Abnormal Behaviour Across the Lifespan Flashcards
Developmental appropriateness
describes an approach to teaching that respects both the age and the individual needs of each child. The idea is that the program should fit the child; the child shouldn’t have to fit the program!
Diagnostic Overshadowing
behaviours considered problematic by others are often prioritized over individuals with real needs
google: occurs when a health professional makes the assumption that the behaviour of a person with learning disabilities is part of their disability without exploring other factors such as biological determinants
Usually evident in childhood, often before grade school
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Problems with behavioural and emotional regulation
Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders
Disruptions in previously normal cognitive ability
Neurocognitive disorders (probably congenital)
T or F. All problems can exist in both children and adults
F! There are some problems that are unique to childhood or disorders that manifest themselves differently in children compared to adults
What is considered normal or abnormal for children must be considered in light of __________ ______ in addition to factors such as ethnicity or gender
developmental issues
We used to regard children as smaller adults, but actually we need to consider: (4)
- neurodevelopmental differences
- learning history
- emotional resilience
- solidification of personality
Levels of intellectual disability are based on …
adaptive functioning, not IQ
–> social adjustment can have a significant bearing on life success
Levels of intellectual disability
Mild (55-70)
Moderate (40-55)
Severe (25-30)
Profound (<25)
About __% of the population is considered to have a ‘mild’ level of intellectual disability
2 (below 85?)
Tests to to test intellectual disability
Weschler Test (WEIS for adults) or Stanford-Binet
Causes of Intellectual Disability
- Prenatal factors
> CMV, inadequate diet during pregnancy, maternal drinking, smoking, antidepressants, etc. - Cultural-Familial causes
> Cultural-familial intellectual impairment (no toys, etc.) - Intervention
> mainstreaming (opposite of special ed), diagnostic overshadowing
T or F. Taking antidepressants while breastfeeding is okay, just not while pregnant
F! Breastfeeding could still affect the baby
Medical conditions that may cause intellectual disability
- Down Syndrome
- Fragile X Syndrome
(disrupts ability to replicate, males only have 1 X) - Phenylketonuria (PKU) - build up of ketones (failure to metabolize phenylalanine), problem for CNS
- Smith-Lemli-Optiz Syndrome (cerebellar hypoplasia, increased ventricular size, decreased frontal lobe size, microcephaly)
- Tay-Sachs disease - genetic, neurological, fatal (babies have short life-spans)
- FASD due to teratogens
Condition where a person with a neurodevelopmental disorder can perform exceptionally in a specific domain such as mathematics
Savant syndrome
- occurs in 0.06% of those with intellectual disabilities
- closely linked to autism spectrum disorder
- six times more often in males than females
A disorder that involves markedly impaired behaviour or functioning in multiple areas of development
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Asperger’s disorder
mild form of autism; functional in intellectual capacity and hold down employment but social reciprocity is lacking and can hinder them
Autism Spectrum disorder becomes apparent in …
the first few years of life and is often and is often associated with intellectual disability
Theoretical Perspectives of ASD according to Lovaas and Bettelheim
Bettelheim = “in their own world”
Lovaas, a behaviour therapist = problem of info processing; narrow sensory field; interferes with associative conditioning – can’t associate stimuli and environment! (only one stimulus at a time)
Echolalia
Repetition of another person’s phrases/words and rhyming it! (ASD)
Treatment for ASD
intensive behavioural intervention
ADHD
inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity
ADHD Comorbidities
Mood disorders Substance use disorders Learning disabilities Sleep disorders Anxiety disorders Impulse control/personality disorders
ADHD Classification
- Combined type = if both criteria A and B are met for the past 6 months
- Predominantly inattentive type = if criterion A is met but criterion B is not met for the past six months
- Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type = if criterion B is met but criterion A is not met for the past 6 months
Specify level of severity based on number signs present:
- Mild
- Moderate
- Severe
ADHD Treatment
Stimulants, Behaviour therapy (for motoric excesses; Class B; system of rewards; ex: while reading increased letters to give another form of stimulation - won’t interrupt visual stimulation), EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback; measure waves; muscle tension/frontalis example – give them info about something they might not know; can also be not attached to machine – just biofeedback)
T or F. ADHD tends to run in families
T, genetic theoretical perspective
People with ADHD have low ________ activity in the brain
cortical; in order to overcome this, they expose themselves to high activity stimuli such as walking around, etc.
Waves in the brain
vary in intensity and frequency (we are not worried about intensity)
- alpha = fastest; relaxation but alert and focused; general sense of well-being (zen); this is increased by yoga, mediation, any sort of reflection
- beta: high degree of focus and attention, less in relaxation and not so closely related to zen or well-being
- delta: lower, unfocused, diffused, dazed stage of mind
- theta: very slow, close to falling asleep = out of it !
Brain waves in ADHD patients
normal = steady flow of beta waves; suppressed delta waves for longer periods of time (ratio of b and d is high)
ADHD = repression of beta and lots of delta
Learning disorder
noted deficiency in a specific learning ability
Dyslexia
A type of learning disorder characterized by impaired reading ability and may involve difficulty with the alphabet or spelling
Which brain hemisphere is affected most by dyslexia?
Left; reading, comprehension, language processing, etc.; Brodmann areas 41 and 42
“Not Dyslexia” alone
- speed/naming deficit
- comprehension and speed/naming deficits
- comprehension deficits
IN GENERAL, MUST have a phonological (basic building blocks of language) deficit as well
Specific learning disorders
Impairment in:
- mathematics
- written expression
- reading
Amongst the most heritable condition
ADHD
Theoretical perspectives of ADHD
- genetics (heritable)
- environment (extremely low-stimulating – like classroom = more likely to see symptoms of ADHD )
Stimulants most commonly prescribed to adults
central stimulants – increase cotical arousal in ARAS = Strattera, Ritalin , Concerta
Why don’t parents want to treat kids with psychoactive drugs?
Because kids can be sluggish in the first few weeks; compromise is take it every other week
Prenatal risk factors for ADHD
smoking, drinking, antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs, poor nutrition, heavy metals (lead, mercury)
Why are ADHD medications not a very good long-term solution?
in later adulthood or young adolescent– if prone to psychotic disorders, these stimulants can precipitate a psychotic break
Different Impairments in Dyslexia
- problems differentiating similar-looking letters (e, c, p OR p, d, q)
- Words may appear reversed or blurred
- problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding)
- affects areas of the brain that process language
Three components of reading disorders
- phonological deficits
- speed/naming deficit
- comprehension deficit
Intervention for Specific Learning Disorders
Individual Education Plan
- Specific skill instruction
- accommodations
- compensatory strategies
- self-advocacy skills
T or F. People whose parents have dyslexia are at a greater risk themselves
T (higher concordance between identical twins – 70% vs. fraternal – 40%)
Genes may play a role in causing defects in the brain circuitry involved in reading
Ineffective parenting
inadvertent reinforcement of difficult, demanding behaviour
ODD treatment
- ecological theory
- multisystemic therapy (MST)
- PMT (Russel Barkley and Kazdin)
PMT
Parent management training for ODD
- don’t teach kid directly, teach parents proper training
- reinforcements will happen AFTER the behaviour
- child an be part of contingency planning
- parents must be in absolute control with rewards and consequences (teachers and grandparents may short-circuit this) and must stick to this!!
- might not work with teenagers (sneak out, etc.)
MST
Multisystemic therapy
- don’t just send kid/patient to therapy .. EVERYONE should go and all teach basic skills
- clear reporting and communication with each other
- MST therapist wears a pager 24/7 if fam has problem
- alternative to incarceration
- not just kid, works with adults
- Scott Hengler
Ecological theory
treating/changing the environment; specifically including families in treatment delivery (encompasses two treatments)
Why don’t we call conduct disorders antisocial personality disorder?
personality development not considered complete until 18 years old minimum
Characteristics of intermittent explosive disorder
- outbursts are out of character for them so genuinely feel guilty afterward!
- no premeditated quality
- has to be at least six years old because usually in grade one when kids become more social and make relationships
Most effective treatments for conduct disorder are delivered in a structured setting include:
- continued education
- anger management
- victim empathy training
- relapse prevention
- substance abuse desistance
- family therapy
meds and individual psychotherapy — boooo
Neurocognitive disorders
delirium
dementia
(farther in life)
not normal processes
T or F. Females are more prone to mental disorders than males
T (general, but not all) (delirium and dementia are not normal processes)
T or F. Prevalence of mental disorders increases with age
F! (seniors quite happy!! and healthy)
Types of Dementia
Alzheimer’s and Vascular
Dementia vs. Delirium
- Delirium onset tends to be more rapid (hours to days), whereas dementia is much more gradual
- delirium often subsides within a few days of underlying physical illness resolving
