characteristics and overview new - athelas institute, … period for a person is clinically up ......

CHARACTERISTICS AND

OVERVIEW OF INDIVIDUALS

WITH DEVELOPMENTAL

DISABILITIES

Athelas Institute, Inc.

WHAT IS A DISABILITY

� A mental or physical impairment which,

depending on the degree, can hinder a person’s

ability to independently complete daily activities.

� According to the American with Disabilities Act

(1992) “disability” is defined as a “physical or (1992) “disability” is defined as a “physical or

mental impairment that substantially limits a

major life activity.”

� 18% of the U.S. population has a disability.

That’s about 5 ½ million people.

EXAMPLES OF DISABILITIES

Disability Areas Affected Supports Needed

Visual

Impairment

Mobility, reading, self-care, community use, home care

Programs that teach Braille, mobility & daily living skills. Some temporary support may be necessary until skills are mastered.

Traumatic Head Communication, mobility, Occupational, physical & Traumatic Head Injury

Communication, mobility, relationships, work skills, daily living skills

Occupational, physical & vocational therapy, personal counseling, rehabilitation programs assisting with learning skills.

Alzheimer’s Independence, memory, mobility, daily living skills

Assisted living programs, assistance with memory cues, transportation services, home based services

Hearing Impairment

Communication, relationships, mobility

Assistance adapting to the environment, hearing aids, programs that teach alternate forms of communication

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

� Compares a child’s development rate to his/her

peers.

� Developmental period for a person is clinically up

to the age of 18, federally up to the age of 22.

� Affects a person’s thinking, behavior, emotions, � Affects a person’s thinking, behavior, emotions,

relationships and/or physical appearance.

� Is usually long term

� Usually results in a decreased likelihood of living

independently, as expected by his/her culture.

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

A person with a developmental disability is limited in 3 or more of the 7 identified major life functions:

� Self-care� Self-care

� Communication

� Learning

� Self-direction

� Mobility

� Economic self-sufficiency

� Capacity for independent living

CAUSES OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

�Pregnant mother’s health

�Difficult or abnormal delivery

�Early childhood accidents or illnesses

�Genetic Disorders

�Metabolic Disorders

�Unknown

* There are over 250 known causes of I.D., but these only account for 25% of the cases. 75% of the time is unknown

*TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

� Cerebral Palsy

� Epilepsy

� Autism

� Intellectual Disability

TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Cerebral Palsy

� Chronic condition that affects

body movement and muscle

coordination

� Caused by damage to one or � Caused by damage to one or

more specific areas of the

brain

� Typically occurs during fetal

development or shortly

following birth

*CEREBRAL PALSY

� Spastic: Tight, rigid muscles

� Anthetoid: Involuntary, flailing movements

� Mixed Type: Above types along with tremors

(shaking, trembling)

TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Autism

� Impaired or atypical communication skills

� Difficulty learning and using social skills; especially the “concept” of the skills. May have difficulty making meaningful connections with others.meaningful connections with others.

� Unusual behaviors (rocking, ritualistic hand movements, self-injurious behaviors, hypersensitivity to sensory stimulation)

� Unusually strong attachment to routines and/or inanimate objects or sets of facts

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

� Aspergers: Impairments in social interaction, restricted

interests and activities, usually no delay in language and

IQ

� Rett’s Syndrome: Period of normal development then loss

of ability beginning at ages 1-4 occurs more in females.

� Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: Normal � Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: Normal

development for at least the first two years, significant loss

of skills thereafter

� Pervasive Personality Disorder (atypical autism): The

child does not meet the criteria for a specific diagnosis, but

severe impairment is present.

TYPE OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Epilepsy

� A neurological disorder

� Produces brief changes in

how the brain cells function

� Characterized by recurring

seizuresseizures

� Can cause odd sensory

experiences or

“unexplainable” behavior

� Anyone at anytime can

develop epilepsy

� It is not a form of an

intellectual disability or

mental illness

*SEIZURES

� Tonic Clonic (Grand Mal): Body stiffens, jerks

violently; may lose consciousness

� Absence (Petit Mal): Temporary loss of

awareness for a few seconds (blank stare),

eyelashes flutter, often goes unnoticedeyelashes flutter, often goes unnoticed

� Complex Partial (Psychomotor or Temporal

Lobe): Useless motions, walking aimlessly,

picking up things, smacking lips for a few

seconds or minutes

SEIZURES

Causes

Epilepsy

Strokes

Head Injury

Triggers

Missed Medication

Stress & Anxiety

Exertion & FatigueHead Injury

Brain Tumors

Drug/Alcohol Abuse

Poisons

Infections

Poor Nutrition

Injury

Exertion & Fatigue

Heat & Dehydration

Lack of Sleep

Drug/Alcohol Poisoning

Menstruation

Poor Nutrition

OTHER NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS

� Head Injury

� Learning Disability

� Spina Bifida

� Narcolepsy� Narcolepsy

� Prader Willi

� Neurofibromatosis

� Tourette Syndrome

� Tuberous Sclerosis


Head Injury

� Occurs from trauma to the

head that results in physical

brain damage

� The degree of disability

depends upon the extent and depends upon the extent and

location of the brain injury

� Can result in intellectual,

physical, and/or psychosocial

impairments

� Occurs most frequently in

accidents involving motor

vehicles


Learning Disability

� Refers to various conditions, often

present at birth, but not usually

diagnosed until school age

� May be shown as hyperactivity,

perceptual/coordination

problems, emotional instability,

short or erratic attention span

� Impulsive behavior

� Problems with reading, writing,

and/or math

� Difficulty with verbal expression

or understanding others

� Can range from mild to severe

� Can affect success in school, at

work, and in relationships


Spina Bifida

� Is the second most common

birth defect in America

� Results from malformed

section of the spinal column

affecting the spinal cord

� Can also result in Can also result in

hydrocephalus (fluid in the

brain)

� Can cause sensory or motor

loss, incontinence, scoliosis,

muscle imbalances,

difficulties with respiration,

eating problems, infections,

and learning disabilities


Narcolepsy

� Is a serious, lifelong,

potentially disabling

neurological disorder

involving aberrant sleepinvolving aberrant sleep

� Is a major cause of excessive

daytime sleepiness

� Can be mild or severe


Neurofibromatosis

� A.K.A. Von Recklinghausen’s

disease

� Is characterized by abnormal

growth of body tissue,

primarily nerve tissueprimarily nerve tissue

� Can cause coffee colored spots

on the skin, disfigurements,

deafness, blindness, organ

dysfunction, deformity of

limbs, epilepsy and mental

retardation may also result


Prader-Willi

� Is a genetic syndrome

characterized by mental

retardation, short stature,

incomplete sexual

development, and decreased

muscle tonemuscle tone

� The most noticeable

characteristics include a

voracious appetite and

emotional outbursts

� Obesity is common

OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

Tourette Syndrome

� Is characterized by involuntary

motor/verbal “tics”

� Symptoms can wax and wane

over a 3-4 month period

� “Symptoms” increase when a

person is under stress, but may

disappear when the person is disappear when the person is

focused on a task

� Rapid eye blinking, shoulder

shrugging, head jerking, arm

flapping, leg and trunk

movements

� Vocalizations may include

repeated grunting, sniffing,

throat clearing, shrieking,

barking, or involuntary outbursts

of obscene words

OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

Tuberous Sclerosis

� A genetic disease that goes

unrecognized for many years

� Is characterized by a

hardening or swellings of

tumors in the vital organstumors in the vital organs

� Symptoms can include

convulsive seizures, mental

retardation, white skin spots,

tumors, physical handicaps,

hyperactivity, developmental

delay, and skin rash

� Tends to be either mild or

severe

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

(I.D.)

Definition, History,

Characteristics, and SupportCharacteristics, and Support

DEFINITION

� Refers to substantial limitation in present

functioning

� Is characterized by significantly sub-average

intellectual functioning

� Results in limitations in two or more adaptive � Results in limitations in two or more adaptive

skill areas

� Manifests before the age of 18 (before the age of

22 per government standards)

HISTORY

� Mid-1800’s

� 1870-1890

� First residential training

facility

� Residential schools began

transitioning to the

community

� 1890-1925

community

� Attitudes towards

intellectual disabilities

resulted in crime and anti-

social behavior

HISTORY

� 1925-1959

� Since 1969

� The formation of advocacy groups

� Populations in institutions has decreased and more focus on community programs

� Current

focus on community programs

� People with intellectual disabilities are being served in the community with individualized supports

SUB-AVERAGE INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING

� The major components of intelligence are

problem solving, language, reasoning, memory,

comprehension, social intelligence, organization

and knowledge

� In general, our range of intelligence is � In general, our range of intelligence is

determined by IQ tests

� Intelligence is a relative characteristic

determined by norm referenced IQ tests and the

bell curve

*LEVELS OF I.D. BASED ON IQ

� Mild = 50 – 70

� Moderate = 35 – 50

� Severe = 20-35

� Profound = 20 or less

*The average IQ test score is 100

*LEVELS OF I.D. BASED ON IQ

70

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS

� Difficulty with attention and perception

� Less efficient memory

� Inefficient problem solving skills

� Difficulties with logical thought

� Difficulty applying knowledge and newly acquired skills

Difficulty predicting and comprehending consequences and � Difficulty predicting and comprehending consequences and their actions

� Difficulty understanding social rules, values, and ethics on a conceptual level

� External reinforcement is more effective than internal feedback

� Information is processed concretely

*SUPPORTS

� Intermittent� Involvement on an as needed basis

�Limited�Low intensity involvement usually for an extended

period of timeperiod of time

�Extended�Regular long term involvement

�Pervasive�Care is required for almost all areas of life

LIMITATIONS & ADAPTIVE SKILLS� What are adaptive skills?

� Conceptual, social, and practical skills that people have

learned so they can function in their everyday lives

� A person with limited intellectual functioning,

but does not have “sub-average” adaptive skills,

may not be diagnosed with I.D. may not be diagnosed with I.D.

ADAPTIVE SKILLS

Areas of support: � Self-Care

� Communication

� Problem Solving

� Exercising Choice

� Education

They help us to…� Change an unconstructive or

disruptive behavior to something more constructive

� Manage all areas of daily living support

� Education

� Home Living

� Community Participation

� Social Skills

� Daily Living

� Employment

� Health & Safety

� Behavioral

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES & MENTAL

ILLNESS

MENTAL ILLNESS

�Dictionary Definition: �Severe disturbances of behavior, mood, thought processes, and/or social and interpersonal relationships.

�Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: A disorder of the mind and thought process�A disorder of the mind and thought process

�A significant behavioral or psychological disturbance

�Affects the person’s ability to function “successfully” in relationships, work, and society

MENTAL ILLNESS

Factors that increase chances of a

mental illness

� Communication deficit

� Stress� Stress

� Poor coping skills

� Existing central nervous system problems

� Past history of abuse or neglect

� Genes

DUAL DIAGNOSIS

� A dual diagnosis is a condition of being

intellectually disabled and experiencing at least

one diagnosable form of mental illness

*MENTAL ILLNESS VS. I.D.

Mental Illness

Can be temporary like many

other illnesses

Occurs most often in early adult

and middle years

Intellectual Disability

Is usually a lifelong condition

Usually occurs at or near birth,

almost always by school age

Does not necessarily interfere

with strictly intellectual

abilities

Often can be cured by

counseling, medication or

surgery

Is characterized by slow

intellectual development

Can be treated through

educational techniques and

therapy

SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL

DISABILITIES

Childhood

� Early intervention

� Special education

programs

Adolescence

� Vocational and

occupational skills training

� Sex educationprograms

� Speech therapy

� Physical therapy

� Occupational therapy

� Sex education

� Social behavior counseling

� Transition programs

(school to work and family

home to own home)

SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL

DISABILITIES

Adulthood

� Support/training to

perform skills ay home and

at work

Later Years

� Retirement options

� Leisure and recreational

activities

� Counseling and support on

building social

relationships

� Support with community

integration

activities

*PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ARE MORE LIKE US THAN NOT

GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN SUPPORTING

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES� Treat people with respect & dignity, equally & fairly

� Use “People First” language (discuss the person first and the

disability second)

� Build and support relationships

� Utilize natural supports (friends, neighbors, etc.)

� Support community involvement� Support community involvement

� Support active participation

� Use natural interventions

� Be sensitive to individual rights

� Maintain routines and rhythms

� Age appropriate activities

� Support choice

� Promote competencies and personal growth

� Enhance quality in a person’s life

characteristics and overview new - athelas institute, … period for a person is clinically up ......

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