title: Challenging the use of adult neuropsychological models for explaining neurodevelopmental disorders: developed versus developing brains.
abstract: In this paper, I contrast approaches from adult neuropsychology that seek selective, domain-specific deficits with approaches aimed at understanding the dynamics of developmental trajectories in children with genetic disorders. I stress the crucial difference between developed brains damaged in their mature state, and atypically developing brains. I also challenge the search for single genes to explain selective cognitive-level outcomes. Throughout, the paper argues that it is critical to trace cognitive-level deficits back to their basic-level processes in infancy, where genes are likely to exert their early influences, if we are to understand both the impairments and proficiencies displayed in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK. a.karmiloff-smith@bbk.ac.uk
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karmiloff-Smith
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests