What are neurodevelopmental disorders?

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Disorders essence and types

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Disorders essence and types

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What are neurodevelopmental disorders?

What are neurodevelopmental disorders?

Neurodevelopmental disorders are disabilities associated primarily with the functioning of the neurological system and brain. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders can experience difficulties with language and speech, motor skills, behavior, memory, learning, or other neurological functions. While the symptoms and behaviors of neurodevelopmental disabilities often change or evolve as a child grows older, some disabilities are permanent.

Diagnosis and treatment of these disorders can be difficult, treatment often involves a combination of professional therapy, pharmaceuticals, and home- and school-based programs. Based on parental responses to survey questions, approximately 15% of children in the United States ages 3 to 17 years were affected by neurodevelopmental disorders.

Common neurodevelopmental disorders

Examples of neurodevelopmental disorders in children include high potential, hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, learning disabilities, and intellectual disability (also known as mental retardation). Read the following articles to learn more about the common neurodevelopmental disorders:

High-potential

Gifted or high potential children have above average intellectual capacities for their age category (in relation to their peers). They have particularly developed capacities in the areas of abstraction, logic and forming categories. This means that their cognitive capacity responsible for Reasoning is highly efficient. A child said to be gifted, may have difficulties with cognitive capacities that are not focused on emotion, such as attentional or related to movement. They may for example, struggle with concentration or writing.

ADHD Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. People with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active. Although ADHD can’t be cured, it can be successfully managed and some symptoms may improve as the child ages. It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue, can be severe, and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends.

Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability (ID), once called mental retardation, is characterized by below-average intelligence or mental ability and a lack of skills necessary for day-to-day living. People with intellectual disabilities can and do learn new skills, but they learn them more slowly. There are varying degrees of intellectual disability, from mild to profound. Someone with intellectual disability has limitations in two areas. These areas are: Intellectual functioning. Also known as IQ, this refers to a person’s ability to learn, reason, make decisions, and solve problems. Adaptive behaviors. These are skills necessary for day-to-day life, such as being able to communicate effectively, interact with others, and take care of oneself.

Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are due to genetic and/or neurobiological factors that alter brain functioning in a manner which affects one or more cognitive processes related to learning. These processing problems can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading, writing and/or math. They can also interfere with higher level skills such as organization, time planning, abstract reasoning, long or short term memory and attention. It is important to realize that learning disabilities can affect an individual’s life beyond academics and can impact relationships with family, friends and in the workplace.

Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that it can appear in a range of forms and severity levels. The prognosis for a child with autism depends on the severity of their initial symptoms but can be influenced by early intervention and treatment. Parents often notice signs during the first three years of their child’s life. These signs often develop gradually, in addition to speech/language delays and behavioral differences, families may notice differences in the way their child interacts with peers and others.

September 5, 2022
2:41 am