Discussion Assignment

Part 1:

The presenting symptoms or functioning skills can at times be representative of different disorders. For example, both IDD and dementia describe significant deficits in everyday functioning. Behavior disorders from an everyday point of view are also a difficult area to define. One of the challenges with evaluating children is the influence of several factors such as social, cognitive, and motor development as well as environmental factors.

• Describe the diagnostic criteria for IDD and dementia based on the current DSM. Explain the major differences between the two disorders. Describe some of the ways in which a person may be diagnosed with IDD. Describe some of the ways a person may be diagnosed with dementia.
• Describe the main types of behavior disorders in children and explain how these disorders can be differentiated from a child that may be exhibiting disruptive behaviors for other reasons.

Part 2:

Somatic symptom disorder has a long history. Sigmund Freud described a case of Anna, who displayed several physical conditions (e.g., pain, dizziness, numbness, and visual disturbances) with no apparent medical cause. Also, schizophrenia is not actually one single disorder but a spectrum of disorders that fall along a continuum of symptoms and functioning levels.

• Describe the differences between somatic symptom and psychosomatic disorders. Explain the relationship between somatic symptom and dissociative disorders.
• Describe the basic criteria for schizophrenia based on the current DSM criteria. Explain the differences between negative and positive symptoms.
• Explain the prognosis of an individual diagnosed with schizophrenia based on age and gender factors.