Autism and Childhood Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Autism

• Difficulty communicating, incomprehensible, and echolalia
• Don't want to be hugged; usually stiffen when held
• Unable to differentiate self from the environment; talks about himself in third person
• Difficulty learning expressive communication, may exhibit echolalia or mutism
• No eye contact, engaged in self-stimulated acts, and plays alone for hours
• Turning to inanimate objects; attachment to inanimate object
• Obsessive desire for sameness, and may exhibit self-mutilation
• Head banging, tantrums, spinning, and running around
• Boys are more likely to be affected than girls (1:100 kids)
• Presents at birth or soon after birth, diagnosed before age 2½ years old

Causes of Autism

• Genetics
• Vaccines
• Environment
• Neurotransmitter abnormality
• Structural brain abnormality

Characteristics of Autism

• Echolalia
• Poor eye contact
• Can't express verbally
• Track in his own world

Early Signs of Autism

• 6 months: few or no big smiles, limited or no eye contact
• 9 months: little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or facial expressions
• 12 months: little or no babbling, no back-and-forth gestures like pointing, showing, reaching, or waving
• 16 months: very few or no words
• 24 months: very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases

Mental Retardation

• Below average intellectual functioning accompanied by significant limitation in adaptive functioning
• Onset: before 18 years old
• Causes: maternal infection, exact gestational age not reached (premature), nutritional deficiency, toxoplasmosis, anoxia, lead poisoning, measles, environmental factors, thyroid deficiency, and AIDS

Assessment of Autism

• A - Appearance: neat, obsessive-compulsive, wants constancy, flat affect
• B - Behavior: ritualistic behavior, repetitive, and may exhibit self-mutilation

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Characterized by inappropriate degrees of inattention, overactivity, and impulsivity
• Also known as "HYPERKINESIS" or "Minimal Brain Syndrome"
• Can progress to conduct disorder to antisocial behavior
• Onset: 7 years old and below, duration: 6 months and above
• Affects 3-5% of all children, 3-4 times more common in boys than girls

Etiology of ADHD

• Lower level of activity in some parts of the brain
• Mother's use of cigarette, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy
• Tends to run in families → genetic influence
• Decrease dopamine

Assessment of ADHD

• A - Dirty
• B - Clumsy, impatient, no focus, easily distracted, hyperactive
• C - Talkative
• Inattention: hard time keeping their mind on any one thing
• Hyperactivity: always seen to be in motion, can't sit still
• Impulsivity: do not seem to think before they act

This quiz covers disorders of childhood, specifically autism, including communication difficulties and behavioral characteristics.