Neurodevelopmental disorders refers to a group of disorders that begin in childhood. They affect the development and function of the brain. They may impact a child's interactions or functioning at home or school or in the community. Neurodevelopmental disorders include
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Communication Disorders
- Speech sound disorder
- Language disorder
- Stuttering (Childhood Onset Fluency Disorder)
- Social communication disorder
- Intellectual Disability
- Motor Disorders
- Tic disorders (including Tourette’s disorder)
- Developmental coordination disorder
- Stereotypic movement disorder
- Specific Learning Disorder
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought). ADHD is considered a chronic and may impact the individual in many aspects of their life including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning (Harpin, 2005). ADHD can lead to poor self-esteem and social function in children when not appropriately treated (Harpin et al., 2016). Adults with ADHD may experience poor self-worth, sensitivity towards criticism, and increased self-criticism possibly stemming from higher levels of criticism throughout life (Beaton, et al., 2022).
READ MORE on ADHD in children and ADHD in adults
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental condition involving persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. While autism is considered a lifelong condition, the need for services and supports because of these challenges varies among individuals with autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated one in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder.
Communication Disorders
- Speech sound disorder
People with speech sound disorder have difficulties producing speech and they are often hard to understand. It can lead to problems in school or social situations. Producing speech sounds requires both the phonological knowledge of speech sounds and the ability to coordinate the movements of the jaw, tongue, and lips with breathing and vocalizing. Children with speech production difficulties may have difficulty with either understanding speech sounds or with articulation.
- Language disorder
A child with language disorder has difficulties with learning and using language, including spoken, written, or sign language. Problems are usually with vocabulary and sentence structure. The child’s language abilities are substantially below that expected for age and significantly interfere with effective communication, school or socialization. The child’s first words and phrases are likely delayed and vocabulary less varied than expected.
- Stuttering (Childhood Onset Fluency Disorder)
People with stuttering, called childhood onset fluency disorder, have problems with the flow and timing of speech. It can involve repeated sounds and syllables (“I would like m-m-m-more please”), lengthened consonant and vowel sounds (“that sssounds like fun”), physical tension when producing words, or pauses in speech. The disorder involves a disturbance in normal speech pattern that is inappropriate for the individual’s age.
- Social communication disorder
When we engage in conversation, we follow many unspoken rules, such as turn-taking, personal space and appropriate tone and volume. Most children learn these rules fairly naturally or with a bit of prompting. But for some, understanding and following the rules of social communication is extremely challenging.
Intellectual Disability
Intellectual disability refers to neurodevelopmental conditions that affect functioning in two areas:
- Cognitive functioning, such as learning, problem solving, judgement.
- Adaptive functioning, activities of daily life such as communication skills and social participation.
Additionally, the intellectual and adaptive deficit begin early in the developmental period, typically before age 18 years for diagnosis. Intellectual disability affects about 1% of the population, and of those about 85% have mild intellectual disability.
Motor Disorders
- Tic disorders (including Tourette’s disorder)
A tic is a sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic motor movement or vocalization. Tic disorders include Tourette syndrome (also called Tourette’s disorder), persistent motor or vocal tic disorder, and provisional tic disorder. According to the CDC, persistent tic disorders, including Tourette syndrome, may affect about 1.4 million people in the U.S.
- Developmental coordination disorder
Developmental coordination disorder impacts a person’s motor skills and can be seen as clumsiness (such as dropping or bumping into things) and having slow and inaccurate movements (such as when catching an object, handwriting, or riding a bike). A child with the disorder, also sometimes referred to as childhood dyspraxia, has motor skills substantially below expected given their age. The coordination problems significantly interfere with daily activities and impact school, work and play. For example, in adults, everyday skills or activities requiring speed and accuracy are affected by coordination problems.
- Stereotypic movement disorder
Stereotypic movement disorder involves repetitive, seemingly driven, movement (such as hand shaking or body rocking). The repetitive motor behavior interferes with social, academic, or other activities and may result in self-injury. It usually starts in early childhood. The severity of stereotypic movements ranges from mild presentations that are easily stopped by distractions to continuous movements that markedly interfere with all activities of daily living. They can also include self-injurious behaviors.
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Specific Learning Disorder
In 2013, the DSM-5 changed the diagnostic criteria for Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) to combine all three learning disorders (reading, mathematics, and written expression) into one overarching diagnosis. Specific learning disorders (often referred to as a learning disorder or learning disability) are neurodevelopmental disorders that are typically diagnosed in early school-aged children, although may not be recognized until adulthood. They are characterized by a persistent impairment in at least one of three major areas: reading, written expression, and/or math.