| Ideally, all children everywhere would be born innately | | | | a child's intellectual capacity or ability to learn, it may |
| healthy, both at the moment of birth and during later | | | | require special adaptations. Blindness can also have a |
| development. Unfortunately, this is not the case. | | | | number of different causes. Severity can range from |
| Many children throughout the world - even in the | | | | partially sighted to low vision to legally blind to totally |
| most "modern" countries with advanced health care - | | | | blind. Visual handicaps can create many obstacles to a |
| are born each year with medical conditions that will | | | | child's ability to grown and learn. |
| lead to disability at some point in the future. Others | | | | 5. Down Syndrome |
| develop conditions later on that also result in | | | | Down syndrome is the most common |
| difficulties in managing daily living activities and/or | | | | chromosomally-related cause of mental retardation. |
| learning activities. | | | | For unknown reasons, a child with Down syndrome |
| In the US alone, more than 4 million children under the | | | | ends up with an extra chromosome, which interferes |
| age of 18 are classified as having a disability due to a | | | | with the orderly development of the body and brain. |
| physical or mental health impairment. | | | | Some of the more common signs of Downs are poor |
| Let's take a look at some of the more common | | | | muscle tone, slanted eyes with folds of skin at the |
| conditions that can lead to disability in children. | | | | inner corners, short, broad hands and feet, and a |
| 1. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) | | | | short neck with a small head. Children with Down |
| AD/HD is a disorder that makes it hard for children to | | | | syndrome may also have other health problems. |
| sit still, control their behavior, and pay attention. It is | | | | There tends to be a wide variation in mental and |
| usually diagnosed before the age of 7, but not | | | | physical abilities among the Down population, but early |
| always. Doctors aren't sure what causes AD/HD, but | | | | intervention is the best course of action to prevent |
| studies support the theory that it is related to an | | | | as much disability as possible. |
| imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain called | | | | 6. Learning Disabilities |
| neurotransmitters. There is no quick treatment for | | | | Learning disability is a term that means the child has |
| AD/HD, but the symptoms can be managed. | | | | trouble learning and using specific skills. Some of the |
| 2. Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) | | | | more common skills affected are reading, writing, |
| Autism is a kind of PDD. Aspergers Syndrome is | | | | speaking, reasoning, and doing math. Learning |
| closely related as well. The US Disabilities Education | | | | disabilities can vary greatly from child to child. Experts |
| Act defines autism as, "a developmental disability | | | | believe that learning disabilities are caused by |
| significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal | | | | differences in how a person's brain works and how it |
| communication and social interaction, generally evident | | | | processes information. Children with learning disabilities |
| before age 3, that adversely affects a child's | | | | are not stupid or lazy. Indeed, they often have |
| educational performance." Children with autism have a | | | | average or even above average intelligence. There is |
| wide range of abilities, intelligence, and behaviors. | | | | no cure, but children can be taught to work around |
| Early diagnosis is important. Again, experts are not | | | | their disability and learn successfully. |
| sure what causes autism, but the symptoms can be | | | | 7. Speech and Language Impairments |
| managed. Many children who have autism grow up to | | | | Speech and language impairments refer to problems |
| be productive, functioning adults. | | | | in communication and related areas such as oral |
| 3. Cerebral Palsy (CP) | | | | motor function. Causes can include hearing loss, |
| CP is a condition resulting from an injury to the part | | | | neurological disorders, brain injury and cleft lip/palate. |
| of the brain that controls the nerves and muscles. | | | | Timely intervention will usually prevent severe |
| This injury can occur before birth, during delivery, or | | | | disability as a result of speech impairments. |
| shortly after birth. CP can be mild, moderate or | | | | 8. Spina Bifida |
| severe. Disability can range from being slightly clumsy | | | | One of the most common "birth defects," spina bifida |
| to being confined to a wheelchair. Children with CP | | | | is an incomplete closure of the spinal column during a |
| can have learning disabilities, sensory problems, and | | | | baby's development while still in the womb. It can |
| sometimes mental retardation. | | | | range from mild to severe, with the degree of |
| 4. Sensory Problems | | | | disability corresponding. Symptoms can include muscle |
| Sensory problems can include both hearing impairment | | | | weakness, poor bowel and bladder control, and a |
| (deafness) and blindness. Hearing loss can occur at | | | | buildup of fluid in the brain. With therapy and |
| any time, from infancy on. The causes vary widely. | | | | adaptations, children with spina bifida are usually able |
| Although a hearing loss in and of itself doesn't affect | | | | to function in their environments successfully. |