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Panic Attack | Panic Disorder | Paracognitive | Pathological Gambling Disorder | Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) | Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD NOS) | Phonologic Disorder | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | Pragmatic Language Disorder | Primary Sleep Disorder | Problem Solving Disorder | Psychosis | Pyromania | Rett's Syndrome | Risk and Stress Factors
Panic Attack
The term used for a condition where an individual experiences brief irrational episodes of fear that is perceived as so real that the individual is often driven to escape from the place or situation where it occurs. The attack is sudden and increases in severity until it leaves, usually within ten minutes. Panic Attack symptoms are numerous and involve both mental and physical signs and symptoms. A Panic Attack can occur in other anxiety states. It may be associated with and without Agoraphobia and with certain activities and places. It may occur spontaneously without an apparent cause. See Validation Statement.
Panic Disorder
The term used for a condition where an individual has recurrent and unexpected Panic Attacks and worries a great deal of the time about having an attack. The individual may also have persistent concern or fear that a panic attack might cause unrelated health problems or a demonstrable change in usual behavior. The symptoms of a Panic Disorder must be present for at least one month to entertain the diagnosis. See Validation Statement.
Paracognitive Disorders
The Term used for a mental exercise that is an adjunct to an individual's learning power or basic intelligence. Memory, Visual Spatial, Visual Motor, etc. are paracognitive factors listed on the ABLE Inventory. These are frequently found to be faulty in learning disorders and are of a neuropsychiatric origin. See Validation Statement and Functional Disorders
Pathological Gambling Disorder
The term used for a condition where an individual is obsessed with gambling even to the point where there is delinquency as well as the loss of social, financial and educational stature. The condition is recurrent and self-sustaining. Mania should be ruled out. See Validation Statement, Juvenile Mania and Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorder.
Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)
The term used for a condition where individuals have complex and often severe problems involving one or more skills associated with socialization, communication and repetitive non-productive mannerisms (sterotypies). There are subtypes of the disorder that include: Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Rett's Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder are included but could better be considered as falling into disorders associated with Neurodevelopmental Retardation. Pervasive Developmental Disorder is sometimes referred to as Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
The ABLE Series of Developmental Inventories has elicited Pervasive Developmental Disorder in older children who have had psycho social and developmental problems for years but who have never been regarded as having the disorder. It is possible these children do have a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, but one should he highly suspicious of a developing Psychosis, Schizophrenia or a severe Adjustment Disorder associated with their chronic problem. There has also been evidence that when a child scores higher on repetitive and compulsive activities (see PDD bar graph), one should consider an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Disordered communication skills are somewhat common in the Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Children with Asperger's Disorder readily communicate but have poor social language (pragmatic language) skills. In Autistic Disorder children communicate little and usually only on their terms. Children who have real communication disorders involving language, usually can communicate in some way even though it is sometimes difficult. See Validation Statement, Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Rett's Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Communication Disorder including Pragmatic Language Disorder.
Go to ABLE Resource Room for an article on Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD NOS)
A vague diagnostic category where many of the signs of Pervasive Developmental Disorder are noted but do not meet the criteria for a specific diagnosis. One affected individual may be eccentric while another may be obviously handicapped. The symptoms are the same as for Autistic Disorder but not quite to the same degree. If there are very few communication problems, or if the individual has a problem with pragmatic language then the affected individual may have Asperger's Disorder and not PDD NOS.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM IV), American Psychiatric Association excludes Aspergers Disorder if there are indications for communicative problems and yet some of the communicative problems listed for Autistic Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder NOS are noted in Asperger's Disorder. The ABLE Report will designate a disorder Asperger's Disorder if there are are indicants to support a Pragmatic Language Disorder and a weak indication for a general communicative disorder. Otherwise, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified will be judged potentially valid.
See Validation Statement, Asperger's Disorder, Pragmatic Language Disorder, Autistic Disorder and more on Pervasive Developmental Disorder
.Phonologic Disorder
The term used for a disorder where an individual fails to use spoken sounds at a developmentally appropriate level. An inadequate phonologic ability is considered by many as the basis for inadequate reading skills. See Validation Statement.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
The term used for a condition where an individual develops symptoms following an event that involves real and extreme danger and is associated with intense fear, disorganization, restlessness or agitation. The event may be vividly remembered, dreamed about, relived, distressful and produce symptoms of fear. The affected individual represses the event and develops symptoms and signs associated with an oppressive mood. The affected individual has many symptoms associated with anxiety especially signs of increased diligence. The disorder may be acute, chronic and delayed. Symptoms must be present for more than one month. See Validation Statement.
Pragmatic Language Disorder
See Developmental Language Disorders (Communication)
Primary Sleep Disorder
The term used for a condition where an individual has difficulty going to sleep, remaining asleep through the night, awakening with a rejuvenated feeling and appropriately remaining awake during the day. A Primary Sleep Disorder should not include another mental disorder; substance induced disorder or a general medical condition. Sleep disorders are varied and complex, often presenting a spectrum of sleep deprivation at one end to excessive sleep on the other. Disorders of sleep are found in numerous mental disorders and a Primary Sleep Disorder should be considered after other disorders have been rejected unless the treatment of the disorders do not relieve the sleep problem. See Validation Statement.
Problem Solving Disorder
The term used for a disorder where an individual has difficulty using previously learned experiences to arrive at a solution for a new problem. While the new problem has not been experienced per se, the individual should, at an appropriate developmental level, be capable of using learned experiences to solve the problem.
Problem solving is a higher form of cognitive function. See Validation Statement, Neurodevelopmental Delay and Neurodevelopmental Retardation.
Psychosis
A general term used for a severe mental condition where an individual does not think clearly, has disordered affective behavior and a loss of reality to such a degree that the individual cannot meet the ordinary demands of everyday life.
A psychotic episode can occur as a complication for another specific mental disorder. For example, Bipolar Disorder, etc.
A psychosis can be permanent or transient but it is an extremely serious condition and should be treated promptly. See Validation Statement, Affect Disorder, Neurodevelopmental Retardation, Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Schizophrenia.
Pyromania
The term used for a rare condition where an individual is fascinated with and deliberately sets fires, usually to relieve psychic tension or receive gratification. The fascination with fires is done only for the above purpose and one should first consider criminal activity and other psycho social disorders where the diagnosis is made. See Validation Statement, Conduct Disorder, Juvenile Mania, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorder.
Rett's Syndrome
A devastating form of Pervasive Developmental Disorder most often diagnosed in females where there is an apparently normal early infancy. The disorder begins with a declining head size (microcephaly) and a loss of hand coordination followed by dramatic stereotypical behaviors along with profound psychomotor retardation. Improvement occurs in some with age, but the individual, as a rule, is permanently disabled. See Validation Statement, Neurodevelopmental Retardation and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.
Risk and Stress Factors
The ABLE Report includes common factors that often cause stress for an individual. The factors are supported by mental health literature and while they are not a specific disorder in and of themselves, they do not represent situations that act as a catalyst for other developmental health problems to emerge. Some factors are signals that are frequently noted in individuals who are at risk for mental health problems. Risk and Stress factors are divided into three groups:
Family and Environmental
Health and Education
Emotional and Behavioral
Each risk factor speaks for itself and offers an opportunity for an interviewer, parent, physician, and counselor to explore an individual's environmental, historical and genetic predisposition for common emotional disorders seen in childhood. Risk and Stress Factors are often the cause for therapeutic failure.
See Validation Statement and Adjustment Disorder.
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