Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Special Education Practice Exam

What characterizes bipolar disorder in children?

1. Continuous sadness without recovery

2. Cycles of mania alternating with depression

3. Consistent high energy with no depressive episodes

4. Always diagnosed at a young age

The correct answer is: Cycles of mania alternating with depression

Bipolar disorder in children is characterized by cycles of mania and depression. This means that a child may experience periods of elevated mood or irritability, increased energy, and impulsivity (mania), followed by periods of significant low mood, fatigue, and a loss of interest in activities (depression). This cycling can be more rapid in children than in adults, but the fundamental aspect of the disorder remains the alternating nature of the mood states. While continuous sadness without recovery might suggest a different mood disorder, such as major depressive disorder, it does not capture the episodic nature of bipolar disorder. Consistent high energy without depressive episodes may refer to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and does not encompass the necessary depressive episodes found in bipolar disorder. Diagnosing bipolar disorder always at a young age is also misleading; while it can occur in children, it is not always diagnosed early, partly due to the complexity of symptoms and the need for careful evaluation over time. The defining trait is the alternating mood cycles inherent in bipolar disorder, which is why the correct answer highlights those shifts between mania and depression.