Childhood disorders Flashcards
What is the largest problem in diagnosis of disorders during childhood?
Barrier presented by limited language skills - harder to get as good an insight into disruption being caused
Why is adolescence such a tricky time?
A lot of physical and sexual changes, social and academic pressures, personal doubts etc that produce anxiety, confusion and depression
On top of ordinary stresses bullying is also a rife problem which significantly raises stress further
What are the different types of childhood disorders?
Many, including anxiety and depressive disorders, that have adult counterparts
Others disappear/radically change into adulthood e.g. bedwetting and elimination disorders
Others that begin in childhood persist in a stable form e.g. autism spectrum disorder and intellectual developmental disorder
What is oppositional defiant disorder?
40% of children with autism have ODD as a comorbidity
Repeatedly argumentative and defiant, irritable and sometimes vindictive
Frequent arguing, loss of temper, displays of anger and resentment on a daily basis
Ignore adult requests and rules, deliberately try to annoy people and blame others for mistakes
Essentially all rooted around a FIGHT AGAINST BEING CONTROLLED, persisting despite reasonable parenting strategies
What are the 2 main theories for why ODD develops?
Developmental theory - problems start in toddlers, trouble learning to be independent from an attachment figure, behaviour may be normal developmental issues lasting beyond toddler years
Learning theory - negative symptoms of ODD are learned attitudes, mirroring effects of negative reinforcement methods used by parents which increases the ODD behaviours as they allow the child to get what they want i.e. attention
What is conduct disorder?
A more severe problem in which an older child/adolescent moves into a pattern of violating rights of others, being intimidating or aggressive, stealing and deliberating destroying property
Callous and unemotional personal style, lacking empathy
What is meant by relational aggression in conduct disorder?
These individuals are socially isolated and primarily display social misdeeds such as slander, rumour-starting and friendship manipulation
What are key differences between ODD and conduct disorder?
The role of CONTROL - kids who are oppositional/defiant will fight against control but kids who have moved into conduct disorder will not only fight control but will also attempt to control others themselves, conning and manipulating them
Severity of ODD according to number of settings behaviours manifest in, while conduct disorder is based on frequency and extent of misconduct
What are the 3 categories of conduct disorder?
Childhood onset - signs appear before age 10
Adolescent onset - signs appear during teen years
Unspecified onset - age at which signs show first is unknown
What have many cases of conduct disorder been linked to?
Genetic and biological factors such as damage to frontal lobe of brain (may be genetic abnormality or result from brain injury) - dysregulation of cognitive skills such as problem solving and personality
May also inherit personality traits seen in conduct disorder
What are social and environmental factors involved in conduct disorder?
Drug abuse
Poverty
Trauma
Exposure to violent peers/community violence
Troubled parent-child relationships, inadequate parenting and family hostility
Essentially anything that disrupts function of prefrontal cortex
How can conduct disorder be treated?
Most effective before 13 years old, popularly a combination of several approaches:
Sociocultural - family interventions such as parent-child interaction therapy, also school programs and residential treatments in community
Child-focused - cognitive-behavioural e.g. problem solving skills, anger coping skills and assistance with regulation of emotions
Preventative - Greatest potential when started in early childhood, try to change unfavourable social conditions and involve education and engagement of whole family
What are the key features of ADHD?
Great difficulty attending to tasks, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity
Primary symptoms feed into each other but usually one stands out most
What are the 3 types of ADHD?
Inattention - inattentive, procrastination, hesitation, forgetfulness, doesn’t seem to listen, easily distracted, disorganised
Hyperactivity - Constant motion, fidgety, talks too much, cannot play quietly
Impulsivity - Acts/speaks without thinking, trouble taking turns, cant wait for things, interrupts others
There is also a combined type of ADHD
What do about half of the children with ADHD also experience?
Problems with learning/communication, poor school performance, poor social interactions, misbehaviour, mood and anxiety problems
