Puberty refers to a set of biological changes involved in reaching physical and sexual maturity. This is universal. Adolescence refers to the life course between beginning puberty and adult status. It roughly contains the ages 10-18. In this stage, young people are preparing to take on the roles and responsibilities of adulthood in their culture. It is culturally constructed as the length (1), content (2) and daily experiences (3) differ across cultures. It is typically characterized by:

• Conflicts with parents.
• Mood disruptions.
• Risk behaviour.

It is debated whether this is a period of ‘storm and stress’ as this may depend on culture and individual characteristics. It may be context dependent how one experiences this period although it is more likely during this period that people experience storm and stress. Recapitulation states that the development of each individual re-enacts the evolutionary development of

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive and/or sensory behaviours or interests. The severity levels should be specified.

In the 1970s, only 1.5% of the children with ASD achieved normal functioning. About 35% showed good adjustment but required some degree of supervision. The majority (i.e. 60%) remained severely handicapped. About 50% remained non-verbal throughout their lives. Currently, this is less than 10%. However, ASD does not need to be a life-long disabling condition. About 25% of the children can lose the diagnosis after treatment and most children can achieve positive outcomes with treatment. Children who lose the diagnosis will become similar to typically developing children.

There are several criteria for when an intervention is successful:

• Reduction in symptoms (e.g. less repetitive behaviours).
• Developmental improvements (e.g. learning to speak).
• Reduction in problem behaviours (e.g. fewer temper

There are several guidelines for treating children with ADHD:

1. Always start with psychoeducation.
2. Offer behavioural parent and/or teacher training.
3. Offer medication in severe cases or when the previous interventions were not effective.

Behavioural intervention cannot be supported as a front-line treatment for core ADHD symptoms. This is especially the case in studies where the outcomes are blinded. However, parenting practices and conduct problems improve after behavioural interventions and this is often the main reason for referral, meaning that behavioural interventions serve their goal. Improving parents’ behaviour towards their children may improve child behaviour and improve the quality of the parent-child relationship.

Children who receive behavioural consultation are less likely to receive medication later that year. If they do receive medication, the dosages are lower compared to children who did not receive behavioural consultation. Using ­a low-intensity behavioural intervention as a first-line