and alcohol
Psychological Influences
Family factors are most influential
Bidirectional: more hostile-intrusive parenting
What are treatments for ADHD?
There medications to manage treatments such as stimulants which can increase dopamine/norepinephrine activity (Adderall and Ritalin)
They are most effective in school aged children and somewhat effective for older children and adolescents
Not a permanent fix and in some cases 10-20% non effective for children
Can lead to side effects in sleep appetite, pains, irritability and jitteriness
Psychological Treatments
Behavior Management
More focus on key functional domains (social relationships and school performance
Immediate and tangible rewards
Parent Training (PT)
Bring behavior under parental controls where desirable behaviors are strengthen, clear expectations are set, and they are consistently being disciplined
Can improve parent- child relationships
Multimodal Psychosocial Therapy (MPT)
Mixture of parent training, school intervention, contingency management/ behavior intervention, summer session
66% of kids 4-17 receive medications, 64% receive school support, 32.5% receive psychosocial treatment
What recommendations does the American Academy of Pediatrics make for students with ADHD?
Preschool- Behavioral treatment
Elementary- medication or behavioral treatment
Adolescents - medication and/or behavioral treatments
What category does ADHD fall onto?
Other health impairment (OHI)
What behavioral techniques are recommended for ADHD?
Praise (positive/negative reinforcement or punishment)
Ignore/punish unwanted behavior
Clear commands/expectations
Define alternative behaviors
One or two step directions only
Catch the child being good (5:1 ratio)
Token economy (short + long term rewards)
What classroom structure works for ADHD students?
Opportunities for engagement
Peer tutoring
Cooperative learning groups
Self - correction
Student sits close to teacher and to peers who are attentive and away from distractions
Visual reminders of task +expectations
Space between desks
What teacher strategies are useful for ADHD?
Nonverbal support to help student recognize a certain behavior in order to help them manage response
Give choices
Set reminders to help the student “self-check”
Prime to remind student about goals, expected behaviors, and rewards
Proximity ( stay close to student during difficult activities)
Timers
Conduct Disorders
What are conduct problems related to?
Antisocial behavior
Inappropriate actions, attitudes that violate family expectations, social norms, personal or property rights
What is the legal term for antisocial behavior?
Delinquency ( not necessarily a mental disorder)
What are key features of antisocial behaviors?
Some behaviors can decrease with age
Some behaviors may increase with age and opportunity
More common in boys during childhood
What is reactive aggression?
Engaging in physical violence in response to an event
Usually impulsive with no consideration of alternative responses
Seen in younger kids with ADHD
What is proactive aggression?
Deliberately engaging in aggressive act to obtain a desired goal
What are the most common childhood/adolescent conduct disorders?
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED)
Oppositional defiant disorder(ODD)
Conduct Disorder (CD)
What is IED and the criteria?
Recurrent behavioral outbursts leading to failure to control aggressive impulses as manifested by
Verbal aggression (verbal fights/arguments) or physical aggression toward property, animals, or individuals that occurs twice a week on average for 3 months
Physical aggression does not lead to damage or destruction of property or injury to animals or individuals
Three behavioral outbursts that include damage or destruction of property and/or physical assault involving physical injury against animals or individuals within a 12 month period
Aggressiveness/outbursts are out of proportion and are not premeditated or done to achieve an objective
Recurrent aggressive outburst caused distress to individual or impairment in their occupational or interpersonal functioning or can lead to financial/legal consequences
Age 6 or older
Recurring aggressive outburst are not in relation to another mental disorder
When is IED more prevalent?
4% prevalence and more likely to begin in later childhood/ adolescence
Tend to be chronic and persistent over the years and no gender differences exist
What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and its criteria?
Pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative, defiant behavior or vindictiveness that lasts for about 6 months and have 4 of the following categories with a person that is not a sibling
Angry/ irritable
Quick to lose temper
Easily touchy or annoyed
Often angry and resentful
Argumentative/ defiant behavior
Often argues with authority figure
Often argues with authority figures or adults
Intentionally annoys others
Often blames others for their mistakes or inappropriate behavior
Vindictiveness
Spiteful or vindictive at least twice within the last six months
Persistence and frequency should be observed to distinguish from a normal behavior and for children under 5 it must happen once per week for at least 6 months
What are other characteristics of ODD?
They do not seem themselves as angry or defiant instead they believe their behavior is justified
May have a history of hostile parenting
Who is ODD more prevalent for?
3%
Males prior to adolescence
First symptoms show up in preschool and it's rare for it to show later than early adolescence
Can often precede the development of conduct disorder
What is Conduct Disorder (CD)?
A repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which major basic rights of others or age appropriate social norms/rules are violated
Must demonstrate 3 of the following 15 symptoms for the past 12 months with at least one criteria in the last 6 months
Aggression to people and animals
Bullies, threatens or intimidates others
Initiates physical fights
Has used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others
Has been physically cruel to people
Has been physically cruel to animals
Has stolen while comforting a victim (mugging, purse snatching, armed robbery)
Has forced someone into sexual activity
Destruction of property
Has deliberately engaged in fire setting with the intentions of causing serious damage
Intentionally has destroyed others’ property
Deceitfulness or theft
Has broken into others’ physical properties such as houses, cars, or buildings
Often lies to obtains good or favors from others or to avoid obligations
Has stolen items of nontrivial value without confronting a victim (shoplifting, but without breaking and entering, forgery)
Serious violations of rules
Often stays out at night despite parental prohibitions, must be occurring before the age of 13
Has often runaway from home overnight at least twice while living with parents without returning for a lengthy period
Often truant from school before the age of 13
Who is most likely to have CD?
4%
Prevalence rates rise from childhood to adolescence
Significant symptoms emerge in middle childhood to middle adolescence
Onset rare after 16 yrs
Few children diagnosed with CD receive treatment
Individuals with onset in adolescence and with mild symptoms often achieve adequate adjustment as adults
How to differentiate ODD and CD?
ODD
Argumentativeness
Noncompliance with rules
CD
Significant physical aggression
Significant destruction of property
Pattern of theft and deceit
How to differentiate between ODD/CD and ADHD?
ADHD
Individuals with ADHD do not mean to cause any harm
ADHD and ODD often co-occur
How is IED and DMDD differentiated?
In DMDD negative mood persits between outbursts whereas in IED there is normal behavior and mood between events
What are potential causes for antisocial behavior?
Low serotonin levels
Low levels of autonomic arousal
Underarousal of HPA axis
May explain lack of empathy or emotional reactivity to others
Limited ability to feel fear and guilt
Sensitivity to punishment
Lower heart rate + skin conductance
Cognitive Behavioral
Rewards for aggression
Hostile attribution bias
Perceive ambiguous behavior as hostile
Social learning
Modeling new aggressive behaviors
Reinforcement trap
Giving into a child’s tantrum
What treatments are recommended for antisocial behavior?
Parent Management Training (PMT)
Teach parents the causes of disruptive behavior
Teachers parents how to praise appropriate behavior immediately and consistently
How to structure environment to help children behave
Pros
Functioning similar to peers with conduct problems
Seems effective even when deprived by nonexperts
Cons
Potentially less effects for parents under high stress
Potentially less effective for older children/ adolescents
Parent Child Interaction Therapy(PCIT)
Parents and children attend therapy together
Provider gives real time coaching through bug in ear ear and 1 way mirror
Parents create more realistic expectations for their child’s behavior
Give effective and clear commands that are followed by praise or discipline
Pros
Improvements are maintained for at least 1-2 yrs
Cons
Best for young children (2-7) less helpful for preteens and teens
Multisystemic Treatment (MST) - targets family, school, and peers
Therapists work in teams of 3-5 and available 24/7
Family
Help parents effectively interact and monitor kids
School
Increase parental involvement
Peers
Limit opportunities for interactions with deviant peers
Increase interactions with prosocial youths/ new peer networks
Lowers probability of of future offenses and arrests
Very costly
Under what category of IDEA do ODD, CD, and IED fall under IDEA?
Emotional disturbance
What are critical classroom considerations for antisocial behavior?
Structured environment
Routines
Expectations
Reinforcement rich environment
5:1 ratio
Calm teacher
No yelling
What is an example of a 504 plan for ODD?
Parents and staff will model and promote appropriate self advocacy skills for J and encourage expression of feelings with out fear or retaliation
What is an example of IEP for conduct problems?
During 20 minute academic task, Sarah will respond to staff directives in an expected manner within 1 minute and with one reminder on 4 out 5 trials
Autism Spectrum Disorder
What is autism?
Severe and pervasive impairment in various areas of functioning
What are key features of ASD?
Deficits in social communication
Restricted interests/repetitive behaviors
What is DSM criteria for ASD?
Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts as manifested by the following symptoms
Deficits in social emotional reciprocity
Failure to initiate or respond to social interactions
Deficits in nonverbal communication behaviors
Poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication to abnormalities in eye contact or body language, lack of use of gestures or facial expressions
Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships
Difficulties in adjusting behavior to social contexts
Difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends
Absence of interests in peers
Restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities by showing two of the following criteria
Repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech
Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, patterns of verbal and nonverbal behavior
Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (ex. Strong attachment to unusual objects)
Hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (ex. Visual fascination with lights or movement)
Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (may not fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities or may be masked by learned strategies in later life
Symptoms cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning
Can vary between mild to severe
What are some examples of deficits in social communication for ASD?
Social emotional reciprocity
Sharing interests, affect, emotions
Nonverbal communication
Eye contact, gestures, facial expressions
Interpersonal relationships
Interest in others, making and keeping friends
What are examples of restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities?
Stereotyped or repetitive behaviors
Ex. flapping hands
Excessive adherence to routines or resistance to change
Tantrums whichever plans are changed or activities altered
Restricted fixated interests
Excessive interests in bus schedules, cars, trains, etc
Difficulties talking about anything else
Hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory input
Hyper = cannot hear a flush within covering ears and noise
Hypo = craves deep touch, heavy weight
When is a child typically diagnosed with Autism?
Around 3-4 years (depends on geographic region)
A diagnosis can be made as early as 24 months
Symptoms are usually observed within first 2 years of life
Child will seem aloof, distant and avoidant,
Only speaking a few words and low eye contact
Diagnostic stability increases between 12-24 months
What symptoms are typically seen around 12-18 months?
Reduced time looking at face and interacting with caregivers
Unresponsiveness when their name is being called
Little shared attention
What are 3 factors in prognosis
Intellectual ability
Positive: cognitive abilities in average range
Negative: intellectual disability (ID)
Linguistic abilities
Positive: Functional language skills by age 5
Negative: lacking language skills by start of school
Social engagement
Positive: some capacity for joint attention
Negative: low motivation for social engagement
What category of IDEA does Autism fall under?
Autism Spectrum Disorder
What is an example of an IEP goal for Autism?
By 6/12/2, Rachelle will identify various emotional states in others 4 out 5 opportunities to do so as measured by her counselor
How do IEP goals get met for autism?
No cure or medication that targets core symptoms
Behavioral strategies have the most evidence
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
What is ABA?
Uses scientific principles of learning and motivation to teach
Core concept: consequences of what we do affect what we will do in the future
Behavior serves a purpose and is learned
An effective method of communication
Future frequency is determined by history of consequences
If consequences increase future frequency of behavior: reinforcement occured
If consequence decreases future frequency of behavior: punishment occured
ABC’s
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
What is the major principle of ABA?
Behavior can be influenced by what happens before it and what happens after it
What are challenging behaviors in this strategy
Aggression, self- injury, self-stimulatory behavior, tantrums
Autism is not the cause of bad behavior
What assumptions does ABA assume about challenging behavior?
Assumes that children are getting something they want from challenging behavior (toys, food, attention, etc.)
What 3 steps are needed to address and minimize challenging behaviors?
First step is to do a functional assessment
What is a student getting out of committing that behavior?
DO not give child what they want anymore when they engage in challenging behaviors
Teach the child a more appropriate behavior that will get them what they want
What behavioral teaching strategies are included in ABA programs?
Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
Pivotal Response Training/Treatment (PRT)
What is discrete trial training?
Breaks down learning opportunities into well-controlled, discrete teacher-student interactions
Instruction → Correct Response→ Reward
Instruction→ Incorrect Response → Correction
What is Pivotal Response Training?
Teach in the natural environment
Wait for child to initiate
Prompt the correct behavior
Reinforce it
Why is PPT better?
More natural approach
Less structured
Looks more like typical skills
Great for establishing generalization of skills to new environments (great for teaching play and social skills)
What is PTSD?
Intrusion, avoidance, negative cognitive and mood states, and arousal following a traumatic event which is an event occurring outside from everyday activities that bring distress
Symptoms must be occurring for at least a month
What is the criteria for PTSD for children and adults ( 6 and older)?
Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence in one of the following wats
Directly experiencing the event(s)
Witnessing the events in person occurring to other individuals (especially the case for primary caregivers)
Learning about these events happened to a close family member or friend. Event must have been violent or traumatic
Repeated or extreme exposure to details of the traumatic events (common in first responders, police offers)
Presence of 1 intrusion symptoms related to traumatic events after is has occured
Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event
Recurrent distressing dreams related to the traumatic event
Dissociative reactions in which a child is feeling or reliving the event (ex. flashbacks) in severe circumstances it may caused loss of awareness and can occur in play
Intense or prolonged psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that resemble an aspect of the traumatic event
Psychological reactions to reminders of the traumatic event
Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with traumatic events, beginning after the event, must have one or both of the following
Avoidance of or efforts to avoid activities, places, or physical reminders that may arise feelings or thoughts regarding the event
Avoidance or efforts to avoid people, conversations, or situations that arise thoughts or feelings of the event
Negative alterations in cognitions and mood associated with the traumatic event, beginning or worsening after evidence which is demonstrated in 2 or more of the following:
Inability to remember important aspects of the event due to dissociative amnesia rather than injury or alcohol/drugs
Persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs about expectations of themselves and others in the world (ex. I am bad and no one can be trusted)
Persistent, distorted cognitions about the cause or consequences of the traumatic event that leads the person to blame themselves or others
Decrease in interest or participation in significant activities
Feelings of detachment or estrangement from others
Persistent in ability to experience positive emotions
Marked alterations in arousal and reactivity associated with the traumatic events, begins or worsens after the evident and is evident by two or more of the following:
Irritable behavior and angry outburst (for no reason) can be expressed as in verbal or physical aggression towards people or objects
Reckless or self-destructive behavior
Hypervigilance
Exaggerated startle response
Problems with concentration
Sleep disturbance
Disturbances (B-E) must be occurring for more than a month
Disturbance causes distress or impairment in areas of functioning such as social and occupational
What is the prevalence and prognosis of PTSD?
Lifetime prevalence for adolescents: 5-8%
Individuals first meet criteria for acute stress disorder before criteria for ptsd
50% of adults recover within 3 months and others remain symptomatic for 12+ months (up to many years)
What is the criteria for acute stress disorder?
Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation in one or more of the following ways:
Directly experiencing the traumatic event
Witnessing it in person occurs to others
Learning about these events happened to a close family member or friend. Event must have been violent or traumatic
Repeated or extreme exposure to details of the traumatic events (common in first responders, police offers)
Presence of nine or more of the following symptoms from any of the five categories. Symptoms must be beginning or worsening after the traumatic experience occured:
Intrusion symptoms
Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories regarding the traumatic event
Recurrent distressing dreams related to the event
Dissociative reactions in which the individual feels or acts as if the traumatic events were occurring in
Tense or prolonged psychological distress or marked physiological reactions in response to internal or external cues that symbolize ore resemble an aspect of the traumatic events(s)
Dissociative symptoms
Altered sense of the reality of one’s surrounding or oneself
Inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event(s) due to dissociative amnesia
Avoidance symptoms
Efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts or feelings about or associated with the traumatic event
Efforts to avoid external reminders (people, places, feelings and objects) that bring about memories, thoughts or feelings associated with the event
Arousal symptoms
Sleep disturbance
Irritable behavior and angry outburst as seen with verbal or physical aggression
hypervigilance
Difficulty concentrating
Exaggerated startle response
Duration of the disturbance is 3 days to 1 month after trauma experience, symptoms may immediately appear after trauma
Disturbance causes distress or impairment in areas of functioning such as social and occupational
What is the prevalence and prognosis of acute stress disorder?
Less than 20% of cases trauma did not include assault
Higher rates (20-50%) reported after interpersonal trauma
Higher rates among females than boys
What factors cause PTSD despite it being unclear why some children develop ptsd and others don’t?
Previous trauma
Loss of family member, friend or pet
Separation from caregivers
Physical injury
Relationships with family members cultural differences
What IDEA category does PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder fall under?
Emotional disturbance
What is the cycle of trauma?
Trauma → Emotional/Psychological Damage → Behavioral Problems→ Punishment
This cycle repeats
What are problematic behaviors in the classroom associated with these two disorders?
reactivity/impulsivity
Aggression
Defiance
Withdrawal
What are protective factors for these disorders?
Three factors associated with predicting overall resilience
Trauma disrupts these factors but they can be used to help children who have experienced trauma
Family
Strong parent-child relationship (can also be with a mentor or caregiver)
Individual
Good cognitive skills, ability to self regulate
Community
Connections to community/ strong schools
How can schools help students with these disorders?
School wide considerations
Balance accountability with knowledge of trauma
Rules vs. abuse
Positive behavioral support
Consistency
Model appropriate behavior
Classroom considerations
Find “islands of competence”
Predictability (schedule)
Safety
What are academic instruction strategies for students who have experienced trauma?
Building on students individual strengths and interests
Maintaining routines
Clear and manageable expectations
Language based teaching approaches
School evaluations
Build nonacademic relationships with students
Support and facilitate participation in extracurricular activities
Minimize disruptions
Model respect
Open communication with guardians, parents, and or caregivers
What are obsessions?
Persistent and intrusive thoughts, ideas, impulses or images
What are compulsions?
Repetitive, purposeful and intentional behaviors or mentals acts that performed in response to an obsession
What is the criteria for OCD?
Presence of both obsessions and compulsions
Obsessions are defined as
Recurrent and persistent thoughts, ideas or images, that are experienced as some time during the disturbance as intrusive and unwanted, cause either anxiety or distress
Individual attempts to ignore or suppress thoughts, urges, or images or to neutralize them with some other thought or action
Compulsions are defined as
Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to applied rules
Behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety or distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation however they’re not connected in a realistic way to what they are designed to neutralize or prevent
Young children may not be able to articulate the aims of these behaviors or mental acts
Obsessions or compulsions are time consuming or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition
Disturbances are not caused by symptoms of other disorders
What are the different types of insight?
Good/fair insight: individual recognizes their obsessive-compulsive beliefs are definitely or probably not true
Poor insight: individuals thinks that obsessive-compulsive beliefs are probably true
Absent/Delusional insight: individual is completely convinced that obsessive-compulsive disorder beliefs are true
Does OCD require a certain duration of symptoms for a diagnosis
NO
What is the prevalence for OCD?
12 month prevalence in adults 1-2%
25% in 5-15 year olds
More common in boys in childhood and even more so by adulthood
Kids keep this a secret (90% untreated)
What is the prognosis of OCD?
Meant onset age = 19.5
25% of cases start by the age of 14
25% of males have onset before the age of 10
Gradual onset common
If it goes untreated than usually chronic
Remission rates in adults are low (20% 40 years later)
40% with onset in childhood/adolescence may experience remission
What trends do we see with OCD and suicide?
44% experiences suicidal ideation and 14% attempt
Increase in both if an individual has depression or anxiety
What are the differences between OCD and anxiety disorders?
Fear, panic, or worry are not primary symptoms in OCD
Different cognitive parents
Thought- action -fusion - that belief that simply thinking about an action is equivalent to performing it
Makes people feel responsible for events outside their control
What are the causes of OCD?
Moderately heritable
Twice as likely to have this disorder if you have a first degree relative with OCD
If relative develops OCD in childhood/adolescent then 10x more likely
Concordance rate for identical twins in .57 and .22 for fraternal twins
Compulsions are negatively reinforced
What are treatments for OCD?
CBT
Exposure and response prevention
Most respond but not all
CBT+ medication may work best for most
What category of IDEA does OCD fall under?
Emotional disturbance
What symptoms of OCD interfere with learning/school performance?
Obsessions and compulsions are distractors
Ex. of IEP goals for OCD
Reduction in the amount of time spent focused on obsessive thoughts and performing compulsive behaviors
Student will identify the relationships between obsessions and compulsions on 4/6 occasions by September 2023
Student will perform at least one new activity previously prevented by her OCD by September 2023
What are accommodations for students with OCD?
Allow students to use tape recorder for assignment
Allow students to be first to get handouts and pass to others
Untimed tests or in an alternative location
EDUC 134 Final Study Guide
Final Study Guide
Disorders:
Things to know for all disorders:
development of hierarchy
relaxation techniques
identify cognitive processes associated with anxiety
strategies for managing
FEAR (feeling frightened, expecting bad things to happen, actions/attitudes, results/rewards)
reduce arousal
times of calm, intentionally produce symptoms to understand that they can be intentionally produced, controlled, and they are not life dangering
arousal is not catastrophic
for situationally-bound panic attacks)
ACTION
find something to do to feel better
catch the positive
think about it as a problem to solve
inspect situation
open yourself up to the positive
never get stuck in negative mindset
explanation for treatment and info on the disorder such as causes
building awareness of emotions, false thoughts, and behaviors common in depression( mood thermometer)
individualized intervention
collaboration with therapist/ professional
emphasizes child's needs
behavioral activation
re- engage in things that creative positive moods and interactions
5 strategies: do something fun/distracting, soothing/relaxing, expands energy, talk about it, change thinking mindset
create a list of activities that work and homework is to use these skills
break down problems into 5 stamps
we can pay attention to multiple things at once, we have choices, and we ask questions to restructure thoughts (evidence, multiple perspectives, conversations)
parent training
teach parents skills that students are learning to change family environment, promote positive behavior management, family problem solving, change affective tone at home
Key Terms:
Anhedonia - feeling little joy and loss of interest in nearly all activities
Dysphoria - prolonged bouts of sadness or irritability
HPA axis
Serotonin - inhibits the tendency to explore
Dopamine - involved in exploratory, extroverted, and pleasure seeking behaviors
Norepinephrine- controls emergency reactions and alarm responses
IDEA (and relevant categories we’ve discussed)
504 plan
Individualized education plan (IEP)
Least restrictive environment (LRE)
Free and appropriate education (FAPE)
Positive/Negative reinforcement/punishment
Multifinality
Equifinality
Concordance rate
Monozygotic/Dizygotic twins
Risk factors
Protective factors
Fear
Panic
Anxiety
Modeling/social learning
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Exposure therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy