Psychology Assessment and Diagnosis
Psychology Assessment and Diagnosis
Behavioural Presentations
What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)?
Frequent and persistent pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behaviour, or vindictiveness are the essential features of ODD. It is possible that the child may display the behavioural features of the disorder (i.e., arguing, actively defiant or refusal to comply, assigning blame to others) and not display problems associated with negative mood, although typically both features are present. The symptoms of ODD are part of a pattern of problematic interactions with others.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterised by persistent difficulties in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, including difficulties in social reciprocity, non-verbal communicative behaviours used for social interaction, and skills in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. In addition to the social communication difficulties, restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities are also present. Given the possible variation symptoms and behaviour over time (i.e., difference in presentation over child’s development/behaviour may be masked/compensated for by a change in the way in which a family copes with various behaviours), the diagnostic criteria may be met based upon historical information, although the current presentation must cause significant impairment.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by impairing levels of inattention, disorganisation and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Examples of Inattention symptoms include inability to stay on task, seeming not to listen, and losing materials, at levels that are inconsistent with age or developmental level. Symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity includes overactivity, fidgeting, inability to stay seated, intruding on other people’s activities, and inability to wait - that are excessive for age or developmental level. ADHD often persists into adulthood, with resultant impairments of social, academic and occupational functioning.
Intellectual Disability (ID)
What is Intellectual Disability?
Intellectual disability is characterised by deficits in general mental ability is, such as reasoning, problem solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgement, academic learning, and learning from experience. The deficits in general ability also result in impairment of adaptive functioning, such as reduced daily living skills (i.e communication, social participation, occupational functioning, etc). An individual may be born with an intellectual disability, or an intellectual disability may be acquired (e.g., severe head injury), which may also result in a diagnosis of a neurocognitive disorder (impaired condition has not been present since birth).
Specific Learning Disorder
What is a Specific Learning Disorder?
Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is diagnosed when there are specific deficits in an individual’s ability to percieve or process information efficiently and accurately. The learning difficulties typically first manifest during the formal education years (although may not become apparent until the affected academic skills exceed the individual’s limited capacities), and are characterised by persistent and impairing difficulties in learning the foundational skills within the three main academic domains; reading, writing and mathematics. There are three main academic domains made up of various subskills which should be recorded for diagnosis:
• Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in Reading (including subskills: word reading accuracy, reading rate or fluency, reading comprehension).
• Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in Written Expression (including subskills: spelling accuracy, grammar and punctuation accuracy, clarity or organisation of written expression).
• Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in Mathematics (including subskills: number sense, memorisation of arithmetic facts, accurate or fluent calucation, accurate math reasoning).