CHILDHOOD DISORDERS

Disorders that are diagnosed in childhood and often continue

throughout the lifespan

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Disorder characterized by deficits in social relatedness and communication skills that is often accompanied by repetitive, ritualistic behavior Spectrum because the severity of the deficits can vary widely from

individual to individual Social relatedness is at the core of the disorder

Do not make eye contact Insight into the thoughts and points of view of others is particularly

lacking Failure to develop a normal theory of mind

Language skills can vary greatly None, delayed, normal However, regardless of skills, most still have a hard time maintaining

conversation Object to changes in the environment Show a high level of repetitive, routine behavior

Rocking, hand-flapping, head-banging, twirling One possible source of this is increased or decreased sensitivity to stimuli

Ritualistic behavior may serve to control or override these sensations

RATES OF AUTISM SD Have been rapidly increasing over the last

two decades 1 in 110 children Rates in California have jumped 273% between

1987-1998 Why?

An unknown environmental trigger? Increased awareness among parents and health

care providers? Relaxed applications of the diagnostic criteria? Increased availability of services for children

with the disorder? Males are more likely to be diagnosed

CAUSES OF AUTISM Parental age seems to be a risk factor

Older parents are more likely to give birth to a child with autism

Family and twin studies provide strong evidence that it is influenced by genetics Large number of genes are involved

Environmental factors interacting with genetics during prenatal development

Vaccinations play NO PART in the development of autism In the first half of 2008, measles cases doubled

compared to the rates observed in 2000 and 2007

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER Criteria for the disorder are difficult to distinguish from the

behaviors of many typical young children Many will be treated with medicine

Involves inattention and hyperactivity Inattention: Inability to maintain sustained attention or on-task

behavior for an age-appropriate length of time Hyperactivity: high level of motor activity and find engaging in

structured activities (ie waiting in line) very challenging As adults, those diagnosed with ADHD as children have more traffic

accidents Many of these behaviors are seen in children who do not have

psychological disorders Fewer than 40% of physicians reported using the DSM

criteria to evaluate cases of ADHD More than half of the children in a very large sample who

were receiving medication for ADHD did not meet even relaxed diagnostic criteria for the disorder

7.74% of children between the ages of 4-17 had been diagnosed with ADHD

CAUSES OF ADHD Genetics – may be as high as 76%

heritability Frontal lobe may be underactive

Matures much more slowly in children with ADHD

Parts of the brain that have dopamine activityDrugs like Ritalin or Adderall boost the

activity of dopamine