Neurodevelopmental Disorders

In the book Rules by Cynthia Lord (2006), 12-year-old Catherine lives with her parents and little brother. Catherine wants to live a “normal” life, but Catherine’s younger brother, David, has autism. Ever since his diagnosis, Catherine has been giving David rules to follow so that he can be "normal." Soon Catherine learns that her "normal" is different from David’s "normal." David prefers to be by himself because he finds it hard to talk to others and form close relationships.

• What are neurodevelopmental disorders in psychology?
• What are examples of neurodevelopmental disorders?
• What are the symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders?
• What are the causes of neurodevelopmental disorders?

Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Psychology

Have you ever met someone with a neurodevelopmental disorder (ND), like autism or an intellectual disability, but you were unsure what that means or how it changes their life? The developmental part of neurodevelopmental refers to human growth and how we change throughout life. Most neurodevelopmental disorders develop during infancy or early childhood. Some are even present before birth. Sometimes adults are diagnosed later in life, but this is less common.

The neuro- part of neurodevelopmental refers to genetics and neurobiology. These disorders are connected to problems in brain function or structure.

Brain scans, pexels.com

Neurodevelopmental disorders affect many areas of life: social, intellectual/learning, communication, motor, behavioral, and daily functioning. Not all people with an ND struggle in all of these areas, but they struggle to some degree in at least 2 or more of them.

• Social: Those with autism and intellectual disabilities find it hard to build a meaningful social life because they struggle to form close relationships and communicate well with others. Treatments like speech therapy and assistive technology can help with this area of functioning.

• Intellectual/Learning: Those with ADHD find it hard to focus in school because they get easily distracted and their attention is directed elsewhere. Intellectual struggles are more severe for those with intellectual disabilities who may struggle to learn at all; their brains simply are unable to retain and apply information.

• Motor Functions: Issues in brain function or structure can cause issues using certain body parts. Someone with an intellectual disability may have a limp hand, for example. Research shows that babies with autism tend to either crawl later or learn to crawl incorrectly.

• Behavioral: You may automatically think of autism when you think about behavioral challenges. There are specific therapies aimed at helping those with autism improve their behavioral functioning, including treatments like Applied Behavior Analysis. Those with an ND may say or do inappropriate things at inappropriate times or respond to the behavior of others in unusual ways.

• Daily Functioning: In healthcare, there is a special term for the skills that we use to function every day: Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). These are essential skills like eating, bathing, and walking. They include things like getting dressed, brushing your teeth, and going to the bathroom. Someone with an ND may require help with some or all of these things.

Examples of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

There are seven types of neurodevelopmental disorders:

1. Tic Disorders

2. Specific Learning Disorders

3. Motor Disorders

4. Communication Disorders

5. Intellectual Developmental Disorder (also known as Intellectual Disabilities)

6. Autism Spectrum Disorder

7. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The three most common NDs are Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Intellectual Disabilities. These are the three you will need to know about for your exam!

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that produces challenges in social settings, behavior regulation, and communication. These challenges usually require the help of others to overcome, but many individuals diagnosed with ASD can live a fairly normal life and become independent. You may not be able to tell that someone has ASD just by watching them. Testing and proper diagnosis are important.

Some individuals with ASD are naturally gifted. Keep in mind, though, that ASD and giftedness are two separate attributes; not everyone gifted has ASD and vice versa. Even so, sometimes an individual's ASD is completely overlooked because of the person's giftedness.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes difficulties in focusing, restlessness, and impulsivity. Those diagnosed with ADHD may also have a learning or communication disorder. ADHD requires proper assessment and diagnosis. While many are diagnosed early in life, late diagnoses are more common with ADHD. This disorder is sometimes overlooked in children since many of the symptoms are pretty common among children in general (i.e., hyperactivity and being easily distracted).

There are 3 subtypes of ADHD:

1. Mainly Inattentive Type (previously ADD)

2. Mainly Hyperactive/Impulsive Type

3. Joint Type (also known as Combined Type)

Intellectual Developmental Disorder

Intellectual Developmental Disorders (IDD) or Intellectual Disabilities are neurodevelopmental disorders that create challenges in social functioning, daily life tasks, and cognitive skills. People with an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) score of 70 or lower are more likely to meet the criteria for an intellectual disability. Those with IDD have a hard time learning, solving problems, communicating with others, and using skills needed for everyday living. They may need daily help for most or all of their life. IDD also requires a clinical assessment and diagnosis. The clinician may use an IQ test to help figure out if the individual has an IDD.

Symptoms of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

There are many possible symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders. The symptoms someone experiences depend heavily on the type of disorder. Symptoms of ASD are very different from ADHD and IDD. Symptoms also depend on the severity of the disorder. Someone with a mild ASD will function very differently from someone with a severe ASD. Every person with an ND is a unique individual with unique struggles.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

As mentioned earlier, NDs have different severity levels: mild, moderate, or severe. This means that two people with autism may have very different symptoms, and the disorder may affect their lives in very different ways. One common symptom of ASD is struggling with communication. Those with a mild ASD experience less trouble communicating than those with a severe ASD, who may exhibit slurred or incomprehensible speech.

Other symptoms of ASD include intense discomfort in social situations and a preference or need for strict routines. People with ASD can get easily overwhelmed by their environment if it is too noisy or crowded. This overstimulation causes them to feel uncomfortable or exhausted, and they may need to leave and go to a different environment with less stimulation.

People with ASD also prefer following a daily routine to provide some emotional stability and predictability to their lives. Knowing what will happen next or what they need to do helps them feel less anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. Changes in a routine for someone with ASD can be incredibly upsetting and difficult to manage.

Routines, pexels.com

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Symptoms for any disorder differ from one person to another, but ADHD symptoms also depend on the type. The first type of ADHD is called mainly inattentive (previously called Attention-Deficit Disorder). The symptoms of this type all have to do with inattentiveness: difficulty focusing in school and daily life.

The second type of ADHD is called mainly hyperactive/impulsive. All of the symptoms have to do with being highly active and impulsive. The last type of ADHD is just a combination of the other two types into one. The symptoms are a mix of the other two types.

Treatments for Autism and ADHD

As of right now, there is no cure for ASD. Therapy is one of the most common treatments. There are many different types of therapy, but there are specific types that work best for treating ASD. Some of these are Applied Behavior Analysis, family therapy, and speech/language therapy.

Family therapy can help support families that include a member with ASD. The family can learn what to expect based on the diagnosis and process the unique challenges of ASD. Speech/language therapy can help with speech and language problems caused by ASD and may last for years.

Treatment for ADHD often takes the form of behavioral therapy and medication. Behavioral therapy helps individuals learn to manage their inattentiveness or hyperactivity so that they can focus and behave appropriately in certain settings like school. Adderall is a common medication for ADHD. It is a stimulant and works by increasing brain activation in areas that control attention and impulsivity.

Causes of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

There are many possible causes of NDs, and clinicians are unsure what causes some of these disorders. More research is needed on possible causes. Genetics is a possibility, and specific genes are linked to specific symptoms of intellectual disabilities. Most neurodevelopmental disorders have many potential causes, though, rather than genetics alone.

Researchers emphasize that NDs usually result from a blend of genetic, biological, psychosocial, and environmental risk factors. Environmental risk factors include maternal alcohol consumption while pregnant, maternal drug use while pregnant, financial status, lack of resources, a premature birth (before 9 months), and prenatal or childhood exposure to environmental toxins like mercury and lead.