Tic Disorders
Tic Disorders BACKGROUND Tics are sudden, repetitive movements and vocalizations that typically are brief but occur in bouts. For example, blinking, nose twitching, and rapid jerking of any part of…
Childhood Schizophrenia and Childhood Psychosis
Childhood Schizophrenia and Childhood Psychosis BACKGROUND Interest in psychotic disorders in childhood is a relatively recent historical phenomenon. As commonly used, the term psychotic can itself be problematic given the…
Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
Depressive and Bipolar Disorders BACKGROUND Although described in adults since antiquity, depressive disorders were only recognized in children beginning in the 1980s. Until that time, it was assumed, largely for…
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder BACKGROUND Metaphors used to describe the human brain, such as that of a highly efficient computer, often convey an image of impeccable organization and control. Yet the thoughts,…
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders BACKGROUND Human beings, like all other organisms, are equipped with systems for the detection of potentially harmful stimuli and for differentiating between that which is harmful and that…
Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorders
Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorders For developing children, the abilities to learn self-control and to modulate aggressive impulses are important developmental tasks. This learning is fostered by the social contexts…
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder BACKGROUND Children with difficulties in attention and impulsivity have been recognized since the mid-1800s when compulsory school attendance became the rule. The 19th-century book Struwwelpeter, a “morality” book…
Learning Disabilities and Developmental Coordination Disorder
Learning Disabilities and Developmental Coordination Disorder LEARNING DISABILITIES BACKGROUND Interest in what now are termed the learning disabilities began in the 19th century with the increased emphasis on universal public…
Disorders of Communication and Language
Disorders of Communication and Language BACKGROUND The ability to communicate at a very high level by a wide range of modalities—including spoken language, facial expression, tone of voice, and gesture—is…
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder BACKGROUND Leo Kanner’s (1943) first explicit description of the syndrome of early infantile autism remains a “classic.” He described 11 children who had two common features: “autism”…
