BY: ASHLEY MOATS Developmental Disabilities

Definition: A developmental disability is defined as: A cognitive, emotional, or physical impairment, especially one related to abnormal sensory or motor development, that appears in infancy or childhood and involves a failure or delay in progressing through the normal developmental stages of childhood. The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.Houghton Mifflin Company

Types of Disorders DOWN SYNDROME EPILEPSY AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER CEREBRAL PALSY SPINA BIFIDA MENTAL RETARDATION FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME BRAIN INJURY

Down Syndrome Down Syndrome is a disorder caused by an extra chromosome number 21, or trisomy 21. This abnormality on the trisomy 21 causes : Mental retardation, facial abnormalities, as well as other bodily malformations. Down Syndrome affects both the physical and intellectual development of a person.

Epilepsy Epilepsy is a disorder where clusters of neurons in the brain sometimes signal abnormally. When these neurons do not generate properly, it causes the individual to have strange sensations, emotions, and behavior, or sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms and loss of consciousness. During a seizure, neurons may fire as many as 500 times a second, much faster than normal. In some people, this happens only occasionally; for others, it may happen up to hundreds of times a day.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism is a developmental disorder that is characterized by impaired development in communication, social interaction, and behavior. The causes of Autism are unknown

Cerebral Palsy Cerebral palsy is an abnormality of motor function and postural tone that is acquired at an early age, even before birth. The causes of cerebral palsy are not clear but signs suggest that it typically occurs in the womb during development of the baby.

Spina Bifida A birth defect in which there is a bony defect in the vertebral column so that part of the spinal cord, which is normally protected within the vertebral column, is exposed. People with this disability can suffer from bladder and bowel incontinence, cognitive problems and limited mobility. It is caused by the failure of the neural tube to close during embryonic development. The neural tube is the embryonic structure that gives rise to the brain and spinal cord.

Mental Retardation Mental retardation is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. There are many different causes of mental retardation including most of the other developmental disorders.

Signs of Mental Retardation sit up, crawl, or walk later than other children learn to talk later, or have trouble speaking find it hard to remember things not understand how to pay for things have trouble understanding social rules have trouble seeing the consequences of their actions have trouble solving problems have trouble thinking logically

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the sum total of the damage done to the child before birth as a result of the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome always involves brain damage, impaired growth, and head and face abnormalities. No amount of alcohol has been proven safe during pregnancy.

Common Abnormalities in Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Brain Injury Brain injuries occur when physical trauma causes brain damage. It can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. Brain injuries can cause a multitude of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social effects. Some will make a full recovery, some with be permanently disabled while others will die from brain injury.

With moderate or severe Brain Injuries, the patient may show these same symptoms, but may also have: loss of consciousness personality change a severe, persistent, or worsening headache repeated vomiting or nausea seizures inability to awaken dilation of one or both pupils slurred speech weakness or numbness in the extremities loss of coordination increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation abnormal posturing vomiting and neurological deficit (e.g. weakness in a limb) together are important indicators of prognosis and their presence may warrant early CT scanning and neurosurgical intervention.

Conclusion DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE ONES LISTED BEFORE, THESE ARE SIMPLY THE MOST COMMON. DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES MAY APPEAR TO BE AWKWARD OR OFF-PUTTING TO PEOPLE AROUND, BUT THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS WHO NEED LOVE AND CARE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

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