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Biomedical subjects

I A van Berckelaer-Onnes

Publications and source records attributed to I A van Berckelaer-Onnes.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

[Sixty years of autism].

The concept of autism has been broadened the last few years from 'early infantile autism' to 'an autistic spectrum'. Autism and related contact disorders are grouped together under 'pervasive developmental disorders' or 'autistic spectrum disorders'. The autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), Rett's disorder and the childhood disintegrative disorder all belong to this group. People with an autistic spectrum disorder have severe difficulties in the integration of perceived stimuli into a meaningful entity. More than two-thirds of the people with the autistic disorder (classical autism) are also mentally retarded. Although autism can still only be diagnosed at the behavioural level, there is considerable consensus regarding an underlying organic aetiology. Autism is clearly a multifactorial condition. Autism cannot be cured, but adequate intervention can significantly improve the quality of life of people with this disorder. Diagnosis and intervention are highly interrelated. In the intervention, a distinction is made between family-oriented and child-oriented strategies. Augmentative communication plays a key role in the treatment. People with autism need a lot of structure, clarity and predictability, also when they have become adults.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Factorial validity, reliability of assessments and prevalence of ADHD behavioural symptoms in day and residential treatment centres for children with behavioural problems.

This study uses the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom ratings of professional care workers to estimate the prevalence of ADHD symptoms among children in day treatment centres (N = 162) and residential treatment centres (N = 195) in Holland. Although further research is needed, the study supports the suggestion that such ratings can add to reliable diagnostic outcomes when assessing the behavioural symptoms of ADHD in children in the centres. It is estimated that nearly a fifth of the children in such centres exhibit the symptoms of ADHD in the judgement of professional care workers. Model testing using confirmatory factor analysis favours a dimensional behavioural model that comprises all the three constitutional symptom dimensions of ADHD (inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) instead of the two-factor model as used in the DSM-IV (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity). However, the differences of fit between both models were only small and the hyperactivity and impulsivity factors were highly correlated. This suggests that, in practice, a two-factor model can also be appropriate. The issue of whether a two-factor or a three-factor model is more appropriate thus remains unsolved in this study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Challenging behaviour: a challenge to change.

People with intellectual disability often exhibit severe behavioural problems. Treatment of these problems is frequently very difficult. In The Netherlands, parents, institutes, schools and others can request the services of an independent advisory team with a pool of professionals who have experience with individuals who exhibit challenging behaviour. In this article the methods of the team will be described using a 24-year-old man as an example. The process took almost 7 years. Finally, this man, who had been living full time in one room in total isolation from the rest of the world, fulfilled his heart's desire--visiting the UK by Hovercraft.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

DSM-IV related ADHD symptom ratings by professional caretakers in residential treatment centres.

In this study the factorial validity and the reliability of DSM-IV related ADHD symptom ratings made by care professionals working in residential treatment centres were determined in a sample of 412 residential youngsters. Three concurrent models of the ADHD disorder were investigated, a one-factor model comprising all 18 symptoms, a two-factor model with the Inattention and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity symptoms, respectively, combined and a three-factor model comprising Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity symptoms, respectively. An analysis of the covariance structure shows acceptable fits for both the two- and the three-factor models, slightly favouring the three-factor model. The internal consistencies, the test-retest reliabilities, and the inter-rater reliabilities turned out to be good to excellent for all scales based on each of the three concurrent models.

Adolescent↗