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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. Children with ASD may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of children with ASD can range - as can the level of assistance one may need in their daily lives.
Signs and symptoms of ASD begin during early childhood and typically last throughout a person’s life. Signs/symptoms can include not pointing at objects to show interest, having trouble relating to others or not having an interest in other people at all, avoiding eye contact, difficulty understanding other people’s feelings or talking about and expressing their own feelings, preferring not to be held or cuddled, appearing to be unaware when people talk to them, but respond to other sounds, repeating or echoing words or phrases said to them, having trouble adapting when a routine changes, and losing skills they once had.
Receiving intervention services early significantly impacts a child’s development. Occupational therapy services can help a child with ASD improve their fine motor, visual motor, self-help skills, emotion regulation skills and sensory processing for optimal functioning in daily tasks.
For more information on Autism, please see:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
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Down Syndrome is a genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome, number 21. It is also referred to as Trisomy 21. This extra genetic material causes delays, from mild to severe, physically and mentally.
Some physical characteristics typically seen in children with Down Syndrome are: flat facial profile, upward eye slant, small ears, decreased creases in the palm of the hand, white spots on the iris in the eye, small hands and feet, and protruding tongue.
Hypotonia or low muscle tone is normally seen with Down Syndrome. This interferes with sucking for feeding as well as gross and fine motor development. Delays in speech, self-care skills, and cognition are often seen as well.
About half of children born with Down Syndrome have a congenital heart defect. They have increased risk of pulmonary hypertension. Half also have difficulties with hearing or vision (cataracts, glaucoma). Also, thyroid disease and gastrointestinal problems and upper neck abnormalities (instability of the upper cervical spine) often plague those born with Down Syndrome.
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“Cerebral” means brain and “palsy” refers to muscle weakness and poor muscle control. Cerebral Palsy is a problem with movement and posture that makes certain activities difficult. Cerebral palsy involves at least one limb as well as the trunk. It can be accompanied by speech and language delays, seizure disorders, cognitive deficits, and vision or hearing issues.
Cerebral Palsy occurs most often due to prematurity, low birth weight, maternal infection, decreased oxygen during birth, or severe jaundice. Overall, 70% of cerebral palsy is due to a prenatal cause, 20% occurs during birth, and 10% occurs after birth due to a brain infection or head injury.
It is not a disease. It is not progressive and it is not contagious. This means that the brain will not get worse. The signs and symptoms usually improve with treatment. Therapy plays a major role in the lives of children with cerebral palsy. Treatment has immediate and life-long effects and can be cost effective (Olney & Wright, 1994).
Children who receive the right therapy early on often have better outcomes. Treatment of children is specialized. Good therapy not only helps the child, but also has a positive influence on the child’s family, school, community (King et al, 1998).
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All children develop differently. Two children who are born on the same day may achieve a gross motor skill such as rolling, sitting, crawling, or walking months apart. A developmental delay refers to a child not reaching their developmental milestones at or around the expected times.
Delays can be in a number of different areas: gross motor (crawling, walking), fine motor (holding their bottle, picking up cheerios), speech (making sounds or understanding when they are spoken to), social, and cognitive.
Developmental delays may be caused by complications during pregnancy or birth, due to genetic reasons, due to hearing loss or excessive ear infections, and sometimes the reason is unknown.
Parents are often the first ones to notice that their child is not doing what their friend’s children or their older siblings were doing at a certain age. They then often bring it to the attention of their pediatrician. Some pediatricians will take a “wait and see approach” and others will recommend that the child get a developmental evaluation or screening. This can be performed by a developmental pediatrician or by a therapy team consisting of of physical https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.htmltherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, educators, and psychologists.
Treatment is physical and/or occupational therapy with a therapist who specializes in pediatric therapy.
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Dyspraxia is a condition that affects a child’s ability to coordinate movement in order to successfully follow through with a task. In other words, the child’s body is unable to do what the child’s brain tells it to do. This results in clumsy, disorganized movements and difficulty learning new skills. Dyspraxia also includes difficulties with ideation or the ability to come up with the plan in order to successfully complete a task or movement. This makes lots of everyday activities for children with dyspraxia difficult.
Symptoms of children with dyspraxia can include being clumsy, bumping into things, difficulties with jumping or skipping, difficulties with right/left hand dominance, difficulties with fine motor grasp, difficulty with fasteners, poor hand-eye coordination, struggles with sports, difficulty planning tasks, and difficulty with organization.
Occupational therapists treat children with dyspraxia. By incorporating a variety of traditional and non-traditional (i.e., sensory integration, reflex integration, auditory interventions) treatment approaches, occupational therapy has been successful with addressing children’s dyspraxia and assisting them with improving their overall skill set for optimal functioning in all environments.
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Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is the inability to use information received through the senses in order to function optimally in daily life. People rely on information from 8 sensory systems including auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, vestibular, proprioception and interception to function smoothly. If one or more of the senses are not taking in information efficiently, a person can be overly sensitive to stimuli that other people are not or require more stimuli to react appropriately. Like many conditions, the symptoms of sensory processing disorder exist on a spectrum and vary depending on which sensory system (or systems) is impacted.
Some common symptoms of SPD can include clothing feeling scratchy or itchy, lights being too bright, sounds being too loud, being afraid to play on the swings, or difficulty touching or eating certain textures. Alternatively, symptoms of SPD can also present as difficulty sitting still, always “on the go,” a thrill seeker or risk taker, slow to respond to noises, or unaware when their face is messy or their nose is running. Finally, others with sensory processing disorder may be uncoordinated, bump into things or not recognize personal space, be unaware of where their body is in space, be hard to engage in conversation or play, “act out” in a disruptive way, or have trouble figuring out how to negotiate obstacles in their environment.
People can present with a mixture of symptoms and symptoms can vary throughout the day based on environmental stimuli and in different situations.
Occupational therapists commonly see and treat children with sensory processing disorder. Because SPD can be a primary contributor to poor motor and visual processing skills, treatment depends on a child's individual needs and involves helping the child do better at activities that are hard for them.
Treatment for sensory processing dysfunction is called sensory integration and is provided by an occupational therapist who is knowledgeable and skilled in the area. The goal of sensory integration is to challenge a child in a fun, playful way so they can learn to respond appropriately and function more optimally at home, in school and in the community. The sensory systems that are not processing information efficiently are targeted with the use of a variety of specialty equipment, modalities and techniques fostering appropriate adaptive responses for improved function. Additional treatment protocols such as The Listening Program, Integrated Listening Systems (iLs), Wilbarger’s Brushing/Joint Compression protocol, and astronaut training may be incorporated into the treatment plan.
Many children have symptoms like those described from time to time. But therapists consider a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder when the symptoms become severe enough to affect normal functioning and disrupt everyday life.
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ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that significantly impair functioning and development.
ADHD is characterized by:
Inattentiveness , hyperactivity, impulsivity, executive functioning deficits, cognitive inflexibility, working memory deficits, difficulties with time management and organization, emotional dysregulation, and motor restlessness.
Overall, ADHD is a complex disorder characterized by a range of cognitive and physical characteristics that significantly impact individuals' daily functioning and quality of life. Effective management of ADHD often involves a multimodal approach, including occupational therapy, behavioral interventions, educational support, and medication as deemed necessary.
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