1. Psychology 305 Atypical Development Chapter 15

2. Atypical Development  Frequency  Psychopathologies of Childhood  Intellectual Atypical Development  Schooling Concerns

3. Atypical Development  Frequency Majority of children at some point have some “non-normal” or lagging portion of development Usually labeled if persists longer than 6 months Table 15.1 14-20% of all children show some form of pathology

4. Atypical Development  How do we understand it? Developmental Psychopathology Key points  All abnormal and normal behavior stems from the same basic processes  Approach is developmental or “pathways” that lead to deviant and non-deviant behavior  Sequences of experiences

5. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies  3 categories of disorders Externalizing Problems  Disturbances of conduct Internalizing Problems  Emotional disturbances Attention Problems  adhd

6. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies  Externalizing Problems Conduct disorders  Antisocial characteristics of behavior  High levels of aggression, argumentativeness, bullying, disobedience, threatening and loud behavior  Childhood Onset  Aggression and behavior begins in early childhood and persists through adolescence  Life course persistent

7. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies- childhood onset  Pathway Many risk factors  Harder temperament, lower intelligence, lower SES  Insecure/Disorganized or Insecure/Avoidant attachments  Throw many tantrums and defy parents regularly  Drug and alcohol abuse, school drop out or expulsion  70% relation to adult aggression

8. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies  Conduct Disorders cont. Adolescent Onset Conduct Disorders  Adolescence limited delinquents  Behavior begins only in adolescents  Deviance typically milder “wrong crowd”

9. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies  Delinquency Intentional lawbreaking Not always consistent with conduct disorder 10% arrest rate for all children between 15-17 yrs Most minor misdemeanors, but some felonies When self reported rates are even higher Majority of teens do not persist into adult delinquency

10. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies  Internalized Problems Depression  30-40% of adolescents experience a depression episode  Clinical depression more rare—up to 8 %  Number one risk factor after puberty is being female  Function of number of stressors  Family life, illnesses, work stress, loss of income, marital separation

11. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies  Adolescent Suicide Successful suicides more common in males then females Attempts more common in females Risk factors  Emotional disturbance  History of physical or sexual abuse  Aggressive history  Family history of psychiatric disorders

12. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies  Suicide Cont. Other important risk factors  Significant stressful event—catalyst  Failure in valued activity or significant other  Altered mental state  Hopelessness, reduced inhibitions  Severe mood swings—rage  Opportunities present  Guns, pills, alcohol etc…  Absence of emotional connection with parents

13. Atypical Development- Psychopathologies  Attention Problems ADHD  Physical restlessness and inability to concentrate  Diagnostic criteria, table 15.2

14. ADHD  Symptom logy Cannot stay focused on a task that requires mental effort Often act impulsively ignoring social rules Lashing out with hostility when frustrated

15. Occurrence  3-5% of school aged children  Boys at least 3X more likely to be diagnosed

16. ADHD  Causes Heredity must play role  Runs in families and occurs more often in identical than fraternal twins  Reduced electrical and blood flow activity inf rontal lobes Environment plays a role  Unhappy marriages and family stress high  Exacerbating influences  Prenatal teratogens  Alcohol, illegal drugs, and cigarettes.  Parental coercive power struggles

17. Intellectual Atypical Developments  Mental Retardation Consistently subaverage intellectual performance—IQ lower than 75 Also must occur with maladaptive behavior Only 2% of low IQ young children are extremely retarded

18. Intellectual  Physical anomaly Down’s Syndrome Fragile X Car accident, teratogen, anoxia  Environment and Biology Majority of mentally retarded children Low IQ parents, disorganized/disrupted homes