Early Detection, Diagnosis, Psychological and Cognitive Assessment and Intervention in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorder

Dear Colleagues,

Neurodevelopmental disorders are disturbances in the developmental processes of the central nervous system during gestation or early life that may affect the processes of acquisition, retention or application of specific skills or sets of information. They consist of alterations in attention, memory, perception, executive functions in general or in a specific case, and as a consequence affect the development of language, problem solving or social interaction among other human functions. These impairments can condition the development of the individual and be significant throughout life. Their aetiology is multi-causal, with an important genetic basis being recognised and the involvement of one or more environmental factors being necessary to explain them. Neurodevelopmental disorders are highly prevalent, the most frequent being autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disability (ID), language and communication disorders, among others. One of the problems we encounter is the high rate of comorbidity between different neurodevelopmental disorders and symptomatological concurrence. 

In the DSM 5 TR (American Psychiatry Association, 2022), it is considered that the symptoms of these disorders should present at an early age and, consequently, if identified, early intervention can be taken to reduce symptoms in adulthood. At the time of intervention, for the reasons outlined above, a transdiagnostic approach is necessary to focus intervention on the fundamental and common axes in many cases of the development of the specific disorder. The transdiagnostic approach to neurodevelopmental disorders is an innovative and current approach within child psychology and psychiatry. It represents a comprehensive response to the most frequent psychological difficulties and disorders; and its validity and scientific efficacy make it a valuable line of research and psychoeducational intervention. Transdiagnostic intervention requires a psychological assessment that goes beyond the symptomatology usually used for diagnosis. In this Special Issue, we invite professionals and researchers to propose a transdiagnostic approach to the detection, diagnosis or intervention of any form of neurodevelopmental disorder. We look forward to your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Alcantud-Marín
Prof. Dr. Yurena Alonso-Esteban
Prof. Dr. María Consuelo Sáiz-Manzanares
Guest Editors

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• neurodevelopmental disorders
• transdiagnostic intervention
• psychoeducational assessment
• performance assessment
• autism spectrum disorders
• attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders
• intellectual disability