Neurodevelopmental Disorders – Diagnosis, the Clinical Image and Its Dynamics: Contemporary Questions and Directions for Exploration

The article is an attempt to analyze the contemporary results of research on neurodevelopmental disorders in order to advance the search for various diagnostic approaches, predictors of a negative course of development, and changes in the dynamics of symptoms. The authors, based on a literature review, show that different levels of susceptibility to negative events are not a simple consequence of a specific NDD diagnosis [i.e., autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or ADHD] but also depend on the interaction of genetic factors (i.e., the general phenotype of NDD, which depends on spontaneous genetic mutations or changes in the number of copies of DNA fragments) and prenatal and perinatal environmental factors.

Autism – Diagnostic Dilemmas: Between the Biology and the Symptoms

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of diagnosed cases of autism. In the case of a correctly made diagnosis, a positive effect of this phenomenon is the possibility of obtaining therapeutic intervention that is adequate for the patient. On the other hand, some researchers note the risk associated with overdiagnosis of these conditions. It is postulated that the diagnosis process should not focus only on the presence of individual symptoms, but also on understanding their meaning and the history of their occurrence. In addition, many mental, neurological and genetic disorders may have symptoms that are common to or mimic those of autism. A diagnosis of autism has specific psychological (immediate), social and financial effects, and incorrect diagnosis can delay the best intervention for the patient.

Emotional Experiences of Parents in the Process of Diagnosing a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

As the population of children who are diagnosed as being on autism spectrum grows in number, so does the interest of scientists in this subject. Specialists in various fields increasingly not only focus on the children themselves but also examine their families’ situation and functioning. By doing so, they aim to understand the family as a system. Numerous empirical studies have demonstrated that when a baby with a disability is born or when it develops in an abnormal way, this becomes a source of suffering, anxiety, grief, or hostility towards the outside world. Such a situation is viewed as a crisis, a loss, and a process of mourning; working through these experiences is difficult, requires tremendous work, and requires external support in many cases. For these reasons, this paper provides a brief overview of parents’ experiences in the process of diagnosing a child; it cites the literature on the topic and shows the different paths of these experiences.

Social and Emotional Functioning of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders – a Case Study

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are disorders with a neurodevelopmental background. Their characteristic features are stereotypical: constant and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests, as well as difficulties in social communication and interpersonal relations. Research works on adolescents with ASD show that building relationships with other people is a challenge for them because – even though they might have very good general knowledge of social principles – they have insufficiently developed skills to recognize signals in human behavior and to respond adequately to them. Moreover, these difficulties in the emotional and social spheres are initially often overlooked in children who are on the autism spectrum but function on an average or high level. The main aim of the work is to present the situation of two adolescent brothers who both present the symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome (AS). At the time of the examination, the younger boy (Wojtek) was 14 years old and had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. The older brother (Tomek) was 18 years old and had started a series of meetings with a psychologist. Both teenagers were tested with tools that assess the development of social competencies, intelligence and emotional intelligence. The conducted tests and interviews showed that the boy without a confirmed diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome had greater difficulties than his younger brother in understanding the emotions and intentions of other people. The younger brother felt much better in the interpersonal area and functioned more effectively in social situations, despite the fact that he also has intra- and interpersonal problems. Perhaps due to his timely diagnosis, the younger brother obtains more support from his family and probably also received support at key moments in his social and emotional development. The presented case study emphasizes the importance of the proper socio-emotional assessment of people in the diagnostic process. Its limitations are the lack of assessment of the boys’ mood and temperamental differences. These issues should be addressed in subsequent research.

People with autism spectrum condition (ASC) sometimes mask the features of autism, and this could be related to their level of self-esteem. The aim of the research was to show the relationship between the intensity of autistic features, camouflage and self-esteem. Polish versions of the following tools were used in the study: the Short Autism Spectrum Quotient Test (AQ-10), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire-CAT-Q. The study involved 100 adults (aged 18 to 52) who were divided into two groups based on their ASD diagnosis and empirical AQ-10 indicators: an ASD group (N1 = 41, declaration of ASD diagnosis and indicator AQ ≥ 6; 31 females, 4 males, 6 nonbinary persons, mean age = 28.71, sd = 8.86); and a non-ASD group (N2 = 48, no ASD diagnosis and indicator AQ < 6; 29 females, 17 males and nonbinary persons, mean age = 26.14, sd = 9.64). The results revealed the existence of a linear relationship between the severity of autistic traits and the use of camouflaging strategies. No linear relationship was found between self-esteem and the other variables; however, some significant differentiation was identified due to the distinguished level of self-esteem (low, medium, high).

Executive Functions in Children – Dissonance between Adult Observation and Child’s Skills

Introduction: Executive functions have been the subject of intensive research in recent years. Both questionnaire tools and experimental tasks are used to measure them. A review of the literature on the subject indicates a significant but weak relationship between these two methods of measurement. It is worth emphasizing that, in the case of children, questionnaire measurement is very prone to errors caused by differences between indirect observation by parents or teachers. Aim: The aim of this article is to increase the current knowledge of the relationship between questionnaire measures and experimental tasks. In particular, this study aims to investigate differences between the observations of parents and teachers in the assessment of working memory and inhibition in children. The relationship between experimental and questionnaire tasks is studied, and a hypothesis regarding a stronger relationship between these two methods of measurement using latent variables is verified. Study group: The study was conducted on a group of 200 children, aged 5–6, attending preschool or the first grade of primary school. Result: In the analyzed group, the differences between the answers of teachers and parents were significant, but the effect size was low. The relationship between the individual subscales was also moderate. The relationship between questionnaire measurements and experimental tasks in the study group has been confirmed by other studies. The correlation coefficient between parents’ and teachers’ assessments is significant and low, ranging from 0.19 to 0.30. Conclusions: In conclusion, the obtained results confirm the observations of other researchers: task-based and questionnaire-based measures evaluate different constructs. Questionnaires capture more global expressions of executive functions in different life contexts (home, school) over longer periods of time, while experimental tasks assess basic cognitive abilities in a more predictable and structured environment.