1 / 16

Disorders of Childhood

Disorders of Childhood. 12/2/02. Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Severe childhood disorders characterized by impairment in verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction Abnormalities occur in the developmental process itself Examples: Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder.

regis
Download Presentation

Disorders of Childhood

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Disorders of Childhood 12/2/02

  2. Pervasive Developmental Disorders • Severe childhood disorders characterized by impairment in verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction • Abnormalities occur in the developmental process itself • Examples: Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder

  3. Autistic Disorder: 3 main areas of impairment • SOCIAL: “autistic aloneness” • Lack of interest in interacting with others (e.g., through eye contact, smiling, gesturing, shared attention, playing, making friendships) • Strong attachments to objects, but not people • May not understand that other people have thoughts and feelings

  4. Autistic Disorder: 3 main areas of impairment • COMMUNICATION (verbal and nonverbal): • Half of autistic children do not develop language • Many have speech oddities (e.g., echolalia = echoing the words of others) • Pronoun reversals: using “he” or “you” instead of “I”

  5. Autistic Disorder: 3 main areas of impairment • ACTIVITIES / INTERESTS: • Repetitive/self-stimulatory behaviors(e.g., spinning objects, hand flapping, whirling around) • Lack of imaginative behavior • Obsessive-compulsive / ritualistic behaviors (e.g., preoccupation with schedules, routines, and sameness; lining up objects)

  6. Autistic Disorder • A majority of individuals with autism have mental retardation (i.e., IQ score < 70) • Contemporary theories stress a biological etiology of autism, involving genetic factors and/or organic central nervous system impairment

  7. Asperger’s Disorder • Milder / higher-functioning form of autism characterized by severe impairments in the SOCIAL domain, some impairment in the ACTIVITIES/INTERESTS domain, and no significant delays in COMMUNICATION and cognitive development

  8. Disruptive Behavior Disorders • Characterized by undercontrolled, or externalizing behavior (i.e., “acting out”; socially disruptive behavior that is inappropriate given the age of the child and/or setting of the behavior) • Behavior is typically distressing and/or annoying to those in child’s social environment • Examples: ADHD, ODD, Conduct Disorder

  9. Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) • Involves attentional problems (e.g., distractibility, inattention, trouble completing tasks) and/or hyperactivity (e.g., impulsivity, high motor activity, interrupting) • Symptoms occur before age 7, and in at least 2 settings

  10. ADHD • Research on the etiology of ADHD implicates biological, genetic, and psychological factors • A majority of kids with ADHD respond positively to stimulant medications; however, the benefits are only short-term. Cognitive-behavioral parenting and self-control therapies are important for long-term benefits.

  11. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) • Involves noncompliance, hostility, losing temper easily, arguing, irritability, deliberately annoying or blaming others • High comorbidity with ADHD • May be a precursor to Conduct Disorder

  12. Conduct Disorder (CD) • Involves antisocial behaviors that violate others’ rights (e.g., lying, stealing, fighting, bullying, truancy, cruelty to people or animals, criminal behaviors) • Prognosis for child-onset CD is worse than for adolescent-onset CD; worse for aggressive children

  13. Anxiety Disorders • Characterized by overcontrolled, or internalizing behavior (i.e., fears, worries, shyness, nervousness, apprehensiveness) • Example: Separation Anxiety Disorder

  14. Separation Anxiety Disorder • Involves excessive anxiety about separating from parents or home (e.g., fears about harm coming to parents, avoidance of being alone, distress and physical complaints when separation is anticipated; school phobia = refusal to go to school)

  15. Tic Disorders • Tics are involuntary and repetitive movements or vocalizations • Motor tics often involve the face/head (e.g., eye blinking, grimacing, head jerking), but may also involve limbs (e.g., flexing elbows, tapping foot) • Vocal tics: throat clearing, coughing, sniffing, grunting, barking sounds

  16. Tourette’s Syndrome • Involves multiple motor and vocal tics • Bodily sensations/urges frequently precede tics • Coprolalia (compulsion to shout obscenities) is rare • High comorbidity with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and/or ADHD • Stimulant medication can bring on tics

More Related