Neurodevelopment Disorders

Question 1

How to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders

Answer 1

Step 1 - referral (to a GP or health visitor)

Step 2 - formal assessment (NHS) - usually diagnosis is made by clinical psychologist or clinical geneticist
- may be multi-disciplinary
based on DSM5 or ICD10

Step 3 - post diagnostic support (e.g. school support such as language therapy)

Question 2

What is a neurodevelopmental disorder?

Answer 2

• condition associated with atypical development
• impacts cognition (learning and behaviour)
• genetic or multifactorial origin resulting in cognitive deficits
• not acquired, not prone to remission

Question 3

Development of neurodevelopmental disorders

Answer 3

• develops and changes over time
• interaction of Genes X Environment
• can be in utero (e.g. maternal diet)
• early years can be a critical period

Question 4

Neurodiversity

Answer 4

neurological conditions appear due to natural variations in human genome

• neurological differences should be recognised and respected as a social category
• neurotypical/non-neurotypical

Question 5

Methods for studying neurological conditions

Answer 5

• population based prevelance studies (questionnaires within population)
• behavioural observation (often used in infancy)
• parent/teacher questionnaires
• behavioural experiments (e.g. eye tracking)
• cognitive neuroscience experiments (e.g. fMRI, EEG)