Chapter 11: Abnormal Behavior Across the Lifespan Flashcards
What are neurodevelopmental disorders?
usually evident in childhood, often before grade school
especially in cultures with mandatory schooling
What are disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders?
problems with behavioral and emotional regulation
onset in adolescence or later
What are neurocognitive disorders?
disruptions in previously normal cognitive ability
diminution in ability, onset is later in life
Why are neurodevelopmental disorders important?
the psychological problems and experienced by children and young people are often especially poignant in that they affect children at a time in their lives when they have relatively little ability to cope
they don’t know what is normal, they don’t have the language to ask for help, and coping mechanisms can be externalized (act out)
some problems of childhood prevent children from reaching their potential; others mirror the problems faced by adults
finally, there are some problems unique to childhood or disorders that manifest themselves differently in children compared to adults
what is considered normal and abnormal for children must be considered in light of developmental issues in addition to factors such as ethnicity or gender, what is acceptable behavior at one age becomes unacceptable as the child grows older
What needs to be considered when discussing childhood mental disorders when compared to adult disorders?
previously, children were regarded as smaller adults, need to consider:
neurodevelopmental differences (tendency to engage in risk-seeking behavior in adolescence)
learning history (children don’t have the ability to be accurately empathetic, it isn’t developed yet)
emotional resilience (consequences of trauma, trauma-educated therapy)
solidification of personality (solidified in early adulthood)
How have children which neurodevelopmental disorders been treated historically?
caring for congenitally ill children is a relatively recent adopted social value
Ancient Greece: left to die, or thrown off a cliff if they appeared to have a disability
terminating pregnancies where testing of fetal cells has shown evidence of Down’s syndrome
lower surgical and medical priority for severely disabled individuals
What are the levels of intellectual disability?
based on level of adaptive functioning (whether or not a person can function in their environment), not IQ
mild, moderate, severe, or profound
social adjustment can have a significant bearing on life success
What are the prenatal factors that cause intellectual disability?
cytomegalovirus (CMV): might be asymptomatic, member of herpes family, attacks brain cells
inadequate diet during pregnancy
maternal (while pregnant)
drinking (FASD): teratogen, alters the course of fetal development, days 19, 20, 21 causes distinct facial features
valproate: treatment of epilepsy, same consequences as alcohol
smoking: reduce birth weight, which increases risk for disabilities
antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs
heavy metals (lead, mercury)
What are cultural-familial causes of intellectual disability?
cultural-familial intellectual impairment
don’t have the resources to provide things necessary for the child to develop
What are interventions that help children with intellectual disability?
mainstreaming: put children in regular classrooms to increase social skills
diagnostic overshadowing: two or more disorders, one is so prominent everything seems to be because of it they are less likely to be treated appropriately for depression, schizophrenia, etc.
What are some medical conditions that may cause intellectual disability?
down syndrome
fragile X syndrome
phenylketonuria (PKU): metabolic disorder, damage to CNS nerves
smith-lemli-opitz syndrome: inborn cholesterol synthesis disorder
tay-sachs disease: can’t break down fatty acids
What is savant syndrome?
is a condition where a person with a neurodevelopmental disorder can perform expectationally in a specific domain such a mathematics
occurs in 0.06% of those with intellectual disability and is closely linked to autism spectrum disorder, it occurs about six times more often in males than females
What is autism spectrum disorder?
a disorder that involves markedly impaired behavior or functioning in multiple areas of development
autism spectrum disorder becomes apparent in the first few years of life and is often associated with intellectual disability
What is Kanner syndrome?
parents were high functioning
kids hated engaging in social situations
extreme resistance to change
parents lacked emotion toward kids
Kanner argued they learned from their parents to be anti-social
What are the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-5?
deficits in social communication and social interaction: deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, and in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships
restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities: stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, insistence on sameness, fixated interests, hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input
symptoms must be present in the early developmental period
clinically significant impairment
disturbances are not better explained by something else
What are theoretical perspectives on autism?
O. Ivar Lovaas: hypothesized inability to process more than one sensory datum at a time, leads to conditioning deficits
Simon Baron-Cohen: theory of mind, inability to take another person’s perspective
neurodevelopmental deficits: evidence of structural abnormalities is inconsistent, premature growth, but then slows down and they fall behind
What are treatments for autism spectrum disorders?
Lovass (1987) 40 hours/wk x 2 years = normal IQ scores for just under half of 19 subjects (intensive behavioral interventions)
social simulation (e.g. FaceSay), social adjustment training, helps with social interaction, coaching that isn’t focusing on IQ, can help improve social interactions
What are the symptoms of inattention associated with ADHD in the DSM-5?
often does not give close attention to the details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
often has trouble keeping attention on tasks or play activities
often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
often does not follow through on instructions
often has trouble organizing activities
often avoids, dislikes, or doesn’t want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time
often loses things needed for tasks and activities
is often easily distracted
is often forgetful in daily activities
What are the symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity associated with ADHD in the DSM-5?
often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat when sitting still is expected
often gets up from seat when remaining in seat is expected
often excessively runs about or climbs when and where it is not appropriate
often has trouble playing or doing leisure activities quietly
is often “on the go”
often talk excessively
impulsivity
often blurts out answers to questions before they are answered
often has trouble waiting one’s turn
often interrupts or intrudes on others
What are the different types of ADHD?
ADHD, combined type: if both criteria A and B are met for the past 6 months
ADHD, predominantly inattentive type: if criterion A is met but criterion B is not met for the past six months
ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type: if criterion B is met but criterion A is not met for the past six months
could be mild, moderate, or severe
What are the theoretical perspectives on ADHD?
genetic and environmental
prenatal risk factors: drinking, smoking, antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs, poor nutrition, heavy metals (lead, mercury)
What are treatments for ADHD?
stimulants: ADHD people are under-stimulated in ARES area of the brain
behavior therapy: for motoric excesses, not just punishment, give them coping skills like fidget toys
EEG biofeedback: attach electrodes to the brain, differs in terms of frequency, increase beta frequency, decrease delta frequency, basically a video game, very expensive
What are learning disorders?
noted deficiency in a specific learning ability
What is dyslexia?
a type of learning disorder characterized by impaired reading ability and may involve difficulty with the alphabet or spelling
problems differentiating similar-looking letters (e, c, o OR p, d, q)
words may appear reversed pr blurred
problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding)
affects areas of the brain that processes language
What are specific learning disorders?
impairment in mathematics
impairment in written expression: can’t go from thoughts to sounds or written words
impairment of reading
What are theoretical perspectives of specific learning disorders?
neurobiological
genetic factors
