INTRODUCTION 

Welcome back to the DSM series. This is a continuation of our post regarding neurodevelopmental disorders. In this post, I will talk about the last four disorders in this classification that involve motor and tic disorders.

I will not write about Autism Spectrum Disorder or ADHD as those will be a separate post. You can read the post on ADHD here. 

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The other Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Specific Learning Disorder presents as difficulties in learning and using academic skills. This can look like:

• Difficulty sounding out words
• Difficulty understanding the meaning of what is read
• Difficulty spelling
• Making multiple grammatical or punctuation mistakes
• Issues understanding math

These difficulties must be well below what is expected for an individual’s age. 

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Motor Disorders

There are three motor disorders listed in the DSM: developmental coordination disorder, stereotypic movement disorder and tic disorder.

Developmental Coordination Disorder looks like significant clumsiness and difficulty with motor skills such as writing or catching an object. These issues begin around the early development period and make it difficult to perform everyday functions. 

Stereotypic Movement Disorder is seen as a repetitive motion such as body rocking, head banging, self-biting, etc. This one can be hard to diagnose at an early age due to some movements being pretty common in infancy and early childhood. 

Tic Disorders are divided into three subtypes: Tourette’s, Persistent (Chronic) Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder, and Provisional Tic Disorder

Tourette’s disorder shows as someone with multiple motor and one or more vocal tics that have occurred for at least 1 year. These must occur before the age of 18.

Persistent Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder means a person has either or but not both.

Provisional Tic Disorder means the person can have either but the tics have only been occurring for less than a year.

How to get a diagnosis

If you think you or a loved one has a neurodevelopmental disorder, reach out for help. Either go to your primary care provider or a mental health professional. They can gather information and help you reach a conclusion and find resources. 

There is no cure for most mental health diagnoses, just ways to manage them. 

CONCLUSION

There you have it! This concludes our section on Neurodevelopmental disorders. Next up, Psychotic Disorders. 

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Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Seasonal Affective Disorder