A Guide for Parents with Children with Intellectual Disability - Speech or Presentation Example

Intellectual disability A Guide for Parents with Children with Intellectual Disability BY: Table of Contents Intellectual disability 1 A Guide for Parents with Children with Intellectual Disability 1 BY: 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Definition 4 Types of intellectual disabilities 4 Signs and Symptoms of Intellectual Disability 7 Social effects of intellectual disability 9 Children with intellectual disability have limited ability to communicate and understand and they find it hard to express themselves. As such, other people may also find it harder to understand their needs and feelings. The children may become frustrated and upset by their limitations and think badly of themselves when they compare themselves with other children. 9 Parents may become distressed when they discover their child has intellectual disability. It may be hard for them to communicate with the child, manage their behavior and help other people understand their child. 9 Other children including the child’s sibling may feel jealous of the attention given to the child. Other children may tease the child at school and they may isolate the child. 9 Causes of Intellectual Disability 9 Diagnosis and prevention 11 Services available for people with intellectual disability 14 Advice to parents whose children have intellectual disability in NSW 14 What can I do to help my child who has intellectual disability 15 Useful references for parents with children with intellectual disabilities: 16 References: 18 Introduction More than half a million people in Australia have intellectual disability with majority of them having severe limitations in the core activities of the day to day living. These people experience challenges that are different from those experienced by other people. Such challenges include difficulty in gathering and applying knowledge as well as decision making. They may also experience difficulties in adjusting to changed circumstances in life and hence require a lot of support during such times of change. As such, parents who have children with intellectual disabilities may also experience problems dealing with them unless they are helped to understand them and hence secure the right help for them in a bid to ensure they meet their full potential in life. This booklet is designed to help parents in NSW who have children with intellectual disability understand what intellectual disability is. By so doing, they will better be able to deal with the children and help them as they grow. In addition, the booklet provides advice to parents on how to deal with them as well as useful contacts and references from where the parents can obtain help on upbringing a child with intellectual disability. Definition Intellectual disability is generally a disorder which involves the child having below average mental ability or intelligence as well as lack of skills that are necessary for the day to day living. Although a child with intellectual disability can learn and master new skills, he/she learns more slowly compared to other children (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). As such, children with intellectual disabilities have two types of limitations including; Intellectual functioning/IQ- This is the person’s ability to reason, learn, solve problems and make decisions Adaptive behaviors – these are skills necessary for daily living such as communicating effectively, take care of oneself and interact with others Types of intellectual disabilities There are many types of intellectual disabilities which include; a) Autism- autism is characterized by extreme withdrawal and self stimulation which affects significantly verbal as well as non verbal communication and socialization at early years thus adversely affecting the child’s performance in education (Benson and Brooks, 2008). Other symptoms for autism include engaging in repetitive activities, resistance to change either in daily routine or environment, deficit in the child’s ability to communicate, play understand language, relate to others or develop social skills. b) Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) –it is characterized by difficulty with social interactions and dealing with other people. It’s at times assumed to be a mild case of autism. c) Learning Disabilities – children with learning disabilities some types of failure in school/community being unable to do what others of the same level and intelligence do without difficulties. Learning disabilities may manifest itself in the child having imperfect ability to think, listen, read, write, and do mathematical calculations or even spell (Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007). Fig 1: behavioral and emotional disorder d) Behavior and Emotional Disorders- in this case, the affected child portrays signs like constant weeping, and unhappiness, physically attacking others and hyperactivity. In addition, the child may portray inability to learn which not intellectual, health is or sensory factors, the child is unable to build satisfactory interpersonal relationships with others, the child may portray inappropriate behavior and feelings under normal circumstances and a general pervasive mood of unhappiness and depression. e) Communication Disorders- A child with communication disorder has impaired ability to receive , send, process and comprehend concepts of verbal , non verbal and graphic symbol systems. Other intellectual disabilities- there are other numerous types of intellectual disabilities. They include; 1. ADHD 2.    Angel man Syndrome 3.    Down’s Syndrome 4.    Dysphasia 5.    Dyspraxia 6.    Dyslexia 7.  Epilepsy 8.  Fragile X 9.  Klinefelter Syndrome 10.  Pervasive Developmental Disorder 11.  Prader-Willi Syndrome 12.  Rett’s Syndrome 13.  Trisomy 14.  Sotos Syndrome 15.  Tourette’s syndrome 16.  Tuberous Sclerosis 17.  William’s Syndrome Signs and Symptoms of Intellectual Disability Children with intellectual disability show many signs and symptoms. These signs may present themselves as early as during infancy. However, the signs may at times fail to show until the child has reached school going age depending on how serious the intellectual disability is. The most common signs of intellectual disabilities in children include the following; The child may roll over, sit up, crawl or walk late than is normal The child may talk late or have difficulties in talking (Emerson and Hatton, 2007) The child may be unusually slow in mastering things such as potty training, feeding her/himself The child may have difficulty in remembering things The child may be unable to connect actions with their respective consequences The child may have behavior problems such as constant explosive bad temper The child may have difficulties in logical thinking and problem solving. NB// Parents should note that children with severe intellectual disability may have other health issues. The problems may range from mental disorders, seizures, vision problems, motor handicaps or hearing problems. Social effects of intellectual disability Children with intellectual disability have limited ability to communicate and understand and they find it hard to express themselves. As such, other people may also find it harder to understand their needs and feelings. The children may become frustrated and upset by their limitations and think badly of themselves when they compare themselves with other children. Parents may become distressed when they discover their child has intellectual disability. It may be hard for them to communicate with the child, manage their behavior and help other people understand their child. Other children including the child’s sibling may feel jealous of the attention given to the child. Other children may tease the child at school and they may isolate the child. The society develops low expectation for the child hence making the child develop low self esteem and develop a feeling of helplessness and believe they have no influence on whatever happens around them. Causes of Intellectual Disability Generally, Intellectual disability is caused by anything that interferes with the normal functioning and development of the brain. However, it is difficult for specific causes of intellectual disability to be identified. Some causes of intellectual disability include; Genetic conditions – conditions like fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome may lead to intellectual disability. Problems arising during pregnancy –if the mother indulges in things like alcohol and drug use during her pregnancy, they may interfere with child brain development hence leading to intellectual disability (Harbour, 2011). In addition, malnutrition, Preeclampsia and certain infections may also lead to intellectual disability. Problems that arise during child birth- If a baby is deprived of oxygen during its birth or if a child is born prematurely, the child may have intellectual disability Fig 3: head injury as a cause of intellectual disability Injury and/or illness- illnesses such as whooping cough, measles and meningitis may cause intellectual disability. Severe injuries to a child’s head, extreme malnutrition of the child, near drowning, exposing the child to toxic substances like lead and severe child abuse or neglect may also cause the child to have intellectual disability. Diagnosis and prevention Diagnosis: When a parent suspects that his/her child is not developing skills normally or on time, the parent should seek the doctor’s help. The doctor interviews the parent on the child’s symptoms and medical history before embarking on physically examining the child. The doctor may also give standardized tests with an aim of measuring; IQ/Intelligence –IQ tests are intended to measure the child’s ability to do things such as thinking abstractly, solving problems and learning (Albrecht and Bury, M2001). In this regard, the child is considered to have intellectual disability if the IQ test results are either 70 or below. Adaptive behavior –tests may be administered to measure the child’s skills needed to function in his/her daily life such as ; i) Conceptual skills such as writing and reading ii) Social skills such as self esteem and responsibility iii) Practical skills such as ability to eat, get dressed or use the bathroom Other conditions that may be checked in diagnosing intellectual disability may include such disabilities as visual problems, hearing impairment, seizures, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and similar orthopaedic conditions. Treatment: Once your child has been diagnosed with intellectual disability, it is important for the parent to talk with the doctor about the treatment plan that best suits the child. It is important that the treatment start as early as possible if it is to be helpful for the child. Such treatment is aimed at developing the child’s potential to its fullest. Treatment may include the following; Early intervention programming for children up to three years of age Family counseling (Janet, 2013) Human development training that could include hand eye coordination and emotional skills Special education programs Life skills training for example bathing and using the bathroom Social opportunities Acquisition of job skills Prevention It is important that parents take steps to prevent their children from becoming intellectually disabled both during pregnancy and after birth. The steps include; a) During pregnancy Mothers should not smoke during pregnancy Mothers should avoid taking alcohol and related drugs Mothers should eat healthy diet which is low in saturated fat and rich in vegetable, fruits and whole grains (Barnes, Oliver and Barton, 2002) Mothers should add extra folic acid to their diet during pregnancy Mothers should have regular medical check during pregnancy b) After birth After birth, the parents should ensure that the newborn is screened for condition s that may lead to the child’s intellectual disability The parents should ensure the child is properly immunized To prevent injuries to the head, use child safety seats and helmets Remove lead based paint from the child’s reach Poisonous household items/products should be kept out of the child’s reach Children with viral infections should not use aspirin to prevent Reye’s syndrome that may cause neurological problems Services available for people with intellectual disability There are very many organisations that provide services for children with intellectual disability. The organisations provide various services to the children which include; Early intervention programs for children where professionals work with parents to design an individualized family service plan /IFSP for the child (Berube, 2006). This is an outline of the child’s specific needs and the services specific for the child’s survivor Other early childhood interventions include occupational and speech therapy services, training with special assistive devices, nutritional services and family counseling services. Children with intellectual disabilities are also entitled for free special education through the public school system as per the individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA) Advice to parents whose children have intellectual disability in NSW There are many services available for parents whose children have intellectual disability in NSW. These services provide advice and help to parents in a bid to ensure that the children are able to harness their potential despite the disability. The services may include; The child’s personal doctor or pediatrician The school counselor The department of aging, disability and home care (DADHC) The association for children with disability (ACD NSW) Telephone -1300851603 Carer’s NSW- telephone-1800 242 636 Sydney children’s hospital parent line -telephone 132055 is a 24 hour service that is run by qualified counselors for parents of children between 0-18 years that provides information on appropriate referral services. NSW council for intellectual disability is also a useful organisation for parents. What can I do to help my child who has intellectual disability Parents with children who are intellectually disabled can do the following to help the children; It is important that the parent learns everything he/she can about the intellectual disability. This will help the parent to better be able to take care of his/her child. Let the child have as much independence as is possible. It is good to allow the child try new things while encouraging the child to do things by him/herself. The parent should only give guidance where necessary and positive feedback whenever the child does something well and masters a new thing(Dybwad, 2004) Parents should encourage the intellectually disabled child be involved in group activities so that he/she can build up social skills. Parents should keep in touch with the child’s teachers and hence follow the child’s progress and reinforce what the child is taught in school through practicing at home. It is good for the parent to get to know other parents who have intellectually disabled children for advice and emotional support. Useful references for parents with children with intellectual disabilities: American Psychiatric Association, 2000, Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Text Revision, Washington. Bachrach, S2004, In the name of public health: Nazi racial hygiene, New England Journal of Medicine, vol.351, pp.417-420. Beirne, M, Patton, J&, Kim, S2006, Mental retardation: An introduction to intellectual disabilities, Upper Saddle River (NJ), Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Biritwum, B&, Essah, R2001, Prevalence of children with disabilities in central region, Ghana, West African Journal of Medicine, vol. 20, pp.249-255. Montgomery, P2002, The influence of intellectual disability on life expectancy, The Journals of Gerontology Series a: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences vol.57, pp.M470-M472. Bradley, A, Thompson, A&, Bryson, E2002, Mental retardation in teenagers: prevalence data from the Niagara region, Ontario, Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 47:652-659. Hou, C, Lee, Y&, Kroger, T2009, Effect of perceived stigmatization on the quality of life among ageing female family carers: a comparison of careres of adults with intellectual disability and carers of adults with mental illness, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research,vol.53, pp.654-664. Eikelenboom, P2006, Dementia and mortality in persons with Down's syndrome, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, vol.50, pp.768-777. Fitaw, Y&, Boersma, J2006, Prevalence and impact of disability in north-western Ethiopia, Disability and Rehabilitation, vol.28, pp.949-953. Fujiura, G&, Parish, L200 7, Emerging policy challenges in intellectual disabilities, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, vol.13, pp.188-194. References: American Psychiatric Association, 2013, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Washington, DC: Author. Benson B&, Brooks, W2008, Aggressive challenging behavior and intellectual disability, Curr Opin Psychiatry, vol. 21, pp.454-8. Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007, Role of the medical home in family-centered early intervention services, Pediatrics, vol. 120, pp, 1153-8. Emerson E&, Hatton, C2007, Mental health of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities in Britain, Br J Psychiatry, vol. 191, pp.493-9. Harbour, C2011, Epidemiology of intellectual disability, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Albrecht, G&, Bury, M2001, Handbook of disability studies, Thousand Oaks: CA, Sage Publications. Barnes, C, Oliver, M &, Barton, L2002, Disability Studies today, Cambridge, Polity Press. Berube, M2006, Life as we know it: A father, a family, and an exceptional child, New York, Random House.  Dybwad, G2004, Challenges in mental retardation, New York, Columbia University Press. Janet, B2013, Coping with intellectual disability, London, Rutledge. Read More