Disorders Emerging in Childhood

ADHD is a disorder commonly diagnosed during childhood, the signs and symptoms of which must be present prior to the age of 7. Symptoms include hyperactivity, difficulties with concentration and attention, distractibility, and impulsivity that result in problems in at least two settings (i.e. home, school). There are three subtypes of ADHD: Combined Type, Hyperactive Type, and Inattentive Type. Treatment includes psychotherapeutic intervention for both the child and family, adjustments to the home and school environment, medication, and cognitive rehabilitation to increase attentional capacity.

Although commonly first diagnosed in childhood, ADHD is often a chronic condition that must be treated throughout an individual’s lifetime. For adults, symptoms of ADHD often appear as excessive inattentiveness and forgetfulness, impulsivity, difficulty meeting deadlines, restlessness, extreme procrastination, and agitation. These symptoms frequently result in family, social, and occupational problems. Treatment includes personalized psychotherapeutic intervention, medication, and cognitive rehabilitation to increase attentional capacity.

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder and is typically diagnosed within the first few years of life. It is best understood as "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals to varying degrees throughout their life. Common signs and symptoms of autism include: failure to use or deficits in nonverbal communication (i.e. avoid eye contact, lack of facial expression), lack of interest in social interaction, lack of or deficits in verbal communication, adherence to specific, repetitive patterns of behavior (rocking, hand or finger flapping, spinning) and/or routines, and fixation with parts of objects or unusual objects. Treatment includes specific psychotherapeutic interventions for both the individual (i.e., ABA therapy) and family to increase appropriate social interaction and assist the individual in skills of daily living. In addition, a more comprehensive treatment plan should be in place to address classroom needs. For example, if the child does not already have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), the treatment team should work to have the school initiate an initial IEP to ensure that academic needs and classroom assistance and accommodation are in place to best meet the child’s true potential.

Asperger's Disorder, a pervasive developmental disorder is considered to be on the autism spectrum. Hallmark symptoms include sustained impairment in social interactions and odd or restrictive patterns of interest or behaviors. Individuals with Asperger’s are often obsessed with daily routines, have difficulty reading the nonverbal behaviors of others, and may be overly sensitive to certain sounds, tastes, or textures. By definition, individuals with Asperger’s Disorder have no delays in language acquisition and no significant delays in cognitive functioning. However, they may sometimes seem to be “fixated” with a particular topic or subject. Treatment includes psychotherapeutic intervention and skills training for the individual and can also include skills training for family members and/or caregivers to assist them in understanding and addressing difficulties associated with this disorder. In addition, a more comprehensive treatment plan should be in place to address classroom needs. For example, if the child does not already have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), the treatment team should work to have the school initiate an initial IEP to ensure that academic needs and classroom assistance and accommodation are in place to best meet the child’s true potential.

Conduct Disorder is a serious behavioral and emotional disorder that occurs in children and adolescents. Children or teenagers with Conduct Disorder display a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates age-appropriate rules, engages in violent behavior, deliberately destroys property, and/or behavior that violates the rights of others. Conduct Disorder is more common among boys and most often occurs in late childhood or early adolescence. Treatment for individuals with Conduct Disorder involves individual psychotherapy, family therapy, and may include medication.

A Learning Disorder (LD) is a condition that causes an individual to perform significantly lower in one area of academic achievement (i.e. mathematics, reading) relative to others. LD’s are diagnosed when the individual’s academic achievement on standardized testing is significantly below that expected for level of intelligence. There are a number of different types of LD’s, including: Reading Disorder, Mathematics Disorder, Disorder of Written Expression, and Learning Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Psychotherapeutic intervention can be used to educate, build awareness, and acquire compensatory skills to deal with one’s disability in day-to-day life. In addition, a more comprehensive treatment plan should be in place to address classroom needs. For example, if the child does not already have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), the treatment team should work to have the school initiate an initial IEP to ensure that academic needs and classroom assistance and accommodation are in place to best meet the child’s true potential.

Mental Retardation (MR) is a general term used to describe individuals that have significant deficits in intellectual capacity and deficits in adaptive functioning. These deficits must be evident prior to the age of 18 and can range in severity from mild to severe. Children with mental retardation are slow to develop in areas such as language, memory, learning appropriate social behaviors, problem solving, and learning self-care behaviors. Depending on the severity, adults with MR will continue to show deficits in areas such as learning and memory and functional daily living skills, which can significantly impair their ability to lead independent lives. Specialized psychotherapeutic intervention can be utilized to assist the individual in effectively getting their needs met. Family therapy is also important in order to educate caregivers in effective management of behavioral issues. Behavioral therapy with the individual should be focused on teaching skills of daily living.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder affects approximately 2-16% of children and adolescents. ODD generally becomes evident before age 8 years and not later than early adolescence. ODD is a condition in which a child displays an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, defiant, hostile, and negativistic behavior toward people in authority. This behavior pattern persists for at least 6 months. The child's behavior often disrupts the child's normal daily activities, including activities within the family and at school. Treatment milieu for individuals with ODD involves individual psychotherapy, family therapy, and may include medication.