Davidson Homes - serving people with developmental disabilities

Here is some information on various developmental disabilities that you may find useful.

What is Developmental Disability?

A "developmental disability" is a severe, chronic disability of a person five years of age or older which --
1. is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental or physical impairments;
2. is manifested before the person attains age twenty-two;
3. is likely to continue indefinitely;
4. results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity:
A) self-care,
B) receptive and expressive language,
C) learning,
D) mobility,
E) self-direction,
F) capacity for independent living, and
G) economic self-sufficiency and
5. reflects the person's need for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary, or generic care, treatment, or other services which are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated, (except that such term, when applied to infants and young children means individuals from birth to age 5, inclusive, who have substantial developmental delay or specific congenital or acquired conditions with a high probability of resulting in developmental disabilities if services are not provided).

Examples of developmental disabilities include children and adults with a wide range of diagnoses, including mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, spinal cord injury and severe head injury, so long as the condition began before age 22 and therefore affected the person's development.

The above definition is taken from the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act).

Mental Retardation

From the JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association)

Mental retardation means having lower than normal intellectual functioning with limitations in adaptive functioning. Mental retardation occurs in people of all races and ethnicities and is the most common developmental disorder, affecting about 1% of the general population. People with mental retardation score low on intelligence (IQ) tests, but the effects on day-to-day functioning depend on the severity of the retardation and associated impairments. Children with mild severity (about 85% of those with mental retardation) usually learn to talk and achieve independence in self-care, although their developmental rate is slower than normal.

Causes of Mental Retardation
Mental retardation can have many different causes, but sometimes there is no apparent cause.
· Genetic causes include Down syndrome that results from the child having an extra copy of chromosome 21, and fragile X syndrome that results from an abnormal X chromosome.
· Metabolic disorders are problems in breaking down or disposing of certain chemicals in the body. For example, phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder that can cause brain damage and mental retardation unless the diet is modified to restrict intake of a substance called phenylalanine.
· Infections during pregnancy can increase the risk of delivering a baby with mental retardation. Viruses like rubella can cause mental retardation in addition to hearing and visual problems in the baby.
· Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Children with FASD have a range of physical problems and mental retardation. Taking certain other drugs during pregnancy can sometimes cause mental retardation.
· Damage to the brain after birth due to lack of oxygen, physical trauma, or malnutrition can cause mental retardation.

Prevention
Not all types of mental retardation can be prevented, but some can. For some mental retardation syndromes, genetic testing before conception can let parents know their chances of passing certain genes on to their children. Just because a parent carries a particular gene associated with retardation does not necessarily mean that his or her children will be mentally retarded. Talking to a genetic counselor can help parents make decisions about having children and about further testing.
· Keep immunizations (yours and your children's) up to date.
· Eat nutritious, balanced meals during pregnancy. Take a multivitamin and have regular prenatal care.
· Do not drink alcohol or do drugs while pregnant or if you may become pregnant.
· Get genetic counseling if you have a family history of a genetic disorder.
· Make sure children wear helmets when participating in certain sports such as biking or skating.

Quality of Life
Children with mental retardation can lead fulfilling lives. Early intervention programs can help children with mental retardation acquire basic self-care and socialization skills. Children with mental retardation may be placed in classrooms with their peers without mental retardation and receive special help from classroom aides. Depending on the severity of their mental retardation, adults with mental retardation may live alone, with roommates, or in group homes with some supervision, based on how much help they need. Severely mentally retarded adults may live in community care homes that provide daily supports.

What is Autism?

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

Autism is one of five disorders coming under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development," including social interaction and communications skills (DSM-IV-TR). The five disorders under PDD are Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Rett's Disorder, and PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Each of these disorders has specific diagnostic criteria as outlined by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in its Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).

Prevalence of Autism
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 2 to 6 per 1,000 individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001). This means that as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism.
And that number is on the rise. Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a rate of 10-17 percent per year. At these rates, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.

The overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, but is four times more prevalent in boys than girls. Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries, and family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism's occurrence.

Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome is the most common genetically inherited form of mental retardation currently known. In addition to intellectual disability, some individuals with Fragile X display common physical traits and characteristic facial features, such as prominent ears. Children with Fragile X often appear normal in infancy but develop typical physical characteristics during their lifetime. Mental impairment may range from mild learning disability and hyperactivity to severe mental retardation and autism. This genetic syndrome is caused by a defect on the X chromosome. Because of scientific advances, improvements in genetic testing, and increased awareness, the number of children diagnosed with Fragile X has increased significantly over the last decade.