Practitioners frequently use diagnostic criteria to identify children with neurodevelopmental disorders and to guide intervention decisions. These criteria also provide the organising framework for much of the research focussing on these disorders. Study design, recruitment, analysis and theory are largely built on the assumption that diagnostic criteria reflect an underlying reality. However, there is growing concern that this assumption may not be a valid and that an alternative transdiagnostic approach may better serve our understanding of this large heterogeneous population of young people. This review draws on important developments over the past decade that have set the stage for much-needed breakthroughs in understanding neurodevelopmental disorders. We evaluate contemporary approaches to study design and recruitment, review the use of data-driven methods to characterise cognition, behaviour and neurobiology, and consider what alternative transdiagnostic models could mean for children and families. This review concludes that an overreliance on ill-fitting diagnostic criteria is impeding progress towards identifying the barriers that children encounter, understanding underpinning mechanisms and finding the best route to supporting them.

中文翻译：

---

年度研究回顾：神经发育障碍的跨诊断革命

从业者经常使用诊断标准来识别患有神经发育障碍的儿童并指导干预决策。这些标准还为许多关注这些疾病的研究提供了组织框架。研究设计、招募、分析和理论主要建立在诊断标准反映潜在现实的假设之上。然而，人们越来越担心这种假设可能无效，另一种跨诊断方法可能更好地帮助我们理解这一庞大的异质年轻人群体。这篇综述借鉴了过去十年的重要发展，这些发展为理解神经发育障碍方面急需的突破奠定了基础。我们评估研究设计和招聘的当代方法，回顾使用数据驱动的方法来表征认知、行为和神经生物学，并考虑替代的跨诊断模型对儿童和家庭意味着什么。该审查得出结论认为，过度依赖不合适的诊断标准正在阻碍识别儿童遇到的障碍、理解支撑机制和找到支持他们的最佳途径的进展。