This essay will examine the abnormalities and influences of environmental and hereditary effects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
1.1
Social norms consider behaviour to be abnormal if it differentiates substantially from accepted social standards or values. Norms are spoken and unspoken rules of proper conduct. These are established by a society over time and, are subject to changes over time. [Getzfeld, 2006]
Another definition of abnormality is, the maladaptive perspective which views behaviour as abnormal if it interferes with the individual’s ability to function in everyday life or society; In other words, are they able to work, take care of themselves and have normal social interactions. [Getzfeld, 2006]
The problem with these two definitions is that, social normality depends on a society’s culture, age and historical time period. Therefore, it is not possible to entirely know whether a person’s behaviour is unusual or out of the ordinary because to their culture or age group, their behaviour may be deemed as normal.
1.2
Two methods used to provide diagnosis for ADHD and Autism are DSM-5 and ICD-10. Diagnosis for ADHD as deemed by DSM-5 Classification, is where an individual displays a combined presentation of being inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive. Whereas an individual with ASD may have an intellectual or language impairment, additional known medical conditions or environmental factors, and is associated with another neurodevelopmental, mental or behavioural disorder such as ADHD though it is not on the Autism Spectrum. [American Psychiatric Association, 2016]
The method of diagnosis used by ICD 10 stems from three specific behaviours, Reciprocal social interactions, Communication, and restrictive, stereotyped, repetitive behaviour.
Most individuals with autism lack spontaneity, initiative and organisation of their leisure time and have difficulty applying conceptualisations in decision making in work. Developmental abnormalities must have been present in the first three years for the diagnosis to be mad, however, the syndrome can be diagnosed in all age groups.
[World Health Organisation, 1992]
2.1
ADHD is a long-standing condition marked by three specific behavioural types; persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and sometimes impulsivity. Symptoms of ADHD can differ from person to person. This disorder begins during childhood and often lasts into adulthood. [Bhandari, 2017]
Autism is a spectrum disorder and is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them. Many autistic people share similar symptoms though, being autistic will affect them in different ways. For example, some autistic people have learning disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions, meaning people require different levels of support. [The National Autistic Society, 2017]
One way of diagnosing patients is through a classification of disorders known as pervasive development disorders (PDD). The syndromes listed under PDD are varied yet evidently similar. The symptomatology of disorders such as Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS (pervasive development disorder- not otherwise specified) and ADHD closely resemble one another, to the extent that doctors and researchers have held to a firm criteria for determining each disorder. [Kennedy, 2002]
2.2
Evidence indicates that autism is roughly 90% inheritable, it is commonly recognised that parents with Asperger’s syndrome or Autism will produce descendants of the disorder. Additionally, research suggests that unaffected family members may share with the affected family member genes that predispose them to milder behaviour characteristics that are similar to those of Autism. [Kennedy 2002]
Like Autism, ADHD can be inherited. Parents with ADHD are likely to produce children with ADHD. Studies have identified the most common etiology to be hereditary and revealed that 75% of the statistical variance between those with ADHD and normative samples can be attributed to genetic factors. [Kennedy 2002]
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS – AUTISM
the environmental factors that research most strongly links to autism are influences such as maternal infection during pregnancy (especially rubella), birth complications (especially those involving oxygen deprivation), and parental age at time of conception (dad as well as mom). Parents who wait less than one year between pregnancies may be at a slightly higher risk for having a child with autism. (Conversely, there is strong evidence that mothers who take prenatal vitamins before conceiving reduce the odds that their children will develop autism.)
Clearly, countless fetuses and babies are exposed to “environmental risk factors” such as these without ever developing autism. But if a child is genetically predisposed to autism, it appears that these influences further increase the risk. For this reason, we say that environmental factors increase the risk of autism rather than cause it.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS – ADHD
https://adhd-institute.com/burden-of-adhd/aetiology/environmental-risk-factors/
3.1 Critically evaluate the impact of cultural differences on the diagnosis and manifestation of ADHD and Autism
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/how-cultural-differences-affect-autism-diagnoses/