Abnormal Psychology Developmental Disorders

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age of onset

Back 1

Person''s age when developing or exhibiting symptoms of a disease or condition.

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amniocentesis

Back 2

Prenatal medical procedure that allows the detection of abnormalities (for example, Down syndrome) in the developing fetus. It involves removal and analysis of amniotic fluid from the mother.

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amyloid precursor protein

Back 3

Solid, waxy substance forming the core of the amyloid plaque characteristic of people with Alzheimer''s disease.

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Asperger''s disorder

Back 4

Pervasive developmental disorder characterized by impairments in social relationships and restricted or unusual behaviors, but without the language delays seen in autism.

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attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

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Developmental disorder featuring maladaptive levels of inattention, excessive activity, and impulsiveness.

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augmentative communication strategies

Back 6

Pictures or computer aids to assist people with communication deficits so that they can communicate.

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autistic disorder (autism)

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Pervasive developmental disorder characterized by significant impairment in social interactions and communication and restricted patterns of behavior, interest, and activity.

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childhood disintegrative disorder

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Pervasive developmental disorderinvolving severe regression in language, adaptive behavior, and motor skills after a 2- to 4-year period of normal development.

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communication disorders

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Problems in transmitting or conveying information, including stuttering, selective mutism, and expressive language disorder.

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culturalfamilial mental retardation

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Mild mental retardation that may be caused largely by environmental influences.

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discrimination training

Back 11

Arrangement of experiences in which the person or animal learns to respond under certain conditions and not to respond under other conditions.

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disorder of written expression

Back 12

Condition in which writing performance is significantly below the standard for that age level.

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Down syndrome

Back 13

Type of mental retardation caused by a chromosomal aberration (chromosome 21) and involving characteristic physical appearance. Sometimes known as trisomy 21.

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dyslexia

Back 14

Learning disability involving problems in reading.

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educable mental retardation

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Obsolete term referring to level of retardation comparable to the DSM-IV-TR mild designation that assumes the individual can learn basic academic skills.

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expressive language disorder

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An individual''s problems in spoken communication, as measured by significantly low scores on standardized tests of expressive language relative to nonverbal intelligence test scores. Symptoms may include a markedly limited vocabulary or errors in verb tense.

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extensive support retardation

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Retardation level characterized by the long-term and regular care required for individuals with this degree of disability.

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fragile X syndrome

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Pattern of abnormality caused by a defect in the X chromosome resulting in mental retardation, learning problems, and unusual physical characteristics.

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intermittent support retardation

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Retardation level characterized by the need for only episodic special carefor example, during crises and difficult life changes.

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learning disorders

Back 20

Reading, mathematics, or written expression performance substantially below levels expected relative to the person''s age, IQ score, and education.

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Lesch-Nyhan syndrome

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X-linked disorder characterized by mental retardation, signs of cerebral palsy, and self-injurious behavior.

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limited support retardation

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Retardation level characterized by the special care needed on a consistent although time-limited basisfor example, during employment training.

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maintenance of sameness

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Necessity among people with autism that their familiar environments remain unchanged. They become upset when changes are introduced.

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mathematics disorder

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Mathematics performance significantly below the standard for that age level.

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mental retardation

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Significantly subaverage intellectual functioning paired with deficits in adaptive functioning such as self-care or occupational activities, appearing before age 18.

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mild mental retardation

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Level of retardation defined by IQ scores between 55 and 70.

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moderate mental retardation

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Level of retardation defined by IQ scores between 40 and 55.

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nondisjunction

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In Down syndrome, the failure of two of the 21st chromosomes to divide to create one cell with one copy that dies and one cell with three copies that continue to divide.

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pervasive developmental disorders

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Wide-ranging, significant, and long-lasting dysfunctions that appear before the age of 18.

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pervasive support retardation

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Retardation level characterized by the constant, intensive care needed by the individual in all environments.

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phenylketonuria (PKU)

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Recessive disorder involving the inability to break down a food chemical whose buildup causes retardation, seizures, and behavior problems. PKU can be detected by infant screening and prevented by a specialized diet.

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profound mental retardation

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Level of retardation defined by IQ scores below 20 and extremely limited communication and self-help skills.

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psychopharmacogenetics

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The study of how genetic makeup can affect individual reactions to drugs.

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reading disorder

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Reading performance significantly below the standard for that age level.

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receptive language

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Communicated material that is understood.

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regulated-breathing method

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Intervention for stuttering in which the person is instructed to stop and take a deep breath whenever a stuttering episode begins.

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Rett''s disorder

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Progressive neurological developmental disorder featuring constant hand-wringing, mental retardation, and impaired motor skills.

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selective mutism

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Developmental disorder characterized by the individual''s consistent failure to speak in specific social situations despite speaking in other situations.

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self-injurious

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Dangerous actions, including head-banging and hitting and biting oneself, seen in many children with autism.

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severe mental retardation

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Level of retardation defined by IQ scores between 20 and 40 and with somewhat limited communication, self-help, social, and vocational skills.

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stuttering

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Disturbance in the fluency and time patterning of speech (for example, sound and syllable repetitions or prolongations).

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task analysis

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Method for evaluating a skill to be learned, breaking it down into its component parts.

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tic disorder

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Disruption in early development involving involuntary motor movements or vocalizations.

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tics

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Sudden, rapid, and recurrent involuntary motor movements or vocalizations.

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Tourette''s disorder

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Developmental disorder featuring multiple dysfunctional motor and vocal tics.

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trainable mental retardation

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Obsolete term referring to level of retardation comparable to the DSM-IV-TR moderate designation that suggests the individual can learn rudimentary vocational but not academic skills.

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tuberous sclerosis

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Rare dominant gene disorder characterized by bumps on the skin and sometimes mental retardation and seizures.