“Wh” of Developmental Disabilities
“It’s Time to Focus on Abilities, Not Disabilities”
– Jason Steen
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month!
“Wh” of Developmental Disabilities
Developmental Disability is a term for a group of disorders that are due to cognitive or physical deficits. Additionally, they often develop in the early years of a child’s growth and last throughout life. Likewise, some developmental disabilities are often present at birth. Therefore, they are detected later in life. Hence, the “Wh” of Developmental Disabilities blog will give you an insight.
What are the red flags for Developmental Disabilities?
- Delayed Motor Milestones
- Achieving head control, sitting, walking later than peers
- Delayed Speech and Language Milestones
- Speech babble, first words later than peers
- Attention deficits and fleeting eye contact
- Cognitive deficits
- Average learning skills
- Average academic skills
- Deficits in behavioral functioning
- Hearing/ Vision deficits
Read a detailed blog on: 1-2 years: Speech and Language Milestones
How to check the risk of Developmental Disabilities?
Firstly, every child is observed by his/her pediatrician during the growing stages. Secondly, screening for any delays in growth or red flags in the child’s behavior is very crucial. Additionally, it helps for early detection and treatment. In other words, the earlier the delay is found and addressed the better is the outcome of the treatment.
What are the Developmental Disabilities?
Firstly, there are many developmental disabilities. Here are some of the developmental disabilities:
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Cerebral Palsy
- Intellectual Disabilities / Specific Learning Disabilities
- Congenital Abnormality
- Down’s Syndrome
- Spoken Language Disorders
- Syndromes and Genetic Abnormalities
- Learning Disabilities
- Central Auditory Processing Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder
How is it diagnosed?
Firstly, developmental Disabilities are diagnosed by a team of professionals. Hence, a multi-disciplinary will involve:
- Physician/ Medical Practitioner
- Developmental Paediatrician
- Genetic Counsellor
- Speech-Language Pathologist
- Occupational Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Psychologist
What are the treatment options?
There is no known cure for developmental disabilities. However, research seems very promising.
In other words, Individualized Programs are the treatment option for developmental disabilities. Therefore, it is based on the disorder. After that, your physician may ask you to go to a specific professional. Furthermore, the professional will help the further growth of your child. Hence, skill-specific programs are tailor-made to suit the child’s needs. In other words, these activities will focus on the functional needs of the child. In conclusion, some of the programs advised may be:
- Speech-Language Therapy for communication development
- Occupational Therapy for functional growth
- Special Education for academic progress
- Physical Therapy for motor skills
- Medications if required
How to support a person with Developmental Disability?
Therefore, this March 2021, let’s strive to remove barriers. Above all, aim at building a more inclusive community for all persons with developmental disabilities.
We can together build a better world!!
If you wish to know more about Speech Therapy, kindly contact us at info@1specialplace.com
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(2 Comments)
There is no such thing as a perfect parent. So just be a real one.
Agree!
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