TOPIC:7 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.

Developmental disabilities are severe, long-term problems. They may be

physical, such as blindness. They may affect mental ability, such as learning
disabilities. Or the problem can be both physical and mental, such as Down
syndrome. The problems are usually life-long, and can affect everyday living.
There are many causes of developmental disabilities, including

 Genetic or chromosome abnormalities. These cause conditions such as Down

syndrome and Rett syndrome.
 Prenatal exposure to substances. For example, drinking alcohol when pregnant can
cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
 Certain infections in pregnancy
 Preterm birth
Often there is no cure, but treatment can help the symptoms. Treatments include
physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Special education classes and
psychological counseling can also help.

Types of Developmental Disabilities .

[Link] Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a type of

developmental disorder affecting an individual's social skills, communication skills
and behavior.

Autism Signs and Symptoms

Autism symptoms, or signs of autism in children or adults, include, but are not
necessarily limited to:

 Not looking at something when another person points at it out

 Challenges relating to others
 No interest in other people at all
 Avoiding eye contact
 A desire to be isolated
 Difficulties understanding other's feelings or discussing their own feelings
 Preferring not to be held
 Appearing unaware when people speak to them, but is responsive to other noises
 Very interested in people, but unfamiliar with how to talk, play or relate with others
 Repeating words or phrases that are said to them, or repeating words in place of normal
language
 Difficulties communicating needs using typical words or motions
 Repeating actions multiple times
 Difficulties adapting to changes in a routine
 Reacting unusually to senses, such as taste, look, feel, sound or smell
 Loss of skills that the child or adult once had (such as the inability to say words they
used previously)
[Link] Syndrome?

Down syndrome is the result of someone having an extra chromosome. A typical

person is born with 46 chromosomes, while those with down syndrome have an
extra copy of one of their chromosomes.

A Down Syndrome Test is Typically Used for a Down Syndrome Diagnosis

A typical down syndrome test is done during pregnancy. There are two types of
down syndrome tests, a diagnostic test and a screening test. The screening form of
a down syndrome test can determine if a pregnant woman's child has a lower or
higher probability of having down syndrome. Because of this, a screening test can
assist in determining if a diagnostic test is necessary. A screening test doesn't
provide a definitive down syndrome diagnosis. However, a screening test is safer
for the mother and baby.
 Typically, the screening form of a down syndrome test combines a blood test and
an ultrasound. If the ultrasound shows additional fluid behind a baby's neck, this
could be a sign of a genetic issue. This can assist in evaluating a baby's risk for
down syndrome.

A diagnostic down syndrome test is conducted following a positive screening test.

There are multiple types of diagnostic down syndrome tests, including:

 Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) - this type of down syndrome test evaluates material
from the placenta
 Amniocentesis - this type of down syndrome test is conducted on the amniotic fluid,
which refers to the fluid from the sac surrounding the baby
 Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS) - this form of down syndrome test
examines blood from the umbilical cord
These diagnostic down syndrome tests are done to discover changes in
chromosomes that would be indicative of down syndrome.

Down Syndrome Symptoms

Common down syndrome symptoms, or physical signs that someone may have
down syndrome include, but are not limited to:

 A flattened face, particularly on the bridge of the nose

 Upward slanting, almond shaped eyes
 A short neck
 Small ears
 The tongue tends to stick out of the mouth
 Small white spots on the colored part of the eye
 Undersized hands and feet
 A single line across the palm
 Tiny pinky fingers that in some cases curve toward the thumb
[Link] Disorders and Language Disorders
 A child's first 3 years of life are the most intense in terms of speech and language
development. If a child isn't exposed to language during this time, it can be more
challenging to learn these skills. Children who struggle with understanding what
other people say, or who struggle with expressing their own thoughts, may have a
language disorder.

An example of language disorder symptoms may include a child's inability to talk

until they are 3 or 4 years old. Similarly, children who have challenges with
pronunciation, or children who hesitate or stutter when speaking, may have a
speech disorder.

Speech disorder symptoms may include struggling to make speech sounds

properly, or stuttering.

[Link] Disorders or Sensory Impairment

A sensory processing disorder refers to a condition where the brain has challenges
receiving and responding to information.

Individuals with a sensory processing disorder may experience the following:

 Coordination challenges
 Bumping into things
 The inability to tell where their limbs are in relation to a space
 Difficulties engaging in discussions or other social interactions

In addition to a sensory processing disorder, other types of developmental

disabilities and delays that are present in children we see include, but are not
limited to:

 Blindness and low vision

 Hearing loss
 Autism


 [Link] DISABILITIES

Cognitive disabilities in children include mental retardation as well as specific

learning disabilities in children of normal intelligence. Mental retardation is
defined as subnormal intelligence (intelligence quotient [IQ] more than two
standard deviations below that of the population mean), accompanied by deficits in
adaptive behavior. Grades of mental retardation are typically defined in terms

of IQ. Children with mild mental retardation, the most common form, are limited
in academic performance and consequently have somewhat limited vocational
opportunities. Adults with mild mental retardation typically lead independent lives.
Children with more severe grades of mental retardation (moderate, severe, and
profound) are more likely to have multiple disabilities (e.g., vision, hearing, motor,
and/or seizure in addition to cognitive disability) and to be dependent on others for
basic needs throughout their lives.

In contrast, specific learning disabilities result not from global intellectual deficit,
but from impairments in one or more of the specific “processes of speech,
language, reading, spelling, writing or arithmetic resulting from possible cerebral
dysfunction.”[12] Children with specific learning disabilities are usually identified
as such only after entering school, where a significant discrepancy is noted
between their achievements in specific domains and their overall abilities. With
special educational accommodations, these children may learn to overcome their
limitations and demonstrate normal or even superior levels of achievement.

[Link] DISABILITIES

Motor disabilities include limitations in walking and in use of the upper extremities
(arms and/or hands). Some motor disabilities also affect speech and swallowing.
Severity can range from mild to profound. Motor disabilities diagnosed in infancy
or childhood include cerebral palsy, which results from damage to motor tracts of
the developing brain; paralysis following conditions such as poliomyelitis and
spinal cord injuries; congenital and acquired limb abnormalities; and progressive
disorders, such as the muscular dystrophies and spinal muscular atrophies.
Cerebral palsy results from a permanent, nonprogressive damage or insult to the
developing brain. Affected children therefore may manifest a variety of motor
dysfunctions, depending on the specific location of the damage. Involvement of the
 motor cortex produces spasticity, while involvement of the cerebellum results in
hypotonia with or without ataxia. Involvement of the basal ganglia leads to
dyskinesia and dystonia. Individuals with cerebral palsy often have other
disabilities as a result of concomitant insults to various areas of the brain. Such
disabilities include mental retardation, learning disabilities, epilepsy, language
disorders, and behavioral problems. Similarly, some of the progressive motor
disorders, such as muscular dystrophy, can be accompanied by cognitive
disabilities. In contrast, in many forms of paralysis, such as that due to
poliomyelitis or spinal cord injury, and congenital or acquired limb abnormalities,
the disability is more likely to be restricted to motor skills or mobility.

[Link], Hearing and Speech Disabilities

The prevalence of low vision, blindness, and hearing loss increases with age,
making these disabilities conditions that affect primarily adults. A number of
important causes of vision as well as hearing disability have their onset early