Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Adults

Abstract

Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of disorders affecting various psychological functions that manifest early in development and often cause difficulties in social, academic and/or occupational functioning throughout life. Disorders in this group are thought to have some kind of neurobiological base. The severity of the symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders is not always related to the severity of difficulties in social life. Some adults with the symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders do not require any treatment or welfare support;thus, at least some parts of neurodevelopmental disorders should be regarded as biological variants instead of illness. On the other hand, some people with neurodevelopmental disorders may suffer from various kinds of secondary problems, mostly due to the psychological stress of trauma in their environment, and even people with the slightest symptoms could have very severe difficulties in their daily lives when they come across secondary problems. For diagnosis and assessment of people with neurodevelopmental disorders, we should determine not only whether they have a neurodevelopmental disorder or not, but also the extent to which the symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders affect their mental state and quality of life.

The cognitive style and trajectories of neurodevelopmental disorders are unique. Former studies tended to focus on how people with neurodevelopmental disorders are inferior to those without.　However, future studies should focus on topics such as the specific cognitive styles of neurodevelopmental disorders, and the specific developmental trajectory in order for people with the characteristics of neurodevelopmental disorders to develop and participate in the community without any secondary problems.