Identify and describe the symptoms of two major neurodevelopmental disorders associated with childhood. Explain why each is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Neurodevelopmental disorders include learning disorders, developmental delays, stuttering, language disorders, motor disorders, communication disorders, and intellectual disabilities. One type of neurodevelopmental disorder is autism spectrum disorder, which is characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication. Diagnoses are based on behavioral evaluations of the child, and symptoms include avoiding eye contact, not responding appropriately in social situations, and having absent or delayed language skills. Also, they may have repetitive motor movements, such as hand flapping or body twisting, and be behind their peers in the development of both gross and fine motor skills. Symbolic or imaginative play typically seen in children is usually absent in children with autism. This is a neurodevelopmental disorder because autism is considered a genetic disorder in children that disrupts neural functioning, and therefore cognitive functioning. Tourette's disorder is another neurodevelopmental disorder. This is a motor disorder within the subcategory of tic disorders. Tics, which are sudden, rapid vocalizations or body movements, can be simple or complex. Simple motor tics are contractions of a single or a few muscles, including eye blinking, face grimacing, shoulder shrugging, or head jerking. Complex motor tics involve multiple movements, such as twirling while walking, retracing steps, touching objects, or twisting combined with shrugging and bending. Simple vocal tics are meaningless sounds and noises, such as barking, coughing, sniffing, yelping, throat clearing, clicking, or grunting. Complex vocal tics involve the sudden outburst of more meaningful utterances out of context, such as "Shut up" or "Now I've done it." Tourette's disorder is diagnosed when an individual has multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics that persist for at least a year. This is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder because the onset can be as early as age six or seven, and although the specific genes are unknown, research evidence supports the heritability of Tourette's disorder.