Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contact information for authors
- Biography for Jacobus Donders and Scott J. Hunter
- Introduction
- Section I Theory and models
- Section II Disorders
- 5a Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents
- 5b Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults
- 5c Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a lifespan synthesis
- 6a Learning disorders in children and adolescents
- 6b Learning disorders in adults
- 6c Synthesis of chapters on learning disabilities: overview and additional perspectives
- 7a Infants and children with spina bifida
- 7b Adolescence and emerging adulthood in individuals with spina bifida: a developmental neuropsychological perspective
- 7c Spina bifida/myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus across the lifespan: a developmental synthesis
- 8 Cerebral palsy across the lifespan
- 9a Intellectual disability across the lifespan
- 9b Lifespan aspects of PDD/autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
- 9c Autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability: common themes and points of divergence
- 10a Hearing loss across the lifespan: neuropsychological perspectives
- 10b Visual impairment across the lifespan: neuropsychological perspectives
- 11a Traumatic brain injury in childhood
- 11b Adult outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury
- 11c Neurobehavioral aspects of traumatic brain injury sustained in adulthood
- 11d Traumatic brain injury in older adults
- 11e Traumatic brain injury across the lifespan: a long-term developmental perspective
- 12a Pediatric aspects of epilepsy
- 12b A lifespan perspective of cognition in epilepsy
- 13a Leukemia and lymphoma across the lifespan
- 13b Lifespan aspects of brain tumors
- 14 Lifespan aspects of endocrine disorders
- 15 Metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders across the lifespan
- 16a Psychopathological conditions in children and adolescents
- 16b Psychopathological conditions in adults
- 16c Neuropsychological aspects of psychopathology across the lifespan: a synthesis
- Index
- Plate section
- References
16a - Psychopathological conditions in children and adolescents
from Section II - Disorders
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 May 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contact information for authors
- Biography for Jacobus Donders and Scott J. Hunter
- Introduction
- Section I Theory and models
- Section II Disorders
- 5a Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents
- 5b Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults
- 5c Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a lifespan synthesis
- 6a Learning disorders in children and adolescents
- 6b Learning disorders in adults
- 6c Synthesis of chapters on learning disabilities: overview and additional perspectives
- 7a Infants and children with spina bifida
- 7b Adolescence and emerging adulthood in individuals with spina bifida: a developmental neuropsychological perspective
- 7c Spina bifida/myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus across the lifespan: a developmental synthesis
- 8 Cerebral palsy across the lifespan
- 9a Intellectual disability across the lifespan
- 9b Lifespan aspects of PDD/autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
- 9c Autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability: common themes and points of divergence
- 10a Hearing loss across the lifespan: neuropsychological perspectives
- 10b Visual impairment across the lifespan: neuropsychological perspectives
- 11a Traumatic brain injury in childhood
- 11b Adult outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury
- 11c Neurobehavioral aspects of traumatic brain injury sustained in adulthood
- 11d Traumatic brain injury in older adults
- 11e Traumatic brain injury across the lifespan: a long-term developmental perspective
- 12a Pediatric aspects of epilepsy
- 12b A lifespan perspective of cognition in epilepsy
- 13a Leukemia and lymphoma across the lifespan
- 13b Lifespan aspects of brain tumors
- 14 Lifespan aspects of endocrine disorders
- 15 Metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders across the lifespan
- 16a Psychopathological conditions in children and adolescents
- 16b Psychopathological conditions in adults
- 16c Neuropsychological aspects of psychopathology across the lifespan: a synthesis
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Imagine the following scenario: a parent calls a neuropsychologist asking for an appointment because her latency-age child, a son, has been talking about not wanting to go to school. When queried, the parent reports that the child has never really liked school and over the last year has become more vocal about how bad a setting school is. When asked about other difficulties the child has, the parent answers that her son has difficulties with concentration, poor sleep, and states that he often appears restless and “on-edge”. A referral such as this is routine for and the “bread and butter” of the practices of most child and adolescent neuropsychologists. Typically, the neuropsychologist next plans for an assessment that will include an examination of learning difficulties and attention and, for good measure, she might add a behavior-rating scale. Her considerations are “primarily neuropsychological”, as the neuropsychologist probably hypothesizes that the school refusal behavior and somatic complaints are “secondary responses” to the child's learning and attentional concerns.
One might ask the question, however, is there anything wrong with this approach? After all, learning disabilities and attentional problems are common childhood conditions. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) [1], 7.8% of school-aged children are reported by their parents to have an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. The LDA (Learning Disabilities Association) [2] reports that 4–6% of all students in the public schools are classified as having specific learning disabilities.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010
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