Developmental disorders are a group of conditions affecting the development of children. These illnesses make the child physically and mentally challenged. Developmental disorders can hit about one in every six children in the country. Several factors contribute to these conditions. Your child may be born with developmental problems because of pregnancy complications such as uterine rupture, brain bleeding, or preterm labor.
Other times, genetics might play a role in causing such physical or mental delays. Some environmental characteristics also cause developmental disabilities, such as exposure to harsh chemicals and severe pollution. The early symptoms of developmental delays might appear as soon as the child is born or take a few years to show up. Some of the crucial concerns observed in common developmental disorders which might be helpful for parents with a special child:
1. Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is among the most common developmental disorders affecting around 760,000 children globally. It can interfere with the child’s ability to move, talk, eat, and perform routine tasks. When they grow up, these kids have to depend on a parent, guardian, or caretaker. CP varies in terms of severity.
In some cases, the damage is too much, while some kids learn to manage independently and can find ways to accomplish routine chores. The signs could appear early on when the child cannot walk properly, doesn’t clap, or is unable to talk or crawl.
The child could have muscle stiffness, lack of balance, or experience involuntary jerks in severe cases. Parents who suspect that their child may have cerebral palsy can consult the Cerebral Palsy Guide to gain detailed information about the disorder and by consulting therapists.
2. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is also a critical developmental disability. Currently, over 5.4 million children have ADHD symptoms throughout the world. A severe developmental delay affects the child’s ability to focus and pay attention to the task at hand.
As a result, they may demonstrate impulsive actions or be hyperactive. The children with ADHD have trouble making friends and may not be social. Such children also lack patience and wish to be the center of attention. They may not want to wait their turn on the playground or while playing games.
These kids talk too much, may have angry outbursts, fidget a lot, and lose things often. Additionally, kids with ADHD struggle with daydreaming, a trait that is mainly ignored or dismissed by parents.
3. Autism
Autism is a widespread developmental disorder. According to the latest reports by the CDC, about 1 in every 44 children had an autism diagnosis in 2018. Children with autism show significant delays in their communication and social skills. Such children often struggle with expected behaviors, and interacting with people can be challenging.
Autistic children lack problem-solving skills, and some might be unable to perform coordinative tasks such as memory, thinking, writing, or reading. Autistic kids prefer to stay alone, avoid making eye contact with the general public, and have difficulty making friends.
Some might repeat their words or actions again and again. A few could have problems adjusting to new changes and may retaliate badly. Autism can enhance the senses, and as a result, such children show strange reactions to intense sounds, smells, and visual triggers.
4. Depression
Another frequent developmental delay is observed in children suffering from depression. Yes, depression can attack early on in young children. Depression is an overwhelming feeling of sadness and despair. It can be so nerve-wracking that it could affect the child’s lifestyle and interfere with everyday routine tasks.
Such kids might be unable to focus on their studies and struggle with paying attention. Many of them either sleep too much or don’t sleep at all. Depression can make them feel guilty, and some children revert to self-harm to find some peace. Such children often have poor dietary habits and are prone to missing meals. You will notice they are quite irritated and angry most of the time.
5. Speech Disorder
Another severe developmental disability that doesn’t get the limelight is speech or language disorder. When children are born, they can learn languages and start recognizing and repeating words. By age 5, most children can speak fluently.
However, if your child hasn’t started talking yet despite reaching the required age threshold, he may have speech or language impediments. It affects the child’s mouth, tongue, and voice, causing difficulty producing words.
At times, they might be unable to hear words or cannot understand the meaning of certain words. The children may find it tricky to string words together to form a sentence. Stammering and stuttering are two common forms of speech impediments that inhibit the flow of spoken words.
6. Tourette Syndrome
Many people are unaware of the severeness of Tourette Syndrome as it’s not discussed often. Tourette syndrome is a developmental delay that causes involuntary tics in the person. The tics occur in the form of jerks, movements, sounds, or words. The tricky part is that these tics are unstoppable and can make one the center of attention in social gatherings or public places.
Tourette Syndrome occurs with other disorders, including anxiety, ADHD, OCD, learning issues, language impediments, intellectual delays, and even autism. Such children naturally have a problem with processing a lot of information. To accommodate socially, they may need help managing their behaviors. The sensory triggers might lead to sudden angry outbursts that include uttering a range of foul words (often noticed in teenagers and adults).
Final Thoughts
Research shows that around 10 to 15% of the children are affected around preschool age with a mental or physical disability. However, specific developmental disorders such as Alzheimer’s or other age-related illnesses appear later when the patient’s mental faculties begin to deteriorate.
Although most developmental delays are incurable, parents can get psychological help, physical therapies, and medication to manage them. The treatment depends on the severity of the conditions. Experts offer guidance on how parents can encourage their children to manage and live with these disabilities through many therapeutic tricks and psychological techniques.
While living a routine life could be challenging, it’s still possible for children with mild developmental disorders to lead a life where they’re in control of how they feel and take charge of tricky situations.