Transcript Schizophrenia and Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Schizophrenia and Pervasive
Developmental Disorders
How do we identify and
treat schizophrenia and
other pervasive
developmental disorders?
Schizophrenia
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A disorder in which people usually have two
or more of the following symptoms:
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Delusions
Hallucinations
Disorganized speech
Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
Negative symptoms such as lack of affect,
inability to think logically, or inability to make
decisions.
Causes of Schizophrenia
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Biological
Environmental
Prevention involves avoiding behaviors that
might trigger schizophrenia in vulnerable
persons:
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Substance abuse
Extreme stress
Antipsychotic Drugs
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Haldol
Mellaril
These drugs do not work well for all children
and may have serious side effects.
Autism
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Impairment in social relatedness
Impairments in verbal and nonverbal
communication
Stereotyped, ritualistic behavior
Aggression
Self-injury
Causes and Prevention of Autism
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Causes—brain dysfunction.
Prevention—Secondary Prevention
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Treatment of family problems.
Effective educational programs that:
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Build communication skills.
Develop daily living skills.
Manage inappropriate behaviors.
Asperger Disorder
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Difficult to distinguish from high functioning
autism.
Educational interventions are similar to those
for autism.
Socialization Problems
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Bizarre behavior
Problems with eye-to-face gaze
Lack of understanding of social interactions
Communication Disorders
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Half of all children with autism have no
functional oral language.
Interventions use naturalistic applications of
operant conditioning principles.
Some children with autism rely on alternative
means of communication.
Stereotypy
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Repetitive stereotyped acts that seem to
provide reinforcing sensory feedback.
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Self-stimulatory
Self-injurious
Interventions that emphasize:
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Functional analysis
Nonaversive procedures
Psychopharmacological treatment.