Neurodevelopmental Diagnoses

Below is some information about neurodevelopmental diagnoses that are considered neurodivergent.

It's common for children with neurodevelopmental diagnoses to experience more than one type of neurodivergence, for example autism and dyslexia, or ADHD, developmental coordination disorder and dyscalculia etc. 

All children will need individualised support to meet their individual needs. 

• Autism

  Autism can be known by other terms such as autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) & autistic spectrum condition (ASC), or Asperger's syndrome which is no longer used as a diagnostic term.

  Autistic people will typically experience differences in the following areas:

  • Social communication and social interaction differences
  • Repetitive and restrictive behaviour
  • Over or under sensory sensitivity
  • Highly focused interests

  The features of autism cover a broad range of strengths and differences in these areas which vary from person to person and across genders. 

  These differences may present differently over time but would have been present since childhood and impact the young person across environments, for example at home and school (however some young people may develop an ability to mask differences within certain environments). 

  Find out more about autism here

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterised by differences in 3 main areas which have been present from childhood and occur across all settings, at home and in school:

  • Hyperactivity, for example inability to sit still, constant fidgeting and excessive talking. 
  • Inattention, for example struggling to concentrate, staying on task or being forgetful. 
  • Impulsivity, for example speaking before thinking, finding it difficult to wait their turn and risk-taking behaviour. 

  The features of ADHD cover a range of strengths and differences in these areas which vary from person to person and can present differently across genders.

  Find out more about ADHD

• Brain Injury

  An acquired brain injury describes an injury to a child's brain after birth, after a period of typical development. 

  Children may acquire a brain injury from any of the following events:

  • Traumatic injury - falls, road accidents, sports injuries etc
  • Illness - such as a stroke, brain tumour or epilepsy
  • Infections - such as meningitis or encephalitis
  • Medical procedures - Such as brain surgery, the effect of drugs or radiation therapy

  Many children affected by an acquired brain injury may have a mixed set of difficulties which could include mental health or developmental delay issues. 

• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

  Developmental coordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, affects movement and physical coordination. This includes differences in planning and executing physical actions which can be apparent from a young age. You may notice children:

  • Have delayed developmental milestones such as walking, crawling and getting dressed
  • Have difficulties playing sports
  • Encounter difficulties with drawing and writing
  • May find keeping still a challenge
  • Can bump into things, fall over and appear clumsy more frequently
    
    

  Additional differences can include:

  • Difficulty picking up new skills
  • Issues with time management and organisation
  • Poor memory
  • Being unable to participate or function in social gatherings
  • Difficulty grasping small objects

  Find out more about developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and dyspraxia

• Developmental Language Delay (DLD)

  Developmental language disorder affects learning, understanding and using language. Young people may need support with:

  • Expressing ideas
  • Following instructions
  • Reading and writing
  • Friendships and play

• Dyscalculia

  Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers. It affects:

  • Recognising numbers
  • Learning to count
  • Pattern recognition
  • Telling the time

  Find out more about specific learning difficulties here

• Dysgraphia

  Dysgraphia is a specific learning disorder. It relates to differences in putting thoughts down into writing on paper. It affects:

  • Spelling 
  • Punctuation
  • Grammar
  • Handwriting

  Find out more about specific learning difficulties here

• Dyslexia

  Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder. This means a child may have differences in developing language and making sense of it, primarily differences in reading, writing and spelling. It can also create barriers to information processing, which can affect:

  • Processing and remembering information they see and hear
  • Learning new skills, particularly literacy
  • Organisational skills

  Children and young people may have differences linking letters on the page of a book with their verbal language. 

  Find out more about dyslexia

• Epilepsy

  Epilepsy is a condition where electrical signals in the brain become scrambled and there are sometimes sudden bursts of electrical activity. These show up as seizures which can look like:

  • Uncontrollable jerking or shaking, called a fit
  • Losing awareness and staring blankly into space
  • Becoming stiff
  • Strange sensations, such as a rising feeling in the tummy, unusual smells and tastes or a tingling feeling in the arms and legs
  • Collapsing

  Epilepsy is a lifelong condition which children can be born with, or develop through an acquired brain injury (ABI).

• Learning Disability

  A learning disability is different to a specific learning disorder, like dyslexia. 

  A child with a learning disability finds it much more difficult to learn, to understand and to do things compared to other children of the same age.

  When a child is under 5 years old, these differences in development can be described as global developmental delay. With support and intervention, some children might go on to meet their developmental milestones, while others may go on to receive a diagnosis of learning disability.

  Find out more about global developmental delay
  
  

  There are two key aspects to having a diagnosis of a learning disability, these are:

  • Low intellectual functioning
  • Differences in daily life skills

  Find out more about learning disability

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where children have obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. For example:

  • An obsession is an unwanted or unpleasant thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters your mind, causing feelings of anxiety or unease. These can sometimes be called intrusive thoughts. 
  • A compulsion is a repetitive behaviour that you feel you need to do to relieve unpleasant feelings temporarily.

  OCD can affect men, women and children. People can start having symptoms from as early as 6 years old, but it often begins around puberty and early adulthood.

  Repetitive behaviours can be common while young children under 5 years old develop and grow. In some cases, these behaviours may pass after a short time, while in others they may persist.
  
  Repetitive behaviours can be a characteristic of different neurodivergent conditions, so if you are concerned, it's advisable to see your family GP for advice.

  Find out more about OCD here

• Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

  Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is recognised as part of the autism spectrum. It is considered a profile of autism, not a stand-alone diagnosis.

  PDA is a range of behaviours where a child seeks to avoid a seemingly reasonable request because it triggers anxiety. 

  • Pathological - means the demand-avoiding behaviour has an extreme effect on a child
  • Demand - means any demand, whether it be direct, indirect, or based on a feeling, like 'I ought to...' 
  • Avoidance - means that a child will not be able to do what is asked of them. They cannot, rather than do not want to complete the task 

  Typical characteristics of PDA include:

  • Resisting and avoiding everyday demands
  • An overwhelming need to be in control and avoid being controlled by others

  Find out more about PDA

• Tourette's Syndrome

  Tourette's syndrome is a neurological condition which causes fast, repetitive muscle movements that lead to sudden body jerks or sounds called tics. 

  Different types of movement tics include:

  • Eye blinking
  • Head, neck and limb jerks
  • Hitting and kicking
  • Falling to the ground
    
    

  Vocal tics might include:

  • Throat clearing or coughing
  • Sniffing or grunting
  • Animal sounds
  • Swearing
  • Singing
  • Repetitive words or phrases

  Find out more about Tourette's syndrome here