Let’s be honest, no one wants their kids to go through any kind of trouble, especially if it starts impacting their learning and physical development.
But things won’t always turn out how we imagine. Right?
You’ll be surprised to know that more than 2.8 million kids are either going through a mental, physical, or emotional impairment. Yes, the number is that high.
The worst part of these disabilities is that they are not easily identified until the age of three to six. And that can reduce the chances of recovery.
That’s why it is crucial for newbie parents to educate themselves about different developmental disabilities that might affect their children’s development in the long run.
Knowing about certain physical impairments, speech disorders, intellectual disabilities, and other medical conditions can help parents identify the problem before it gets huge.
Keep scrolling to know more about these physical and mental disabilities in kids.
- Down syndrome
According to a recent report by the National Down Syndrome Society, every 1 in 700 American babies are born with Down syndrome. It is one of the most common genetic disorders faced by the American population.
Medically speaking, the condition takes place when children are born with an extra copy of their 21st chromosome. This, in turn, ends up impairing their ability to grow physically as well as mentally.
You should know that many disabilities are often lifelong and, worse of all, shorten your children’s life expectancy. But the good news is that people with Down syndrome have been living healthy as well as fulfilling lives.
If you want to check your newborn baby for Down syndrome, these are the symptoms you need to look for.
- Flat or irregular facial features.
- Abnormally small head or atypically shaped ears.
- Short neck.
- Eyes that appear to be slanted upwards.
- Building tongue.
- Weak muscle tone.
One of the best ways to raise children with Down syndrome would be to build a close relationship with healthcare professionals. The medical experts will help you deal with unique challenges that come with this syndrome, such as heart defects and leukemia.
Apart from that, it would be best to help your children overcome mental and physical obstacles with lots of love and utmost care. That’s something that can help your kids thrive and live a normal life ahead.
- Clubfoot
In simple words, Clubfoot is a congenital condition that can be easily diagnosed right after the birth of a child.
The condition causes a baby’s foot to either turn inward or downward. The effects of this condition can range from mild to severe and affect one or both of your baby’s feet.
Babies who are born with Clubfoot tend to have shorter tendons that connect leg muscles to their heels. Since the tendons are too tight, the baby’s feet tend to twist out of shape.
Clubfoot affects 1 in every 1000 American newborns and is found to affect boys way more than girls. If not taken care of properly, the condition causes your children’s feet to remain deformed and affect their day-to-day activities, including their walk.
But the good news is that Clubfoot is treatable which means that your kids can lead their lives with normal feet even if they are born with a deformed one.
According to the healthcare experts, the treatment for Clubfoot should begin right away, within a week or two after the birth. The treatments can vary from surgically fixing the feet to manual feet manipulation, depending upon the seriousness.
- Autism
It is no surprise that there are autistic children now more than ever. Kids having autism tend to have a hard time with learning and communicating. The skills of such kids might even develop unevenly.
This means that even though your children with autism could feel troubled while communicating, they might still be really really good at stuff like music, math, or drawing. That’s probably why many autistic kids end up performing exceptionally well or tests that require problem-solving skills.
Although the root cause of autism still remains a mystery to medical professionals, here are some of the symptoms that can help you know your kids are dealing with autism. Read on to know more about it.
- Not being able to make or maintain eye contact.
- A very narrow or intense interest in certain topics.
- Repeating behaviors such as words, phrases, rocking chairs, or flipping a lever.
- Abnormal sensitivity to sounds, smells, or sights that might seem normal to you.
- Not interested in cuddling or being held.
- Using a flat or robotic voice while talking.
- Not being able to adapt to the changes in their routine.
- Having difficulty in understanding certain facial expressions or gestures.
If your children show these signs of autism during screenings, it would be best to go for a complete evaluation. Before preparing a report, the professionals will help your kids take certain vision, genetics, or hearing tests. They will also help your kids deal with their condition with ease and lead a normal life ahead.
- Dyslexia
Believe it or not, 5% to 10% of Americans show symptoms of dyslexia. These signs include slow reading, having difficulty in spelling or pronouncing words, mixing certain alphabets and sounds.
In fact, some people don’t realize that they are dyslexic until they get older.
Medically speaking, the condition is found to stem from different parts of the brain that are responsible for processing language. And that’s why kids with dyslexia feel it harder than usual to distinguish between certain words and sounds.
For instance, they may confuse similar-looking letters such as “b” and “d.” This means that an average person would spell the word BAD as b-a-d. But a dyslexic kid would spell it as d-a-b.
Certain parents often confuse dyslexia with their children’s disinterest in studies or school. This, in turn, makes it harder for kids to deal with their condition.
So, if you see that your children are having trouble learning or speaking, it would be best to contact a medical professional who can diagnose the problem with some tests. This way, your kids will be able to outgrow dyslexia and will be able to perform better in school or college.
In the end,
As a parent, it is really heartbreaking to see their children dealing with mental or physical disabilities. But learning about it beforehand can help you take care of your little ones and make things easier on you and, most importantly, on your kids.
Hopefully, the article was informative enough for you to learn about some mental and physical disabilities your kids might be having trouble dealing with.
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