Week 4: Putting It All Together: Differential Diagnosis and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Clinicians often have to employ multiple skills simultaneously while engaging with clients. Not least among them are reflective listening, information gathering and sensitive questioning, recording key responses, observing for signs of syndromes, and identifying the chief complaints. This week you address the complex process for identifying and distinguishing among similar diagnostic syndromes.

This process begins in the diagnostic interview. Research of skilled clinicians shows that forming diagnostic impressions too quickly increases the risk of errors in diagnosis. Every clinician should be evaluating differential diagnoses at the diagnostic interview and beyond. While social workers want to resolve their own uncertainty, using the formal steps of a decision tree ensures accuracy. A decision tree is especially important when all available data is not pointing in the same direction.

This week, you walk through the steps of a differential diagnostic decision tree using a case within the neurodevelopmental disorders. At the same time, you begin to meet with your colleague in case consultation about your individual case assignment.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Develop a DSM diagnosis utilizing a differential diagnostic process

· Analyze a case study focused on a neurodevelopmental disorder utilizing steps of differential diagnosis

· Assess progress with a colleague on a collaborative assignment

· Outline a plan to create a diagnosis

Learning Resources

Required Readings

First, M. B. (2014). Handbook of differential diagnosis. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association

Note: You will access this e-book from the Walden Library databases.

· Chapter 1, “Differential Diagnosis Step by Step” (pp. 14–24)

Morrison, J. (2014). Diagnosis made easier (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

· Part 1, “The Basics of Diagnosis” (pp. 3–56)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013f). Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm15

American Psychiatric Association. (2013k). Neurodevelopmental disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm01

American Psychiatric Association. (2013m). Other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.VandZcodes

Walsh, J. (2016). The utility of the DSM-5 Z-codes for clinical social work diagnosis. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 26(2), 149–153. doi:10.1080/10911359.2015.1052913

Blackboard. (2018). Collaborate Ultra help for moderators. Retrieved from https://help.blackboard.com/Collaborate/Ultra/Moderator

Note: Beginning this week, you use a feature in your online classroom called Collaborate Ultra. Your Instructor will assign you a partner and then give you moderator access to a Collaborate Ultra meeting room. This link provides an overview and help features for use in the moderator role.

Document: Case Collaboration Meeting Guidelines (Word document)

Note: Download these guidelines and consult the Assignment instructions. You are encouraged to orient yourself to these instructions and take action as early in the week as possible.

Document: How to Write a Diagnosis According to the DSM-5 (PDF)

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018f). Steps in differential diagnosis [Video files]. Baltimore, MD: Author Retrieved from https://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/SOCW/6090/04/DD/index.html.

Optional Resources

American Psychiatric Association. (2013b). Assessment measures. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.AssessmentMeasures

Coker, T. R., Elliott, M. N., Toomey, S. L., Schwebel, D. C., Cuccaro, P., Emery, S. T., … Schuster, M. A. (2017). Racial and ethnic disparities in ADHD diagnosis and treatment. Pediatrics, 138(3), 1–11. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/3/e20160407

Document: Suggested Further Reading for SOCW 6090 (PDF)