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DISORDERS

Mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in how children typically
learn, behave, or handle their emotions, which cause distress and problems getting through the day.
The disorders below have the most common behaviors and are well-researched for new technology applications.

ADHD artwork

“This is how I feel sometimes, split in four.” This magnificent piece of art was created by a nine year old.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 11 percent of school-age children. Symptoms continue
into adulthood in more than three-quarters of cases. ADHD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

 

Individuals with ADHD can be very successful in life. However, without identification and proper treatment, ADHD may have serious consequences, including school failure, family stress, and disruption, depression, problems with relationships, substance abuse, delinquency, accidental injuries, and job failure. Early identification and treatment are extremely important.

Social Communication
Disorder (SCD)

Social (pragmatic) communication disorder, also known as pragmatic language impairment, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication. Some of children miss social cues, and misinterpret body language and tone of voice. Kids with learning disabilities may talk too much, or at the wrong time, or say things that are inappropriate. Some are stiff in conversation, have trouble expressing themselves and miss the point of a lot of humor. They don’t “get” things that seem to come effortlessly to other kids. They may have trouble understanding what’s happening in a group,
and finding a way of fitting in.

 

For children and teenagers, being “just a little off” in their social behavior can easily trigger rejection by their hyperaware peers, and make them targets of teasing and bullying. Sometimes young children with social awkwardness or deficits are misdiagnosed with autism, because these behaviors are one component of an autism diagnosis. But it’s important to recognize that these behaviors occur in a lot of kids who aren’t on the spectrum, too.

Social Skills Artwork

Many autistic people struggle to communicate through words. 

Cat's Home, by Donna Williams, explores this sense of isolation.

Autism Artwork

The "repetitive movement" of playing with the thread is calming, "My design often reflects the autistic mind – being drawn to detail and order. Creating order counteracts feeling fragmented."

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which means that it impacts how a child develops. Autism begins in utero, although children with ASD might not be diagnosed until they are preschool- or even school-aged (or older) when signs of the disorder become more apparent.

 

Children with ASD have a combination of two kinds of behaviors: deficits in communication and social skills, and the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviors. It’s called a spectrum because individuals with the disorder may have a wide range of symptoms, cognitive abilities, language skills and behaviors.

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The diversity of autism spectrum disorder can make it difficult to correctly diagnose. Sometimes children with ASD are mistakenly diagnosed with a different disorder, like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) oroppositional defiant disorder (ODD), or they are told that nothing is wrong. Other times kids are diagnosed with autism when they actually aren’t on the spectrum.

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