Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Flashcards
How do we categorise disorders in child psychiatry?
Behavioural, emotional & neurodevelopmental HOWEVER there is often overlap
What two key factors are essential to explore in child psychiatric history?
- Development
- Family & other relationships
What do we mean by resilience?
State soem protective factors for resilience
A positive psychological adaption that allows a person to overcome any damaging effects of adversity (i.e. ability to get past difficulty situations)
Protective factors:
- Easy temperament
- High/good self-esteem
- Secure relationships
- High IQ
- Good problem-solving skills
- Faith & sense of meaningn in life
- Humour
- Positive parentingn experiences
Define autism
Pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder, which manifests before three years of age, characterised by triad of
- impairment in social interaction
- impairment in communication
- restricted steroetyped interests & behaviours
Discuss the epidemiology of autism; include prevelance and male to female ratio
- 1.1%
- Male to female is 4:1
State some risk factors/discuss aetiology of autism; structure your answer as prenatal, antenatal and post natal
Prenatal
- Genetics (number of chromosones implicated including 7, increased risk with genetic syndromes likes fragile X, tuberous sclerosis)
- Advancing parental age
- Drugs (e.g. if mum took sodium valporate while pregnant)
- Infection (e.g. rubella)
Antenatal
- Obstetric complications e.g. hypoxia
- Prematurity
- Low birth weight
Postnatal
- Toxins e.g. lead, mercury
- Pesticide exposure
*ALSO, being male and FH of ASD and of psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia) increase risk
Discuss ICD-10 criteria for autism
Discuss clinical features of autism
HINT: think ABC
- *Also for behaviour restricted:*
- may become attached to unusual, non soft objects
Alongside features in ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for autism, state some other features which may be present
- Fear/phobias
- Sleeping and/or eating disturbances
- Temper tantrums
- Aggression
- Lack creativity
- Self injury (e.g. wrist biting is common)
- Intellectual disability (NOTE: if you include all those on ASD spectrum majority won’t have disability)
What age must autism present before/age of onset is before?
Age of onset before 3yrs
50% parents recognise something wrong by 12-18 months
State some other medical conditions associated with autism
What screening questionnaire can be used to help identify children aged 18 months to three years who have autism?
CHAT (CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers)
Example of questions in ASD history
When screening for autism you must take full history- including all usual aspects- and ensure you find out about pregnancy & birth, developmental milestones, communication, social interaction & stereotypes behaviours in detail.
Discuss some speech & hearing developmental milestones
When screening for autism you must take full history- including all usual aspects- and ensure you find out about pregnancy & birth, developmental milestones, communication, social interaction & stereotypes behaviours in detail.
Discuss some social behaviour milestones
Discuss potential MSE of autistic patient
What investigations may you consider in child who has autism?
- Hearing tests
- Eye tests
Delays in language & social interaction indicate likely autism but global developmental delay indicates alternative pathology; true or false?
True
State some potentail differential diagnoses for autism
- Asperger’s syndrome
- Rett’s syndrome
- Childhood disintegrative disorder
- Learning disability
- Deafness
- Childhood schizophrenia (age onset <13yrs. VERY rare)
We have said the following are differential diagnoses for autism:
- Asperger’s syndrome
- Rett’s syndrome
- Childhood disintegrative disorder (Heller’s syndrome)
… briefly describe each
Asperger’s syndrome
- Similar to autism with abnormalities in social interaction and the repetitive stereotyed interests and behaviours but there is NO impairment in communication/language or cognition or intelligence. M >F
Rett’s syndrome
- Severe, progressive disorder resulting in language impairment, repetitive stereotyped hand movements, loss of fine motor skills, irregular breathing & seizures. Almost exclsuive to females
Childhood disintegrative disorder (Heller’s syndrome)
- Two years of normal development followed by loss of previously learned skills in language, social and motor domains. Associated with repetitive, stereotyped interests & behaviours and cognitive deterioraiton.
Discuss the management of autism, consider:
- General points in management
- Interventions for core features of autism
- Interventions for challenging behaviours
Biological
- Treat co-existing disorders e.g. hyperkinetic disorder
- Melatonin for sleep disorders that persist despite behavioural interventions
- Antipsyschotics for severe challenging behaviour that hasn’t responded to psychosocial interventions
Psychological
- Psychoeducation for families or carers
- CBT if child has verbal & cognitive ability to engage and is motivated
Social
- Modification of enviromental factors (particularly if these initiate or maintain challenging behaviour)
- Social-communication intervention (e.g. play based strategies)
- Special schooling
- Self-help groups for families/carers & child e.g. National Autistic Society
What is the first line management of challenging behaviour in autism?
- Modification of environmental factors that initiate or challenge behaviour (e.g. lighting, noise, social circumstances)
If has co-existing disorder treat this also. If psychosical interventions insufficient can use antipsychotics for severe behavioural challenges.
Who should diagnose autism?
Children with autism are managed by local autism teams; who is involved in these teams?
- Specialist by age of 3yrs
- Local autism teams are community based MDTs and include:
- Paediatricians
- Psychiatrists
- Educational pscyhologists
- SALT
- Occupational therapists
ALL those with autism should have a key worker to manage and coordinate treatment
What is hyperkinetic disorder also known as?
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
Define ADHD/hyperkinetic disorder
Characterised by an early onset, persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that are more frequent and severe than in individuals at a comparable satege of develop AND are present in more than one situation.