Neurodevelopmental Disorders Flashcards
Stereotypy
Repetition of meaningless gestures or movements
Below what IQ score is considered intellectually disabled?
+/- 75 IQ
What criteria must be met to have an intellectual disability?
Deficits in intellectual functions
Deficits in adaptive functioning
Onset during developmental period
What are the problems with using IQ tests for intelligence?
Doesn’t account for sensory, motor, and language deficits
Ppl who are sheltered may have biased performance bcuz environment is unfamiliar and may be overwhelming
Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales
Evaluates level of support needed in each domain of functioning:
- Conceptual
- Social
- Practical
What are the interviewing issues for intellectual disabilities?
Cloak of competence: Aspects of disorder are hidden bcuz of “normal” appearance
Acquiescence: Tendency of ppl w/ developmental disorder to say yes in interviews (social desirability or linguistic limitations)
Interviewing family members can give another perspective but may be biased
Microarrays
Used to detect small pieces (copy number variations, CNV) of chromosomes that are missing/duplicated
True or false?
Single gene disorders are less common than multiple gene disorders
True
Zigler’s Two-Group Approach
Organic group - Clear biological basis
- Severe ID
Cultural-familial group - No clear organic basis
- Mild ID
- Can come from some relatives w/ ID, SES, or environment
Types of down syndrome
Most common is trisomy 21 (extra pair on chromosome 21)
Translocation (part of chromosome 21 breaks off and attaches to another)
Mosaicism (cell division occurs unevenly, some cells have 45 and some have 47)
Ways to test for down syndrome:
Amniocentesis
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
11-18th week of pregnancy, amniotic fluid withdrawn
10-12th week of pregnancy, gets cells from placenta
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Metabolic disorder
Liver enzyme on chromosome 12 is inactive, causing inability to metabolize phenylalanine
- Builds up in brain to toxic levels, causing ID
Can be detected through blood test shortly after birth
- Low-phenylalanine diet can be used to prevent ID
Fragile X Syndrome
More common in boys (second X helps cancel out on girls)
Repeated CGG sequences on X chromosome reduces production of protein for brain, causing ID
Rubella
Maternal infection causing ID
During first 3 months of pregnancy
HIV infection
Transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy, at delivery, or through breast milk
Causes ID
Fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD)
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy
Causes atypical facial features and ID, attention problems, hyperactivity lasting a lifetime
Thalidomide
Prescribed for nausea in the past
Caused limb malformations in infants
What did Leo Kenner discover?
Autism as a childhood disorder
True or false?
Autism is more prevalent in males than females only at higher IQ levels
True
What is the range of intellectual abilities of most ppl with ASD?
Most have IQ scores below average, but not necessarily in the range for ID
Echolalia
Pronoun reversal, Theory of mind
(Autism)
Repeat another person’ words/phrases using same intonation
Refer to themselves in third person (lacking theory of mind)
Savants
Ppl w/ autism (low proportion)
Had exceptional skills in math, music, art, etc
Asperger’s disorder
Now under autism, used to be separate
Hard to detect bcuz tend to be higher functioning
Tend to display odd behavs in social interactions
True or false?
Male protective effect - Harder to trigger autism in boys than girls (threshold for activating autism is higher in males)
False
Female protective effect - Harder to trigger autism in girls than boys (threshold for activating autism is higher in females)
What are the possible multiple causes of autism?
Problems in early development (prenatal complications)
Genetic influences (chromosomal anomalies, tuber sclerosis)
Brain abnormalities (complication during fetal brain development)
Disorder of risk and adaptation
Treatments and interventions of autism
Psychotropic medication
- Regulates neurotransmitters
- Can help reduce aggression, repetitive behavs, distractibility
Applied behavioural analysis
- Can help maximize independence and quality of life
- Used operant conditioning
- Trains for social competence
Four essential features of diagnosing learning disorders
Persistent difficulties learning and using key academic skills despite interventions
Academic skills below average for age
Learning difficulties in school years
Not explained by ID or another neurological condition
Dyslexia
Impairment in phonological processing
Difficulty connecting letters and phonemes
Lacks phonological awareness (trouble with rhyming, counting syllables, manipulating words)
Hereditary
Dyscalculia
Deficits in processing numerical quantities
May reflect deficits in working memory
Difficult to diagnose - May be mistaken for anxiety towards math performance
Dysgraphia
Impairment in writing fluency, spelling, and written expression
Deficits in many neuropsychological domains (like processing speed, WM, executive functioning)
Response-to-intervention approach
Taught to children at risk of developing learning disorder
Starts off low intensity but becomes more intense if child still continues to struggle
