CMN 554 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE: CHILD & ADOLESCENT
DISORDERS | QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - ANS ✔✔onset by 18-24 months; core deficits in social reciprocity,
communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors; first-line: early intensive Applied Behavior Analysis
(ABA).
Speech & Language Disorders - ANS ✔✔persistent difficulty in acquisition or expression of language.
Differentiate stuttering (speech fluency) from language disorder (vocabulary/grammar deficits).
Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder - ANS ✔✔most frequent co-morbid diagnosis is ADHD —
screen attention & executive function in every case.
Intellectual Disabilities - ANS ✔✔global deficits in intellectual & adaptive functioning; screen thyroid &
cardiac in Down syndrome.
ADHD - ANS ✔✔frontostriatal hypoactivation; dopamine & norepinephrine underactive. DSM-5: ≥ 6
symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity for ≥ 6 mo, onset < 12 y, impairment in ≥ 2
settings. First-line tx: stimulants (methylphenidate/amphetamine); monitor BP, HR, growth.
Non-stimulants: atomoxetine, guanfacine XR.
Chronic tics/Tourette's with ADHD - ANS ✔✔start an α-2 agonist (guanfacine or clonidine) before a
stimulant to avoid tic worsening.
ODD vs Conduct Disorder - ANS ✔✔ODD—angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant, vindictive;
Conduct—repetitive rights violations (aggression, theft, deceit, serious rule infractions).
Tourette's Disorder - ANS ✔✔multiple motor + ≥ 1 vocal tic > 1 y, onset < 18 y; first-line habit-reversal
training; meds (guanfacine, clonidine, aripiprazole) if functionally impairing.
Developmental Coordination Disorder - ANS ✔✔clumsiness, slow/inaccurate motor skills; OT/PT key;
often comorbid ADHD.
Specific Learning Disorders - ANS ✔✔persistent difficulty in reading, writing, or math for ≥ 6 mo despite
intervention; needs psycho-ed testing.
Piaget milestones - ANS ✔✔7-11 y concrete operational, conservation.
Erikson milestones - ANS ✔✔industry vs inferiority, 6-12 y.
Alcohol - ANS ✔✔standard US drink ≈ 10-12 g ethanol; BAL > 300 mg/dL risks coma. Withdrawal peaks
day 2; CIWA-Ar.
,Wernicke vs Korsakoff - ANS ✔✔Wernicke (ataxia + ocular + confusion) vs Korsakoff (anterograde
amnesia, confabulation) - both thiamine-responsive.
AUD meds - ANS ✔✔naltrexone (first-line, cuts reward), acamprosate (glutamate/GABA balance; avoid in
severe renal), disulfiram (aversive).
Opioid Use Disorder - ANS ✔✔MAT—buprenorphine, methadone, or XR-naltrexone. Naloxone 0.4-2 mg
IV for overdose.
Stimulant Use Disorder - ANS ✔✔marked dopamine depletion; no FDA drug—use CBT/contingency
management.
Cannabis - ANS ✔✔heavy use ↑ psychosis risk; withdrawal - irritability, insomnia, ↓ appetite.
Synthetic cathinones - ANS ✔✔hyperthermia, psychosis, renal failure—medical emergency.
Evidence-based prevention in adolescents - ANS ✔✔Life Skills Training, Good Behavior Game.
Cluster A Personality Disorders - ANS ✔✔Schizoid, Schizotypal (eccentric, magical thinking; low-dose
antipsychotic), Paranoid.
Cluster B Personality Disorders - ANS ✔✔Borderline (affective instability, splitting; Dialectical Behavior
Therapy), Antisocial (rights violations since < 15 y; low empathy), Histrionic (attention-seeking),
Narcissistic (grandiosity, needs admiration).
Cluster C Personality Disorders - ANS ✔✔Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive PD.
Defense mechanism hierarchy - ANS ✔✔Mature (sublimation, humor), Neurotic (intellectualization,
repression), Immature (splitting, acting out), Psychotic (projection, denial).
Med pearls for BPD - ANS ✔✔SSRIs for affective lability in BPD; low-dose antipsychotic for Schizotypal
cognitive-perceptual sx; short-acting benzos sparingly for acute severe anxiety in Dependent PD,
however, use Remeron is preferred when appetite is inhibited.
Tyrosine - ANS ✔✔the precursor for dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine.
Daytrana - ANS ✔✔the methylphenidate formulation delivered via once-daily transdermal patch.
First-line stimulant medications for ADHD - ANS ✔✔primarily target norepinephrine and dopamine.
Delayed maturation of brain region linked to ADHD - ANS ✔✔Prefrontal cortex.
Atomoxetine - ANS ✔✔a non-stimulant medication used to treat ADHD, brand name is strattera.
Autism - ANS ✔✔A developmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication
and interaction, along with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.
, Age of onset for Autism - ANS ✔✔Critical social and communication behaviors decline in the first 2 years
of life.
Symptoms of Autism - ANS ✔✔Lack of interest in social interaction, delayed language development,
unusual communication patterns, odd play patterns.
Social communication deficits in Autism - ANS ✔✔Persistent deficits in social-emotional reciprocity,
reduced sharing of emotions, deficits in nonverbals (eye contact, gestures, facials), and difficulties in
relationships.
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior in Autism - ANS ✔✔Manifested by repetitive motor
movements, speech, use of objects, insistence on sameness, routines, ritualistic behaviors, strong
attachments to unusual objects, and hyper/hypo-reactivity to sensory input.
Developmental symptoms of Autism - ANS ✔✔Symptoms must be present in the early developmental
period.
Impairment caused by Autism - ANS ✔✔The condition must cause clinically significant impairment in
social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
Exclusion criteria for Autism - ANS ✔✔The symptoms are not better explained by intellectual disability or
global developmental delay.
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) - ANS ✔✔A general developmental screening tool consisting of 19
age-specific questionnaires screening communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and
personal adaptive skills.
Parent's Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) - ANS ✔✔A parent-interview form that screens for
developmental and behavioral problems needing further evaluation.
Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT) - ANS ✔✔An interactive screening tool
consisting of 12 activities assessing play, communication, and imitation skills, taking 20 minutes to
administer.
Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) - ANS ✔✔A standardized tool for screening
communication and symbolic abilities up to the 24-month level.
Abnormal Social Behavior in Autism - ANS ✔✔Deficits in theory of mind, which is the capacity to
understand the mental states of others.
Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders - ANS ✔✔A prevalence rate of about 69 per 10,000 or 1 in
145 children.
Etiology of Autism - ANS ✔✔A very strong role of genetic factors and some potential role for
environmental factors.
Neurochemistry in Autism - ANS ✔✔1/3 of children with ASD have increased peripheral levels of
serotonin and agents blocking DA receptors reduce stereotyped and hyperactive behaviors.
DISORDERS | QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - ANS ✔✔onset by 18-24 months; core deficits in social reciprocity,
communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors; first-line: early intensive Applied Behavior Analysis
(ABA).
Speech & Language Disorders - ANS ✔✔persistent difficulty in acquisition or expression of language.
Differentiate stuttering (speech fluency) from language disorder (vocabulary/grammar deficits).
Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder - ANS ✔✔most frequent co-morbid diagnosis is ADHD —
screen attention & executive function in every case.
Intellectual Disabilities - ANS ✔✔global deficits in intellectual & adaptive functioning; screen thyroid &
cardiac in Down syndrome.
ADHD - ANS ✔✔frontostriatal hypoactivation; dopamine & norepinephrine underactive. DSM-5: ≥ 6
symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity for ≥ 6 mo, onset < 12 y, impairment in ≥ 2
settings. First-line tx: stimulants (methylphenidate/amphetamine); monitor BP, HR, growth.
Non-stimulants: atomoxetine, guanfacine XR.
Chronic tics/Tourette's with ADHD - ANS ✔✔start an α-2 agonist (guanfacine or clonidine) before a
stimulant to avoid tic worsening.
ODD vs Conduct Disorder - ANS ✔✔ODD—angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant, vindictive;
Conduct—repetitive rights violations (aggression, theft, deceit, serious rule infractions).
Tourette's Disorder - ANS ✔✔multiple motor + ≥ 1 vocal tic > 1 y, onset < 18 y; first-line habit-reversal
training; meds (guanfacine, clonidine, aripiprazole) if functionally impairing.
Developmental Coordination Disorder - ANS ✔✔clumsiness, slow/inaccurate motor skills; OT/PT key;
often comorbid ADHD.
Specific Learning Disorders - ANS ✔✔persistent difficulty in reading, writing, or math for ≥ 6 mo despite
intervention; needs psycho-ed testing.
Piaget milestones - ANS ✔✔7-11 y concrete operational, conservation.
Erikson milestones - ANS ✔✔industry vs inferiority, 6-12 y.
Alcohol - ANS ✔✔standard US drink ≈ 10-12 g ethanol; BAL > 300 mg/dL risks coma. Withdrawal peaks
day 2; CIWA-Ar.
,Wernicke vs Korsakoff - ANS ✔✔Wernicke (ataxia + ocular + confusion) vs Korsakoff (anterograde
amnesia, confabulation) - both thiamine-responsive.
AUD meds - ANS ✔✔naltrexone (first-line, cuts reward), acamprosate (glutamate/GABA balance; avoid in
severe renal), disulfiram (aversive).
Opioid Use Disorder - ANS ✔✔MAT—buprenorphine, methadone, or XR-naltrexone. Naloxone 0.4-2 mg
IV for overdose.
Stimulant Use Disorder - ANS ✔✔marked dopamine depletion; no FDA drug—use CBT/contingency
management.
Cannabis - ANS ✔✔heavy use ↑ psychosis risk; withdrawal - irritability, insomnia, ↓ appetite.
Synthetic cathinones - ANS ✔✔hyperthermia, psychosis, renal failure—medical emergency.
Evidence-based prevention in adolescents - ANS ✔✔Life Skills Training, Good Behavior Game.
Cluster A Personality Disorders - ANS ✔✔Schizoid, Schizotypal (eccentric, magical thinking; low-dose
antipsychotic), Paranoid.
Cluster B Personality Disorders - ANS ✔✔Borderline (affective instability, splitting; Dialectical Behavior
Therapy), Antisocial (rights violations since < 15 y; low empathy), Histrionic (attention-seeking),
Narcissistic (grandiosity, needs admiration).
Cluster C Personality Disorders - ANS ✔✔Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive PD.
Defense mechanism hierarchy - ANS ✔✔Mature (sublimation, humor), Neurotic (intellectualization,
repression), Immature (splitting, acting out), Psychotic (projection, denial).
Med pearls for BPD - ANS ✔✔SSRIs for affective lability in BPD; low-dose antipsychotic for Schizotypal
cognitive-perceptual sx; short-acting benzos sparingly for acute severe anxiety in Dependent PD,
however, use Remeron is preferred when appetite is inhibited.
Tyrosine - ANS ✔✔the precursor for dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine.
Daytrana - ANS ✔✔the methylphenidate formulation delivered via once-daily transdermal patch.
First-line stimulant medications for ADHD - ANS ✔✔primarily target norepinephrine and dopamine.
Delayed maturation of brain region linked to ADHD - ANS ✔✔Prefrontal cortex.
Atomoxetine - ANS ✔✔a non-stimulant medication used to treat ADHD, brand name is strattera.
Autism - ANS ✔✔A developmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication
and interaction, along with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.
, Age of onset for Autism - ANS ✔✔Critical social and communication behaviors decline in the first 2 years
of life.
Symptoms of Autism - ANS ✔✔Lack of interest in social interaction, delayed language development,
unusual communication patterns, odd play patterns.
Social communication deficits in Autism - ANS ✔✔Persistent deficits in social-emotional reciprocity,
reduced sharing of emotions, deficits in nonverbals (eye contact, gestures, facials), and difficulties in
relationships.
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior in Autism - ANS ✔✔Manifested by repetitive motor
movements, speech, use of objects, insistence on sameness, routines, ritualistic behaviors, strong
attachments to unusual objects, and hyper/hypo-reactivity to sensory input.
Developmental symptoms of Autism - ANS ✔✔Symptoms must be present in the early developmental
period.
Impairment caused by Autism - ANS ✔✔The condition must cause clinically significant impairment in
social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
Exclusion criteria for Autism - ANS ✔✔The symptoms are not better explained by intellectual disability or
global developmental delay.
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) - ANS ✔✔A general developmental screening tool consisting of 19
age-specific questionnaires screening communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and
personal adaptive skills.
Parent's Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) - ANS ✔✔A parent-interview form that screens for
developmental and behavioral problems needing further evaluation.
Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT) - ANS ✔✔An interactive screening tool
consisting of 12 activities assessing play, communication, and imitation skills, taking 20 minutes to
administer.
Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) - ANS ✔✔A standardized tool for screening
communication and symbolic abilities up to the 24-month level.
Abnormal Social Behavior in Autism - ANS ✔✔Deficits in theory of mind, which is the capacity to
understand the mental states of others.
Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders - ANS ✔✔A prevalence rate of about 69 per 10,000 or 1 in
145 children.
Etiology of Autism - ANS ✔✔A very strong role of genetic factors and some potential role for
environmental factors.
Neurochemistry in Autism - ANS ✔✔1/3 of children with ASD have increased peripheral levels of
serotonin and agents blocking DA receptors reduce stereotyped and hyperactive behaviors.
