Overview of Developmental Disabilities

Muskingum County Board of Developmental Disabilities New Employee Orientation Overview of Developmental Disabilities MCBDD serves individuals with many different types of developmental disabilities. Listed below are just a few developmental disabilities that you may become aware of while working with individuals in our Program. Developmental Disability Developmental disabilities are a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. People with developmental disabilities have problems with major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living. Developmental disabilities begin anytime during development up to 22 years of age and last throughout a person’s lifetime. Intellectual Disability Intellectual disability is characterized both by a significantly below-average score on a test of mental ability or intelligence and by limitations in the ability to function in areas of daily life, such as communication, self-care, and getting along in social situations and school activities. Intellectual disability is sometimes referred to as a cognitive disability. Children with intellectual disability can and do learn new skills, but they develop more slowly than children with average intelligence and adaptive skills. There are different degrees of intellectual disability, ranging from mild to profound. A person's level of intellectual disability can be defined by their intelligence quotient (IQ), or by the types and amount of support they need. People with intellectual disability may have other disabilities as well. Examples of these coexisting conditions include cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, vision impairment, hearing loss, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with severe intellectual disability are more likely to have additional disabilities than are children with mild Intellectual disability. Developmental Delay Developmental Delays refer to conditions that represent a significant delay in the process of child development. The delays may involve cognitive, physical, communicative, social/emotional, and adaptive areas of development. Without special intervention, these delays may affect the educational performance of the child. Established Risk An established risk involving early aberrant development related to diagnosed medical disorders, such as infants and toddlers who are on a ventilator, are adversely affected by drug exposure, or have a diagnosed medical disorder or physical or mental condition known to result in developmental delay such as Down syndrome. Determining Eligibility for Starlight Program’s services: Children under 3 years of age must have at least 1 developmental delay or an established risk; Children 3- 6 years of age must have, at least 2 developmental delays or an established risk; Children 6 -16 years of age must have a substantial functional limitation area as determined through completion of the "Children’s Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument" (COEDI) in at least 3 of the following areas of major life activity, as appropriate for their age: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and, if the person is at least age sixteen, capacity for economic self-sufficiency. Individuals Ages 16 and older A substantial functional limitation in a major life area as determined through completion of the "Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument" (OEDI) in at least 4 of the following areas of major life activity, as appropriate for their age: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and, if the person is at least age sixteen, capacity for economic self-sufficiency. Developmental Disabilities Autism Disorder There are three different types of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Autistic Disorder (also called “classic” autism) this is what most people think of when hearing the word “autism.” People with autistic disorder usually have significant language delays, social and communication challenges, and unusual behaviors and interests. Many people with autistic disorder also have intellectual disability. Asperger Syndrome People with Asperger syndrome usually have some milder symptoms of autistic disorder. They might have social challenges and unusual behaviors and interests. However, they typically do not have problems with language or intellectual disability. Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS; also called “atypical autism”) People who meet some of the criteria for autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome, but not all, may be diagnosed with PDD-NOS. People with PDD-NOS usually have fewer and milder symptoms than those with autistic disorder. The symptoms might cause only social and communication challenges. Cerebral Palsy Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and to maintain balance and posture. It is due to a non-progressive brain abnormality, which means that it does not get worse over time, though the exact symptoms can change over a person's lifetime. People with cerebral palsy have damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle tone. Muscle tone is the amount of resistance to movement in a muscle. It is what lets you keep your body in a certain posture or position. For example, it lets you sit up straight and keep your head up. Changes in muscle tone let you move. For example, to bring your hand to your face, the tone in your biceps muscle at the front of your arm must increase while the tone in the triceps muscle at the back of your arm must decrease. The tone in different muscle groups must be balanced for you to move smoothly. There are four main types of cerebral palsy - spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed. Spastic: People with spastic cerebral palsy have increased muscle tone. Their muscles are stiff. Their movements can be awkward. Seventy to eighty percent of people with cerebral palsy have spasticity. Spastic cerebral palsy is usually described further by what parts of the body are affected. In spastic diplegia, the main effect is found in both legs. In spastic hemiplegia, one side of the person's body is affected. Spastic quadriplegia affects a person's whole body (face, trunk, legs, and arms). Athetoid or dyskinetic: People with athetoid cerebral palsy have slow, writhing movements that they cannot control. The movements usually affect a person's hands, arms, feet, and legs. Sometimes the face and tongue are affected and the person has a hard time talking. Muscle tone can change from day to day and can vary even during a single day. Ten to twenty percent of people with cerebral palsy have the athetoid form of the condition. Ataxic: People with ataxic cerebral palsy have problems with balance and depth perception. They might be unsteady when they walk. They might have a hard time with quick movements or movements that need a lot of control, like writing. They might have a hard time controlling their hands or arms when they reach for something. People with ataxic cerebral palsy can have increased or decreased muscle tone. Five to ten percent of people with cerebral palsy have ataxia. Mixed: Some people have more than one type of cerebral palsy. The most common pattern is spasticity plus athetoid movements. The symptoms of cerebral palsy vary from person to person. Symptoms can also change over time. A person with severe cerebral palsy might not be able to walk and might need lifelong care. A person with mild cerebral palsy, on the other hand, might walk a little awkwardly, but might not need any special help. People with cerebral palsy can have other disabilities as well. Examples of these conditions include seizure disorders, vision impairment, hearing loss, and intellectual disabilities. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) is the name given to a group of conditions that a person can have if that person’s mother drank alcohol while she was pregnant. These conditions include physical and intellectual disabilities, as well as problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person has a mix of these problems. FASDs are a leading known cause of intellectual disability and birth defects. FASDs are caused by a woman’s drinking alcohol while she is pregnant. There is no known amount of alcohol that is safe to drink while pregnant. All drinks that contain alcohol can harm an unborn baby. There is no safe time to drink during pregnancy. Alcohol can harm a baby at any time during pregnancy. So, to prevent FASDs, a woman should not drink alcohol while she is pregnant, or even when she might get pregnant. FASDs are 100% preventable. If a woman doesn’t drink alcohol while she is pregnant, her child will not have an FASD. Signs of FASDs can be physical or intellectual. That means they can affect the mind or the body, or both. Because FASDs make up a group of disorders, people with FASDs can show a wide range and mix of signs. Physical signs of FASDs can include abnormal facial features such as narrow eye openings and a smooth philtrum (the ridge between the upper lip and nose), small head size, short stature, and low body weight. Rarely, problems with the heart, kidneys, bones, or hearing might be present. Intellectual and behavioral signs of FASDs might include problems with memory, judgment or impulse control, motor skills, academics (especially in math), paying attention, and low IQ. Specific learning disabilities are also possible. Down Syndrome Down syndrome is a condition in which a baby is born with an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body. They determine how a baby’s body forms during pregnancy and how, as the baby grows in the womb and after birth, the baby’s body functions. Normally, a baby is born with 46 chromosomes. Babies born with Down syndrome have an extra copy of one of these chromosomes. This extra copy changes the body’s and brain’s normal development and causes mental and physical problems for the baby. Even though people with Down syndrome might have some physical and mental features in common, symptoms of Down syndrome can range from mild to severe.

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