Definitions of DisabilitiesAlcoholism – abuse of alcohol, dependency on alcohol
Alternative names: alcohol dependence; habitual alcohol use Definition A chronic illness marked by uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages that interferes with physical or mental health, and social, family, or occupational responsibilities. Symptoms:
Note: Symptoms may vary. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms: (may vary from mild to severe):
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
Allergies - A hypersensitivity to foreign substances, which are normally harmless, but produce a violent reaction in the allergy sufferer. Allergies are generally the body's effort to eliminate something that it considers unsuitable. Typical allergic reactions are hay fever, migraine, asthma, allergic rhinitis, digestive disturbances, coeliac disease, conjunctivitis, urticaria, eczema, drowsiness, CFS, hyperactivity in children, tinnitus, recurrent sinusitis and ear infections. There are different types of Allergies, the most common being type 1. When an allergen encounters cells capable of antibody formation, they then form IgE antibodies, which bind to the surface of other cells, called mast cells and basophils. In response to the attachment those cells release chemicals, called mediators of anaphylaxis, among them histamine. Those chemicals cause allergic reactions such as swelling or the secretion of mucus. Almost any substance can be an allergen for an individual. Common allergens include certain foods, especially milk, wheat and eggs, pollens, dust, moulds, cosmetics and certain food additives. An Allergy is not the same as intolerance. Allergies always involve the immune system, whereas intolerance, e.g. lactose intolerance, is caused by a lack of lactase, the enzyme that converts lactose into glucose. Aspergers Syndrome (AS) - a neurobiological disorder, which most researchers feel, falls at the "high-end" of the Autistic Spectrum. Individuals with AS can have symptoms ranging from mild to severe. While sharing many of the same characteristics as PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified) and HFA (High-Functioning Autism), AS is a relatively new term in the United States, having only recently being officially recognized as a diagnosis by the medical community. Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and related disorders exhibit serious deficiencies in social and communication skills. They often have obsessive repetitive routines and preoccupations with a particular subject. Because of their high degree of functionality and their naivete, those with AS are often viewed by their peers as odd, and are frequently a target for bullying. Characteristics - Children with these diagnoses exhibit serious and chronic social, behavioral and communicative impairments. Not every child is the same but some characteristics may be:
They may have:
Asthma is a reaction, usually allergic, characterized by attacks of wheezing and difficult breathing, particularly exhaling. Asthma attacks are brought on by muscular spasm of the passages conveying air to and within the lungs (bronchi). The mucus membranes that line the respiratory passageways may become irritated and secrete massive amounts of mucus, which narrows the airways and worsens the asthma attack. Most asthmatics have allergies to foods, especially milk, food additives or airborne substances such as dust, pollen and moulds.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) – "a neurological condition that affects learning and behavior and occurs in approximately 5% to 10% of the population. Symptoms of the disorder may include attention deficits, impulsivity, hyperactivity, mood swings, low frustration tolerance, and difficulty falling asleep at night. Some people may daydream, some may have difficulty completing tasks,
A. Either (1) or (2): (1) Inattention: At least six of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least six months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:
(2) Hyperactivity-impulsivity: At least five of the following symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have persisted for at least six months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level: Hyperactivity
Impulsivity
Cerebral Palsy Note: All of the following information has been taken from http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Sauna/4441/cond.html . Cerebral Palsy – is a group of disorders whose major feature is brain damage. Most of the time this damage is done before/during or shortly after birth and is due to anoxia. Cerebral Palsy can also be caused by a brain injury that would occur due to a fall down stairs or car accident, however when this is the cause it is more commonly called Traumatic Brain Injury not Cerebral Palsy. There are four types of CP: Spastic, Athetoid, Ataxic, and Mixed. Tight muscles characterize spastic CP. In Athetoid CP involuntary movements are present. Ataxic CP occurs when the Cerebellum has been damaged, thus causing lack of coordination and jerky movements. It is possible to have a mix of all three types (Spastic/Athetoid/Ataxic). Statistics will say that mixed CP accounts for 10% of all cases of cerebral palsy, but the actual percentage may be more. Prenatal Causes (Shortly before birth and 1-4 weeks after birth)
Causes of Acquired Cerebral Palsy
Deafness More than 28 million Americans have impaired hearing. Levels of hearing impairment vary from a mild, but important, loss of sensitivity to a total loss of hearing. The largest group of Americans suffering from hearing loss is the elderly. Age-related hearing loss affects 30 to 35 percent of the United States population between the ages of 65 and 75 years and 40 percent of the population over the age of 75. The most common cause of hearing loss in children is otitis media, a disorder that predominately affects infants and young children. A substantial number of hearing impairments are caused by environmental factors such as noise, drugs, and toxins. Many acquired sensorineural hearing losses may result from a genetic predisposition. Otitis media An infection or inflammation of the middle ear. This inflammation often begins when infections that cause sore throats, colds, or other respiratory or breathing problems spread to the middle ear. Seventy-five percent of children experience at least one episode of otitis media by their third birthday. Almost half of these children will have three or more ear infections during their first three years. It is estimated that medical costs and lost wages because of otitis media amount to $5 billion* a year in the United States. Although otitis media is primarily a disease of infants and young children, it can also affect adults. *Gates GA, Cost-effectiveness Considerations in Otitis Media Treatment, Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 114 (4), April 1996, 525-530. What causes otitis media? Otitis media usually results from a bacterial or viral infection secondary to a cold, sore throat or other respiratory problem. Dyscalculia - A severe difficulty in understanding and using symbols or functions needed for success in mathematics. Dysgraphia - A severe difficulty in producing handwriting that is legible and written at an age appropriate speed. Dyslexia - Also known as reading disorder, is marked by reading achievement (e.g., reading accuracy, speed and comprehension as measured by standardized tests) that falls substantially below that expected given the individuals chronological age, measured intelligence, and age appropriate education (DSM-IV, Dyslexia). Dysomnia - A marked difficulty in remembering names and recalling words needed for oral and written language. Dyspraxia - A severe difficulty in performing drawing, writing, buttoning, and other tasks requiring fine motor skills, or in sequencing the necessary movements. Language Disorder - disorders that affect the way people talk and understand. These disorders may range from simple sound substitutions to not being able to use speech and language at all.
Causes Related to hearing loss, cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular disorders, severe head injury, stroke, viral disease, mental retardation, certain drugs, physical impairments such as cleft lip or palate, vocal abuse or misuse, and inadequate speech and language models; frequently, however, the cause is unknown. Warning Signs A disorder might be suspected when a person’s speech or language s markedly different from that of others of the same age, sex, or ethnic group; when a person’s speech and/or language is difficult to understand; when a person is overly concerned about his or her own speech; or when a person frequently avoids communicating with others. Learned Helplessness - A tendency to be a passive learner Learning Disability - He or she learns differently than most people. Learning is more difficult than it is for most people. It is diagnosed under four criteria:
Symptoms of Learning Disabilities
Migraines - According to the National Headache Foundation "All migraine headaches are characterized by severe pain, and in many cases, nausea, vomiting, tremor, cold hands, sensitivity to light (photosensitivity) and sound (phonosensitivity)." All migraines are one sided and the pain is throbbing or pulsating in nature. The pain can be moderate to severe and can last an hour or days, weeks and in extreme cases over a month. There are different kinds of migraines. These include classic, common, and transformed. The difference between a classic migraine and a common one is that with a classic migraine the migraine you get a warning of some kind prior to the migraine. It may be a visual disturbance, a ringing in the ears or even just a feeling. This is called an aura. Other times the migraine can come on like a freight train, that kind is the common migraine. A transformed migraine is a tension headache that turns into a migraine. Perceptual Handicap - Difficulty in accurately processing, organizing, and discriminating among visual, auditory, and tactile information. Reading Disability - Dyslexia is a kind of mind. Very often it is a gifted mind, but it is a mind that is physiologically different. This brain difference is not a defect, but it makes learning language excessively hard. The manifestations of dyslexia are two-fold. On one hand a child with a dyslexic mind will have trouble from the very beginning learning to understand speech and make himself understood. Because his mind cannot easily recall words, the dyslexic child may have to describe what he wants--"Oh, you know, that thing we use to write with..." instead of "pencil." The mind of a dyslexic child will often have trouble sequencing, so the words will get twisted --- "basgetti, mellow, aminals" or spoken in the wrong order, "please up hurry!" When a child enters school he may struggle with the positioning of letters that distinguishes a "p" from a "d" from a "b." "Was" becomes "saw," "pet" can be read as "bet." Even in upper grades, the dyslexic mind may read "nuclear" as "unclear." What makes dyslexia difficult to recognize is that many of its characteristics are a natural part of the maturing process of young children. It is when a child gets "stuck" in these stages and they last longer than normal, that parents and teachers need to recognize a potential difficulty. On the other hand the dyslexic mind may have tremendous musical ability that allows a child to sing or play an instrument easily or at an early age. The child with a dyslexic mind may be able to build whole cities with tiny interlocking blocks and no directions, or solve three-dimensional puzzles without difficulty. Many of our most gifted athletes have dyslexic minds that can "see" the entire field of play and the relative position of all the players simultaneously. Because it relies more on language skills than these other gifts, school very quickly becomes a nightmare of frustration for a dyslexic child. Because a dyslexic mind cannot learn whole words by sight, a dyslexic child has trouble learning to read by traditional methods. Organizing his desk or homework assignments or holding a pencil correctly will be hard work. The child sees his peers succeeding while he is failing. Because he is bright, he knows something is wrong. If parents and teachers fail to recognize and respond to his struggle, he becomes afraid. This fear can cause him to act out inappropriately. Often the child appears to be lazy, not trying hard enough, or just slow. In fact, the dyslexic child's mind is working harder to fill in the gaps between what he actually sees, hears and feels in the outer world, and how he thinks about these things in his head and puts them into words. The dyslexic mind needs more help in sorting, recognizing, and organizing the raw materials of language for reading and spelling. Some "red flag" behaviors that may indicate that a dyslexic mind is at work are:
Specific Language Difficulty - a severe difficulty in some aspect of listening, speaking reading, writing, and spelling, while skills in other areas are age appropriate. Traumatic BrainInjury (TBI) – generally refers to any injury to the brain resulting from the application of external forces to the skull. TBI possibly entails the loss of memory, vision, communication and mobility. Personality changes can also be a result of a brain injury. Possible ways to have a Brain Injury
Types of Brain Damage
Results of TBI
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