Schizophrenia and Pervasive Developmental Disorders

1. Schizophrenia and Pervasive Developmental Disorders How do we identify and treat schizophrenia and other pervasive developmental disorders?

2. Schizophrenia • A disorder in which people usually have two or more of the following symptoms: • Delusions • Hallucinations • Disorganized speech • Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior • Negative symptoms such as lack of affect, inability to think logically, or inability to make decisions.

3. Causes of Schizophrenia • Biological • Environmental • Prevention involves avoiding behaviors that might trigger schizophrenia in vulnerable persons: • Substance abuse • Extreme stress

4. Antipsychotic Drugs • Haldol • Mellaril • These drugs do not work well for all children and may have serious side effects.

5. Autism • Autism Spectrum Disorder • Impairment in social relatedness • Impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication • Stereotyped, ritualistic behavior • Aggression • Self-injury

6. Causes and Prevention of Autism • Causes—brain dysfunction. • Prevention—Secondary Prevention • Treatment of family problems. • Effective educational programs that: • Build communication skills. • Develop daily living skills. • Manage inappropriate behaviors.

7. Asperger Disorder • Difficult to distinguish from high functioning autism. • Educational interventions are similar to those for autism.

8. Socialization Problems • Bizarre behavior • Problems with eye-to-face gaze • Lack of understanding of social interactions

9. Communication Disorders • Half of all children with autism have no functional oral language. • Interventions use naturalistic applications of operant conditioning principles. • Some children with autism rely on alternative means of communication.

10. Stereotypy • Repetitive stereotyped acts that seem to provide reinforcing sensory feedback. • Self-stimulatory • Self-injurious • Interventions that emphasize: • Functional analysis • Nonaversive procedures • Psychopharmacological treatment.