PSY404 Abnormal Psychology

PSY404 Abnormal Psychology

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                                                      Neurodevelopmental Disorders 

Topic 30: Introduction

Neurodevelopmental Disorders are a group of disabilities in the functioning of the brain that emerge at birth or during very early childhood and affect the individual’s behavior, memory, concentration, and/or ability to learn. The start of these disorders occurs before the children enter the school; these disorders are characterized by developmental shortfalls that cause damage in personal, social, academic and/or occupational functioning.

Topic 31: Intellectual Disability

The major disorder in category of neurodevelopmental disorder is intellectual disability, formerly known as mental Retardation in DSM IV-TR. The start of this disorder occurs during the developmental period and includes both intellectual and adaptive functioning deficits in conceptual, social, and practical domains. There are few distinct features of intellectual disability:

1.      Deficits in intellectual functions such as deficits in

·         Reasoning

·         Problem solving

·         Planning,

·         Abstract thinking

·         Judgment

·         Academic learning

·         Learning from experience. 

2.      Deficits/impairments in adaptive functioning such as conceptual, social and practical domains. The individual fails to meet standards of personal independence and social responsibility in one or more aspects of daily life such as:

·      Communication

·      Social participation

·      Academic or occupational functioning

·      Personal independence at home or in community setting

The deficits begin during the developmental period (before the age of 18).

Topic 32: Intellectual Disability Diagnostic Criteria

The criteria might be overlapping but the following three criteria must be met to diagnose someone with intellectual disability:

1.      Deficits in intellectual functions, confirmed by both clinical assessment and individualized, standardized intelligence testing

2.      Deficits in adaptive functioning that fail to meet developmental and sociocultural standards for personal independence and social responsibility

Topic 33: Intellectual Disability Specifiers/Diagnostic Criteria

In addition to the main criteria, few specifiers need to be addressed in the assessment. The severity of the disorder must be specified on the following levels:

• Mild
• Moderate
• Severe
• Profound

Levels of severity are defined based on adaptive functioning given in DSM 5

Global Developmental Delay

The clinical severity level cannot be reliably assessed during early childhood, under the age of 5 years. Sometimes an individual fails to meet developmental milestones in several areas of intellectual functioning but is unable to undergo systematic assess. So children who are too young to participate in standardized testing will be diagnosed as having global developmental delay but this category requires reassessment after some time.

Topic 34: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder is marked by extreme unresponsiveness to other people, severe communication deficits, and highly rigid and repetitive behaviors and activities.

A.    Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history

·         Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity (if someone gives him smile he will give no response)

·         Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction

·         Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. (do not become friend)

 

B.     Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

·         Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypies, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).

·         Extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day.

·         Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (

C.     Hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).

 

Specify Current Severity:

Following parameters needs to be seen in this section:

• Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.
• Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period
• Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.
• These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability or global developmental delay.

It is also important to rule out and specify if the disorder is:

• With or without accompanying intellectual impairment
• With or without accompanying language impairment
• Associated with another medical or genetic condition or environmental factor