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Block 1 Unit 4 Childhood Mental Disorders

1) Explain meaning and symptoms of pervasive developmental disorders.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) are a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of basic skills, particularly in socialisation, communication, and imagination. Children with PDDs often experience confusion in their thinking and struggle to understand the world around them.

Symptoms include difficulties with social interaction, communication problems, a lack of pretend play, and a limited range of activities and interests. These conditions typically become noticeable around the age of three, although they begin earlier.

2) What is meant by autism and discuss its symptoms?

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder characterised by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and imaginative play. Children with autism often show a limited range of activities and interests.

Symptoms of autism include problems with social interaction, impaired verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive behaviours and restricted interests. Many children with autism (nearly 75%) also experience some degree of mental retardation.

3) Give an account of Rett’s Disorder.

Rett’s Disorder is a pervasive developmental disorder that involves symptoms associated with PDDs as well as problems with physical development.

Children with Rett's syndrome generally suffer a loss of motor skills or movement.

4) Explain the symptoms of Asperger Syndrome.

Asperger Syndrome, like autism, involves difficulties with social interaction and communication, as well as a narrow range of interests.

However, children with Asperger's have average or above-average intelligence and develop normally in the areas of language and cognition. They may also have difficulty concentrating and may have poor coordination.

Some individuals with Asperger's may have increased ability to focus on details, the ability to persevere in specific interests, the capacity to work independently, an ability to recognise patterns that others miss, intensity, and an original way of thinking.

5) Describe the features of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD).

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is characterised by normal development followed by a significant loss of language, social, play, and motor skills.

CDD typically occurs later than autism, involving a more dramatic loss of skills. The loss of developmental milestones may occur abruptly over days or weeks or gradually over an extended period.

6) Explain the characteristics of PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified).

PDD-NOS is a diagnosis used when a child shows symptoms of a pervasive developmental disorder that do not fully meet the criteria for autism or other specific PDDs.

Children with PDD-NOS may show difficulties with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviours, but the severity of these issues may be less pronounced than in autism or Asperger's.

7) Present a clinical picture of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterised by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

A clinical picture of ADHD may include difficulty paying attention, being easily distracted, excessive fidgeting and restlessness, and acting without thinking.

8) Give an account of conduct disorder.

Conduct Disorder involves a pattern of behaviour in which a child or adolescent violates the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules.

Symptoms can include aggression, property destruction, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violations of rules.

9) Explain the childhood anxiety disorders (separation anxiety disorder).

Separation Anxiety Disorder is characterised by excessive anxiety or fear related to separation from home or attachment figures.

Symptoms can include distress when anticipating or experiencing separation, worry about losing major attachment figures, and refusal to go to school or be alone.

10) Describe the tic disorders and childhood depression.

Tic Disorders are characterised by sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic motor movements or vocalisations (tics). Tourette's Disorder is a type of tic disorder that involves both motor and vocal tics. Treatment may include medication to help control symptoms as well as emotional support and appropriate educational environment.

Childhood Depression is characterised by persistent sadness, irritability, and a loss of interest or pleasure. Symptoms can also include feelings of worthlessness or guilt, impaired thinking or concentration, and thoughts of death or suicide. Children may display varying symptoms at different times.

11) Explain meaning and general symptoms of pervasive developmental disorders.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) involve delays in basic skill development, particularly in socialisation, communication, and imagination.

General symptoms include social interaction difficulties, communication problems, lack of imaginative play, and restricted interests. These conditions are typically identified around the age of three.

12) Describe the symptoms of autism.

Symptoms of autism include difficulties with social interaction, impaired communication (verbal and nonverbal), and repetitive behaviours and restricted interests. Many children with autism also have some degree of mental retardation.

13) Describe Rett’s disorder, Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) as autism spectrum disorders.

These conditions are all part of the autism spectrum:

• Rett's Disorder includes symptoms associated with PDDs and physical developmental problems, often with loss of motor skills.
• Asperger Syndrome involves difficulties with social interaction and communication, and a narrow range of interests, but with average or above-average intelligence.
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) is characterised by a loss of previously acquired language, social, play, and motor skills following a period of normal development.
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is diagnosed when a child shows some, but not all, characteristics of other PDDs.

14) Present a complete clinical picture of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A complete clinical picture of ADHD includes symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. * This may manifest as difficulty paying attention, being easily distracted, excessive fidgeting, restlessness, and acting without thinking.

15) Elaborate the meaning, types and causes of mental retardation.

Mental retardation is a developmental disability that appears before age 18, involving below-average intellectual functioning (IQ below 70-75) and significant limitations in daily living skills (adaptive functioning).

• Types: The source does not specifically describe types of mental retardation, but notes that a diagnosis is made based on both intellectual functioning level (IQ scores) and limitations in adaptive skill areas like communication, self-care, and functional academic skills.
• Causes: Mental retardation can be due to genetic conditions or brain injuries, and it may persist throughout adulthood. Early detection is critical to slow the progression of the condition. Medical and developmental histories along with intelligence tests are used for diagnosis.

16) Describe oppositional defiant disorder.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is defined as a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient, and hostile behaviour toward authority figures that persists for at least 6 months.
• Behaviours include:
  • Losing one's temper
  • Arguing with adults
  • Actively defying requests or refusing to follow rules
  • Deliberately annoying other people
  • Blaming others for one's own mistakes or misbehaviour
  • Being touchy, easily annoyed, angered, resentful, spiteful, or vindictive
• The criteria for ODD are met when these behaviours occur more frequently in the child than in other children of the same age and developmental level.
• These behaviours cause significant difficulties with family and friends, and the oppositional behaviours are consistent both at home and in school.
• ODD is not diagnosed if the problematic behaviours occur exclusively with a mood or psychotic disorder.
• Sometimes, ODD may be a precursor of a conduct disorder.
• When ODD is present with ADHD, depression, Tourette’s, anxiety disorders, or other neuropsychiatric disorders, it makes life with that child far more difficult. For example, ADHD plus ODD is often considered worse than ADHD alone.

17) What are the causes of Autism?

Causes of Autism

• Autism is thought to be a biological disorder.
• Autism is understood to be a set of a wide variety of symptoms and may have many causes, similar to how a "cold" can be caused by many different viruses or bacteria.
• Known neurological disorders that are associated with autistic features, these include:
  • Tuberous sclerosis and the fragile X syndrome (inherited disorder)
  • Cerebral dysgenesis (abnormal development of the brain)
  • Rett’s syndrome (a mutation of a single gene)
  • Some inborn errors of metabolism (biochemical defects)
• Brain studies have demonstrated that persons with autism tend to have abnormalities in brain size.
• It is believed that autism seems to be the result of numerous disorders that affect brain development.
• Genetic factors are also believed to play a role.
  • There are families with more than one child with autism where it is not clearly due to another cause, suggesting a genetic component.
  • Studies have found that the gene for at least one kind of familial autism may be on chromosome 13.
• While some believe that vaccines cause autism, conventional wisdom continues to agree that immunisations do not cause autism.
• It is also mentioned that environmental factors, including infections, toxins, and nutrition, may contribute to the development of autism.

18) Explain the disorders which are often found with/or without ADHD.

Disorders Often Found With or Without ADHD

Some other childhood psychopathologies that are often found in conjunction with ADHD:

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• Conduct Disorder
• Anxiety Disorders (specifically, separation anxiety disorder)
• Tick Disorders
• Childhood Depression