Psychological Disorders > Childhood Disorders

Childhood Disorders
Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders
Autism

Psychological Disorders > Childhood Disorders

Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders

The DSM indicates three subtypes of ADHD: (1) ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive
Type; (2) ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type; and (3) ADHD,
Combined Type, which is a combination of the two other subtypes.It is 3 times as
frequently diagnosed in boys than girls.
Some general symptoms include impulsivity, forgetfulness, inability to
concentrate, impatience, thrill-seeking, excessive daydreaming, restlessness, and
unusual/disruptive sleep patterns.
The cause of ADHD is unknown and still being heavily researched.Most
researchers agree that it is an interaction between genetic and environmental
factors, as is the case with most psychiatric disorders.Some cases of ADHD are
related to previous infections or neurological trauma.
ADHD management usually involves some combination of counseling, lifestyle
changes, and medications.While treatment may improve long-term outcomes, it
does not get rid of negative outcomes entirely.
ADHD continues to be very controversial.Many individuals argue that it's highly
over-diagnosed, leading to stigmatization of the diagnosis, and creating
significant barriers for individuals who "legitimately" have the disorder.Another
criticism involves the appropriateness of medicating children.

ADHD and Academic Performance

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Psychological Disorders > Childhood Disorders

Autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), sometimes referred to as just autism, is a
disorder of neural development characterized a broad spectrum of social,
communication, and behavior symptoms, evident before the age of 3.
Autism is on a "spectrum" because each individual with autism expresses the
disorder uniquely and to varying degrees of functionality.Many have above
average intellectual abilities, while others have significant disability and are
unable to live independently.
Social impairments in children with autism can be characterized by a distinctive
lack of intuition about others that many people take for granted.Autistic infants
show less attention to social stimuli, and smile and look at others less often.
Autistic children may exhibit repetitive or restricted behavior, including stereotypy
(repetitive movement); compulsive behavior; sameness (resistance to change);
restricted behavior (limit in focus, interest or activity); and self-injurious behavior.
Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and
how their synapses connect and organize.How or why this occurs is not well
understood.Autism has a strong genetic basis.
The main goals when treating children with autism are to lessen associated
deficits and family distress, and to increase quality of life and functional
independence.The most widely used therapy is applied behavior analysis (ABA).

Psychological Disorders

Key terms
autism Bio-neurological disorder that is observable in early childhood with symptoms of abnormal self-absorption,
characterized by lack of response to other humans and limited ability or desire to communicate and socialize.
dopamine A neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention, learning, and the brain's pleasure and reward system.
stereotyped characterized by a repetitive or ritualistic movement, posture, or utterance.
synapse The junction between the terminal of a neuron and either another neuron or a muscle or gland cell, over which nerve
impulses pass.

Psychological Disorders

Which of the following is NOT true about ADHD?

A) ADHD has been linked to excessive television watching at an early
age.
B) ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls.
C) Psychostimulants are a common psychopharmacological treatment for
ADHD.
D) ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

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Psychological Disorders

Which of the following is NOT true about ADHD?

A) ADHD has been linked to excessive television watching at an early
age.
B) ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls.
C) Psychostimulants are a common psychopharmacological treatment for
ADHD.
D) ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

Free to share, print, make copies and changes. Get yours at www.boundless.com
Boundless - LO. "Boundless." CC BY-SA 3.0 http://www.boundless.com/

Psychological Disorders

Which of these characteristics is NOT typically associated with

Autism?
A) Impaired social interaction.

B) Excessively aggressive behavior.

C) Impaired verbal communication.

D) Repetitive and/or stereotyped behaviors.

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Psychological Disorders

Which of these characteristics is NOT typically associated with

Autism?
A) Impaired social interaction.

B) Excessively aggressive behavior.

C) Impaired verbal communication.

D) Repetitive and/or stereotyped behaviors.

Free to share, print, make copies and changes. Get yours at www.boundless.com
Boundless - LO. "Boundless." CC BY-SA 3.0 http://www.boundless.com/