It is the desire of every parent to have a normal child both physically as well as mentally. Many parents are gripped with anxiety as they watch their young ones undergo growth and development. As a parent or guardian in Portsmouth, PA, it is important to note that things will not always turn out as planned. Indeed, there a good number of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Commonly, this problem will be identified before the age of eighteen.
This condition was formerly known as mental retardation. In some cases, it may coexist with physical developmental abnormalities such as is the case of Down syndrome and foetal alcohol syndrome. There are a number of risk factors that have been identified. These are broadly divided into biomedical, social, behavioural and educational. Infections occurring during the prenatal period are a significant case.
One of the biggest challenges that affect these people is the difficulty in learning new things. They tend to take a long time to grasp issues. For this reason, one needs to have a lot of patience when teaching them. There is a need to repeat things several times for the child to understand. As a result, many of the affected children have to be enrolled into special schools where they will be given individualised attention.
While some of the cases are obvious from the onset, there are many others that have rather subtle features. It is important that the affected child is reviewed by a psychiatrist for a proper diagnosis to be made. There are three main things that must be present for a proper diagnosis to be made: an onset at an age of less than 18, accompanying intellectual limitations and the presence of compromised adaptive behaviour.
Adaptive behaviour has three main components. These are conceptual skills, practical skills and social skills. The conceptual skills are those that are related to money, number concepts, language and literacy and self direction. Social skills are useful in the creation and maintenance of interpersonal skills. Practical skills are useful for virtually all the activities we do on a daily basis. These include personal grooming, eating, and playing. The extent of limitation varies among affected persons.
The different classifications used for groups of individuals affected help in creating appropriate management options. When assessing a child for the condition it is important to consider the immediate surroundings. The community in which a child grows up has a big influence on what kind of adult they will grow into. The child can only be said to have a limitation when compared to their immediate community and not any other.
Research has established that a number of things can be done so as to minimise the chances of having a child suffering from the disability. One area that ca be used for intervention is social support. Expectant women should get proper nutrition and care to provide a conducive environment for foetal growth. Genetic counselling of prospective couples is another strategy that has had tremendous success.
Intellectual disability is the commonest type of developmental disabilities. Although it presents a major challenge to both the child and the parent, it can be managed. The outcomes are variable and depend mainly on the extent of limitation and level of training. The key to better results is depends on timely diagnosis and specialised training. It is wrong to discriminate against persons with the disability since it is not a disease.
This condition was formerly known as mental retardation. In some cases, it may coexist with physical developmental abnormalities such as is the case of Down syndrome and foetal alcohol syndrome. There are a number of risk factors that have been identified. These are broadly divided into biomedical, social, behavioural and educational. Infections occurring during the prenatal period are a significant case.
One of the biggest challenges that affect these people is the difficulty in learning new things. They tend to take a long time to grasp issues. For this reason, one needs to have a lot of patience when teaching them. There is a need to repeat things several times for the child to understand. As a result, many of the affected children have to be enrolled into special schools where they will be given individualised attention.
While some of the cases are obvious from the onset, there are many others that have rather subtle features. It is important that the affected child is reviewed by a psychiatrist for a proper diagnosis to be made. There are three main things that must be present for a proper diagnosis to be made: an onset at an age of less than 18, accompanying intellectual limitations and the presence of compromised adaptive behaviour.
Adaptive behaviour has three main components. These are conceptual skills, practical skills and social skills. The conceptual skills are those that are related to money, number concepts, language and literacy and self direction. Social skills are useful in the creation and maintenance of interpersonal skills. Practical skills are useful for virtually all the activities we do on a daily basis. These include personal grooming, eating, and playing. The extent of limitation varies among affected persons.
The different classifications used for groups of individuals affected help in creating appropriate management options. When assessing a child for the condition it is important to consider the immediate surroundings. The community in which a child grows up has a big influence on what kind of adult they will grow into. The child can only be said to have a limitation when compared to their immediate community and not any other.
Research has established that a number of things can be done so as to minimise the chances of having a child suffering from the disability. One area that ca be used for intervention is social support. Expectant women should get proper nutrition and care to provide a conducive environment for foetal growth. Genetic counselling of prospective couples is another strategy that has had tremendous success.
Intellectual disability is the commonest type of developmental disabilities. Although it presents a major challenge to both the child and the parent, it can be managed. The outcomes are variable and depend mainly on the extent of limitation and level of training. The key to better results is depends on timely diagnosis and specialised training. It is wrong to discriminate against persons with the disability since it is not a disease.
About the Author:
At Lucas Professional Center, individuals with intellectual disabilities can acheive their goals and become involved in the community. To learn more about the programs, go to http://lucaslodge.com now.
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