Developmental disabilities encompass a large group of issues that children and adults face; they are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a "diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments." Many disabilities fall under this umbrella, and they usually result in a permanent disability the child must live with all of his life. They must be diagnosed during the child's developmental period. Children with these disabilities may lead relatively normal lives, requiring little to no intervention, while some may require extensive intervention and accommodation.
Definition
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists developmental disabilities as those that fall under fall under one of a few categories, including the autism spectrum (which includes all levels of functioning within autism), cerebral palsy (a disability affecting the use of muscles), hearing loss, visual impairments, degenerative disorders (such as muscular dystrophy in which muscles gradually lose their use) and intellectual disability (any disease or condition that slows down the child's brain development, such as Down syndrome or Fragile X syndrome). These diseases or disabilities must be diagnosed during development, from infancy to 21 years of age.
Types
The Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Study (MADDS), the first major study on the prevalence of developmental disabilities in children, created criteria for each developmental delay. This criteria says an intellectual disability is classified as testing an IQ (intelligence quotient) of less than 70. Cerebral palsy is qualified by MADDS as: "The impairment of motor function may result in paresis, involuntary movement, or incoordination." Motor disorders are classified as "disorders that result from progressive diseases of the brain, and motor disorders due to spinal cord abnormalities or injuries are not included." Hearing loss must average 40 decibels or worse, vision impairment much be 20/200 or worse vision with correction. Those with epilepsy must have suffered from two grand mal seizures in their lifetime in order to be considered a developmental disability by MADDS.
Statistics
According to MADDS, 10 percent of school-age children suffer from a developmental disability. Because of the range of the disabilities, it is difficult to pin down exact numbers, however wrongdiagnosis.com estimates that 5,000 children with Down syndrome are born each year (attributed to Association for Children with Down Syndrome) and one in 500 people suffer from autism (statistic attributed to the National Institute of Mental Health), which is almost always diagnosed during the developmental period. Dr. Spock estimates that most autistic children are diagnosed between the ages of two and three.
Prevention
Although many developmental disabilities cannot be prevented, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that jaundice/kernicterus, which can lead to brain damage in newborns, is preventable. If you suspect your baby has jaundice, early intervention can prevent developmental disabilities. In addition, education programs about the use of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy can help further prevent developmental disabilities caused by the use of such substances. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommend early screening by a health care professional in order to make the most of early detection and intervention. However, many developmental disabilities cannot be prevented because there is no known cause for the disability (as in autism), or the disability is hereditary (with Down syndrome).
Defining Disabilities to Your Students
If you have a student who has been integrated into a non-special education classroom and has a developmental disability, it is a good idea to keep the lines of communication open between you, his parents, his doctors and the other students in his class. Some students with developmental disabilities may want the class to know ahead of time so they can be prepared to deal with the difficulties of his illness, while others may want to "slip by" unnoticed. Talk to the student with the developmental disability and get his take on it. Do not choose to tell or not tell your class without consulting your student and his family first.
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