Although it can often be challenging to raise kids with ADHD, it is important to remember they aren’t “bad”, “acting out,” or being difficult on purpose.   

Autism

Autism is a severe disorder marked by unresponsive or bizarre reactions to other people and the environment.  Usually it becomes apparent before the child reaches the age of 30 months. 

Bipolar Affective Disorder

Patients suffering with bipolar affective disorder, also called manic-depression disorder, experience alternation periods of depression (sadness) and mania (extreme joy and over activity).  The disorder generally occurs between the ages of 20 and 35. 

Cerebral Palsy (CP)

Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of crippling in children, resulting from pre-natal or post-natal damage to the brain or brain stem.  Seizures, speech disorders and disjointed gait are common.  Also, forty percent of the children with cerebral palsy are mentally impaired.

Cystic Fibrosis

 Cystic fibrosis is a common hereditary disease in which the cells of certain glands in the body secrete large amounts of abnormally thick mucus.  Many of the body’s organs can be damaged by accumulation of this mucus, particularly the lungs, liver and pancreas.  About 50 percent of affected children die by the age of 16.

Developmental Delay

Developmental delay is when a child does not reach their developmental milestones at the expected times.  It is an ongoing, major delay in the process of development. 

Down Syndrome

Down syndrome, a disorder caused by an abnormal number of chromosomes, produces mental retardation, abnormal facial features and other physical problems. 

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a condition of the brain characterized by recurrent seizures.  Epilepsy affects two percent of the population; however, the prognosis is good if the person with epilepsy adheres strictly to prescribed treatment.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause a spectrum of disorders.  FAS is characterized by abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and central nervous system problems.  People with FAS may have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, and/or hearing.

Learning Disabilities (LD)

Learning disabilities are disorders that affect the ability to understand or use spoken or written language, do mathematical calculations, coordinate movements, or direct attention. 

Mental Retardation

Mental retardation is defined as a significantly below-average intelligence, resulting in adaptive behavior problems.  An estimated 3 percent of the United States population is mentally retarded.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Those with OCD act as though their brain gets stuck on a particular thought or urge and just can’t let go.  OCD is a medial brain disorder that cases problems in information processing. 

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)

PDD refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of socialization and communication skills.  Symptoms may include problems with using and understanding language; difficulty relating to people, objects, and events; unusual play with toys and objects; difficulty with changes in routine or familiar surroundings, and repetitive body movements or behavior patterns.  Children with PDD vary widely in abilities, intelligence, and behaviors.

Phenylketonuria

This is a genetic disorder  which results in brain damage and mental retardation.  An infant usually appears normal at birth, but slowed brain development begins to show by four months of age. It’s important for parents and children to receive emotional support and counseling.  Besides the mental retardation, these children have increased muscle tone and an awkward gait.  If this disorder is detected early enough, brain damage can be minimized; if not, irreversible damage will occur by the age of two or three.

Rett Syndrome

Rett Syndrome is a neurological disorder that only occurs in girls.  Development appears normal until about six to eighteen months of age.  A period of stagnation or regression follows, during which the child loses purposeful use of the hands, replacing it with repetitive hand movements which become almost constant while awake.  Intellectual development appears to be severely delayed, but true intelligence is difficult to measure.

Sensory Integration (SI)

The senses work together.  Each sense works with the others to form a composite picture of who we are physically, where we are, and what is going on all around us.  Sensory Integration is the critical function of our brains that is responsible for producing this composite picture.  It’s the organization of sensory information for on-going use.

Spina Bifida

Spina Bifida is characterized by one or more vertebrae not developing completely and enclosing the spinal cord.  A section of the spinal cord sticks out of the resulting gap in the spine.  This section of the cord remains undeveloped, as do the nerves that connect it to the lower part of the body. Spina bifida may result in paralysis and bladder and bowel failure.  Successful treatment requires a surgical closure of the gap and continual assessment as the child grows.

Tourette’s Syndrome

This syndrome is a movement disorder.  It is marked by violent twitching or convulsive movements of the face, arms and other body parts.  Bizarre vocalizations (explosive sounds, compulsive shouting or obscene words) are also common in Tourette’s victims.  Patients with this disorder suffer embarrassment and guilt.  Although drug treatment is effective in controlling the tics and vocalizations, patients and their families need reassurance and emotional support.