Interactive Simulation:

Childhood Disorders
Begin exploring disorders here!

Continue to background information…

 Conclusion
Common Disorders
This simulation will allow you to explore behaviors of children with the disorders as listed.
Click on any of the names of the disorder below to explore this simulation!

Disorders Definition
One of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood that is typically diagnosed early in
Attention-Deficient/Hyperactivity
childhood and may last to adulthood. Includes trouble paying attention, trouble controlling impulsive behaviors,
Disorder (ADHD) and may be hyperactive (overly active).

A neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person's ability to interact in social environments, communicate
thoughts and feelings and behavior. It will typically be diagnosed in childhood, and it will be present before the
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) age of three. As stated by spectrum, a wide variety of disorders will fall under this category, such as the
common Asperger syndrome, of which they will typically be used as an indicator for ASD.

Conduct Disorder (CD)
Major Depressive Disorder
(MDD)
A pattern of behavior in which a child will repeatedly do things to harm others or break social norms and rules.
Those diagnosed will intentionally hurt people or animals and go out of their way to create chaos. Some will
even exhibit unemotional traits.
Mood disorder common in adolescents and causes the person persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interests.
This will typically affect the way the person feels and thinks and lead to a variety of emotional and physical
issues. 

Oppositional Defient Disorder A behavioral disorder in which the person may have frequent and persistent pattern of anger, irritability,
(ODD) arguing, defiance, or vindictiveness toward people (especially authorities). 

References
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ADHD
One of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in
childhood that is typically diagnosed early in childhood and
may last to adulthood. Includes trouble paying attention,
trouble controlling impulsive behaviors, and may be
hyperactive (overly active).
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History Abnormal Behaviors

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History

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 More than 5 million children between the ages 4 and 17 in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD.
 The first document case was in 1798 by a Scottish doctor names Sir Alexander Crichton and details a
person easily distracted and unable to focus on their activities (childhood onset).
 First included in the DSM-2 in 1968 as a hyperkinetic reaction.
 DSM-3 changed it to ADD with and without hyperactivity.
 DSM-4 changes to include three types: mostly inattentive, mostly hyperactive and impulsive.
 Mostly affected by genetics, but medication like amphetamines, atomoxetine, and guanfacine are
improving treatment(s).

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02
Abnormal Behaviors

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 Return to Men Solve this problem:
It’s flu season. To rule out
u the flu you plan to swab
her throat and run a test. To
get her attention you…
An 8-year-old walks into the clinic with her
parent. Her documentation details an existing
disorder: severely hyperactive, ADHD. From
the start, it is evident she’s come down with an
illness. While she behaves well, she is often Distract her with a story
distracted with the things in the room and does
not sit still enough for you to exam her. Her
guardian isn’t much help as they don’t make an Offer her candy
effort to get her to sit still. As a health
professional, what can you do to calm her
down long enough to exam her? Ask her a question about her
school life

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Return to Men You chose: Distract her with a story
u

You attempt to distract her with a

funny story about carrots. While
she may not be listening attentively,
she finds it funny and laughs out
loud. Her mouth it open wide
enough and long enough for you to
swab a throat sample.

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Return to Men You chose: Offer her candy
u

Her guardian encourages her to

take the piece of candy and the girl
is even more ecstatic to receive the
candy. You ask her to wait until
after you examine her eating the
candy, but she gets distracted and
doesn’t hear you. She ends up
starting to eat the candy and you
ended up taking the candy away
until after the examination
concluded.

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Return to Men You chose: Ask her a question about her school life
u

She starts chattering away about

her social life and how school is for
her. In the middle of the story, you
ask her to open her mouth, but she
gets distracted and starts talking
again. You keep reminding her to
open her mouth and eventually you
are able to get a successful swab.

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ASD
A neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person's ability to
interact in social environments, communicate thoughts and
feelings and behavior. It will typically be diagnosed in
childhood, and it will be present before the age of three. As
stated by spectrum, a wide variety of disorders will fall under
this category, such as the common Asperger syndrome, of
which they will typically be used as an indicator for ASD.
Click on the below bubble icons to see a more detailed explanation.

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History Abnormal Behaviors

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History

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 Early cases of ASD were seen as a type of childhood schizophrenia and a result of cold parenting
(DSM-2).
 In the 1990s-2000s, in the DSM-4, Autism (a recently accepted disorder) was termed on a spectrum,
serving a wide range of impairments including Asperger Syndrome.
 There is no single cause or symptom, but environmental factors such as viral infections, and genetic
factors such as the X syndrome, are large contributors to ASD.
 Leo Kanner, an Austrian-American psychiatrist and physician first described autism in 1943, but
noted some children were often intelligent or had extraordinary memory.

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02
Abnormal Behaviors

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 Return to Men Solve this problem:
To complete the routine
u checkup, you need to make
enough time to look into
the ear. You…
A 6-year-old walks into the clinic with his
parents. You’ve known this child since he was
an infant. He was diagnosed with mild-Autism
at age 3, but he has a hard time Ask the parent to hold down the
communicating. You need to do a routine
child
checkup on him, but you notice an ear
infection. You want to do a more thorough
investigation on his ear infection. However, Offer him candy
unlike previous checkups, he starts to throw a
big tantrum- not limited to screaming, crying
and kicking. Wait for the child to calm down
and stop crying

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Return to Men You chose: Ask the parent to hold down the child
u

The parents are shaken by the

unusual actions of the child
because he usually behaves at the
clinic and even enjoys being with
the doctors. However, the parents
are willing to hold the child down
and with their assistance, you can
evaluate the ear infection.

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Return to Men You chose: Offer him candy
u

He does not respond to the candy

offer because he is preoccupied
with crying and throwing a fit. You
step out of the room and come
back with a lollipop, but he doesn’t
see the candy. Eventually, he stops
crying for a second to grab the
candy, but soon resumes his
tantrum once you try to approach
him.

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Return to Men You chose: Wait for the child to calm down and
u stop crying

The child continues to cry so you

step out of the room to give the
family space and time to calm
down. In the meantime, you visit
another patient. You come back
and the child has calmed but he is
still wary of you. He’s tired from
crying and although he still fights
back, you’re able to look at his
infection.

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CD
A pattern of behavior in which a child will repeatedly do things
to harm others or break social norms and rules. Those
diagnosed will intentionally hurt people or animals and go out
of their way to create chaos. Some will even exhibit
unemotional traits.
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History Abnormal Behaviors

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 1968 was first used in the DSM-3 in which it was first distinguished from ADHD, ODD, and non-
specific disruptive behavior disorder.
 Causes of CD seems to be biological/genetic and environmental risk factors such as poor family
relationships and disrupted families.
 Impairments in the brain is responsible for much of the impulse control, behavior regulation, and
emotional regulation.
 Boys are twice as likely to have CD than girls.

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Abnormal Behaviors

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 Return to Men Solve this problem:
To complete the routine
u checkup, you have to get
over your fear of his past
actions. You…
A 14-year-old walks into the clinic with his
parent. You’ve had him once before and he
turned out to be a troublemaker. You found out
afterwards that he had a conduct disorder, so Ask his parents to calm him
your assistant prepared the patient room down
without objects that could be used for harm.
You’re still wary and worried about his past
actions, but you need to complete his checkup. Talk softly to him until he responds
Right off the bat he starts fighting and searches gently
the room for things to throw.
Ask his parents to hold him
down

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Return to Men You chose: Ask the parents to calm him down
u

His parents make an attempt to

calm him down, but due to his
disorder, he can’t control his actions
well. Doing the best you can, you
examine his condition and record
his measurements, even with him
fighting back.

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Return to Men You chose: Talk softly to him until he responds
u gently

You start talking to him gently and

naturally he responds with a slightly
gentler. However, his condition
makes hi impulsive and he can’t
control his actions, so he continues
to make trouble. Doing the best you
can, you examine him as he fights
back.

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Return to Men You chose: Ask his parent to hold him down
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His parents agree to hold him down

and although he kicks and
screams, you’re able to gather a lot
of information as his movement is
restricted.

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MDD
Mood disorder common in adolescents and causes the person
persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interests. This will
typically affect the way the person feels and thinks and lead to a
variety of emotional and physical issues. 
Click on the below bubble icons to see a more detailed explanation.

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History Abnormal Behaviors

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History

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 Earliest accounts of depression appeared in the second millennium B.C.E. in Mesopotamia, and
Ancient Greek and Rome.
 1895, German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin became the first to distinguish manic depression and
bipolar disorder.
 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) was first introduced by clinicians in the U.S. during the 1970s.
 Showed up in the DSM-3 in the 1980s and was updated until the current edition, DSM-5.
 Genetics can play a factor in the way people cope with stressors (leading to depression), MDD is
mostly induced by social and environmental factors.
 Awareness has grown exponentially in recent years, but not treatments.

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Abnormal Behaviors

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 Return to Men Solve this problem:
u You are doing a routine
checkup on her. You..

A 16-year-old walks into the clinic with her

parent. You’ve worked with this patient in the
past, but because of COVID-19, you haven’t
seen her in person for two years. Meeting her Talk cheerfully as you check in
again, she seems different from normal; she is on her
quieter, and dispirited. She tells you she’s been
clinically diagnosed with Major Depressive
Disorder. Let her tell you about her life
and recent troubles

Refer her to a therapist after

her examination

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Return to Men You chose: Talk cheerfully as you check in on her
u

She appreciates the cheerful

atmosphere you create. She
reflects your cheerfulness and
responds slightly more positive.
However, when she leaves the
clinic, she’s still the same as when
she entered.

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Return to Men You chose: Let her tell you about her life and
u recent troubles

You ask her about her life and how

she feels recently. You permit her to
rant to you and although hesitant as
first, she starts to blurt out
everything she’s been holding in.
Although only for a mere second,
she seemed relief to get all her
troubles off her chest.

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Return to Men You chose: Refer her to a therapist after her
u examination

After you finish her checkup, you

refer her to a therapist and
recommend she get some help.
She resists your offer at first and is
even offended. However, after
talking it through some more, she
accepted the idea that help might
be beneficial and agrees to see a
therapist.

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ODD
A behavioral disorder in which the person may have frequent
and persistent pattern of anger, irritability, arguing, defiance, or
vindictiveness toward people (especially authorities). 
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History Abnormal Behaviors

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 Not much information about the history of ODD.

 Majority of people with ODD are diagnosed with the disorder in childhood and will develop a stable
pattern of behavior.
 Typically comes with ADHD, CD, anxiety, and depression.

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Abnormal Behaviors

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 Return to Men Solve this problem:
u You need enough time to
swab his throat. You…

A 17-year-old walks into the clinic with his

parent. He seems irritated and angry. His
guardian claims he’s mad because he lost a
game two hours before the appointment. You You offer him a piece of candy
heard he had a mild case of oppositional if he behaves
defiant disorder, but you personally haven’t
experienced it, even after treating him three
times. His guardian suspects he has strep and You get his parent to hold him
wants to test him. He is still irritated and won’t down.
let any doctor near him.
You take time to converse and
calm him

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Return to Men You chose: You offer him a piece of candy if he
u behaves

He takes he candy but he’s still

irritated. He lets you look at him for
a minute before he goes back to
being angry and resistant.

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Return to Men You chose: You get his parent to hold him down
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His parent holds him down despite

his inappropriate outbursts. You
were able to fully examine him and
determine he was positive for strep.

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Return to Men You chose: You take time to converse and calm him
u

He calms down after a conversation

and his prolonged anger subsides
for a few minutes. He lets you test
him. His test comes back positive
for strep. He leaves the clinic
irritated, but much better than when
he entered.

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Background
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DSM-5 Stigma
Understand what the DSM-5 is and Understand how stigma around
how it impacts the process of disorders affected the treatment
diagnosing disorders. available to children with disorders.

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 DSM-V
What is the DSM-V?
● The DSM-5, otherwise known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of
Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition is comprised of currently accepted disorders and
the criteria for meeting them.
● The DSM-5 was published by The American Psychiatric Association (APA), but
there were 4 versions before the fifth.
● The manuel is continuously updating as culture, societal norms and research
changes.
● The purpose of this was create a resource and standard of which healthcare
providers could use to diagnose various disorders.
How could the DSM-5 have affected disorders to this day?
● As the DSM updates, the likelihood of the definition or requirements for a
disorder expanding to a wider range of symptoms is increasingly likely.
● This may explain increasing rates of disorder diagnosis in recent years.

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 Stigma
In the past, abnormal behaviors and especially disorders would be considered a work of
the devil. Throughout the years, doctors began to understand some people were born with
disorders, or they were a result of a traumatic event/other natural occurrences. With a
greater understanding, treatment options such as therapy became more available and
widely accepted in society. However, despite this, the stigma in being different remains.
Even with the newest generations being the most open-minded, most people are still
unaware of the disabilities disorders generate and how to react to unfamiliar situations.
Unless a person is familiar with someone who has a disorder in real life, it is unlikely
they’ll be completely comfortable in encountering a person with abnormalities for the first
time.

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Conclusion
There’s not a sure answer on what to do, but there are various ways a healthcare
professional can approach the situation as a start in approaching the problem. The
above situations are commonplace incidents that are likely to occur in a clinic and
the options are good examples of what to do. It is also important to not that health
isn’t just a physical feature. Both mind and body must be treated.
The main rule is to treat children with disorders as any other children, but in some
cases, they’ll need more care, attention and patience. As long a healthcare provider
does their best to follow professional rules, core values, and they do their best to
treat their patient with respect, a good outcome will be expected. Professionals can
also prepare by taking sharp and hard objects out of rooms expecting children with
disorders to protect both the patient, parent and doctor.

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References
● Bailey, Aubrey. “An Overview of the DSM-5.” Verywell Health, Verywell
Health, 7 June 2022, https://www.verywellhealth.com/an-overview-of-the-dsm-
5-5197607.
● “DSM.” Psychiatry.org - DSM,
https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm.

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