Children

Children, the hope and promise of the future, embodying innocence, curiosity, and boundless potential. Their initial years are crucial periods of growth and development, where they learn to dive into the world and form fundamental relationships. Children always view the world with awe and wonder, and express their interest to explore the world. Each child is unique, with individual talents, interests, and challenges, supporting and nurturing them ensures they have the chances to flourish. This would also foster a positive impact on society as they mature into responsible and compassionate adults.

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Neurodevelopmental Disorder

Neurodevelopmental Disorder

A group of conditions which affect the development of the nerves and brain that leads to different impairments in cognitive, social, motor and communication skills are called neurodevelopmental disorders. The onset starts in the early childhood and persists throughout an individual’s life. Following are some of the common neurodevelopmental disorders that can be seen in children;

1. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) -This refers to a complex disorder with challenges in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviours. The intensity of symptoms may vary between individuals and the common symptoms are;

  • Communication Challenges– Individuals who have autism may face difficulty in communication; both verbal and non-verbal. They also feel it is complex to understand and use language, interpreting facial expressions, body language and gestures.
  • Social Difficulties– Social interactions become a hilarious task for people with autism as they find it difficult to follow social cues, be empathetic, and form peer relationships.
  • Repetitive Behaviours– Repetitive behaviours or limited actions are one of the symptoms of autistic people. They might repeat certain actions, follow rigid routines and keen attention to particular topics or objects.
  • Sensory Sensitivities- Individuals with autism may feel sensory sensitivities like more sensitivity to sounds, lights, textures or certain tastes.
  • Strong Interests– Certain people with autism have peculiar and serious interests in specific subjects with a standard of expertise.
  • Difficulties with transitions– Autistic individuals may feel that transitions in their routines and the occurrence of unforeseen events are quite challenging.

2. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)- ADHD is a disorder that shows struggles in sustaining attention, controlling impulses and hyperactivity. ADHD becomes visible at an early age and it becomes more noticeable when they start schooling. In some cases, the symptoms are identified in late adulthood. The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, however, certain researchers state that it can occur as a result of certain genetic and environmental factors. ADHD is noticed with difficulty in sustaining attention, mastering emotions, organizing tasks, and sitting still and this severely affects academic and social functioning. ADHD have an impact on almost every aspect of an individual’s life including self-esteem, academic performance, work, productivity, and relationships, There are three subtypes of ADHD are given below;

  • Predominantly Inattentive Presentation– Individuals fall under this category express difficulties in attention, focus and organization and they may fail to follow instructions, complete tasks and have a tendency to forget things in daily life.
  • Predominantly Hyperactive Impulsive Presentation- category is represented with hyperactivity and impulsivity. People with this type of ADHD may appear restless, and fidgety and have difficulty staying seated. They often act impulsively without bothering the consequences. 
  • Combined presentation- It is a combination of symptoms of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive presentation and this is seen as the most common form of ADHD.

ADHD is indicated by the following features;

  • Being easily distracted and having difficulty in sustaining attention
  • Frequent loss of belongings and forgetfulness
  • Impulsive and acting without considering the consequences
  • Difficulty in remaining still or seated and restlessness
  • Excessive talking and interrupting others
  • Difficulty in managing time and organizing tasks
  • Fail to follow instructions and complete tasks on time
  • Ignoring or disliking activities which needs sustained mental efforts

Treating ADHD often is a combination of behavioural interventions, psycho-education and medication is also used in some cases. Behavioural modification can improve the skills of individuals in organizing, time management and coping strategies. 

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Learning Disability (LD)

Learning disability refers to the disorders that affect one’s ability to understand or use spoken or written language, perform arithmetic calculations and coordinate movements. It occurs in the very young age that can become a lifelong threat for individuals. In some cases, overlapping of multiple learning disabilities can happen that has a wider impact in their lives. Early identification and interventions can help a child with LD to minimize the risks and perform better by refining his/her strengths. Special education and therapies are suggested to improve the learning capacity of affected children and consistent support improves the learning capacity of the affected. Different types of LD are listed below;

  • Dyslexia- This type of disability affects reading, spelling, and writing, and individuals with dyslexia find it difficult to identify words, decode letters, and grasp the connection between sounds and letters.
  • Dyscalculia- It is a kind of disability to understand and work with numbers and mathematical concepts. These types of people may struggle with fundamental arithmetic, telling time, and understanding mathematical concepts.
  • Dysgraphia- The disability that impacts skills in writing and it is visible with handwriting, spelling, and establishing thoughts on paper.
  • Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)- APD affects the processing of the brain with auditory information and individuals who have APD find it difficult to differentiate between similar sounds or understand spoken language in a loud environment.
  • Visual Processing Disorder (VPD)- It affects the interpretation by the brain of visual information and this can impact reading maps, identifying shapes, and understanding visual clues.
  • Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD)- NVLD impacts on non-verbal cues like body language, gestures, and spatial awareness which can affect social skills and communication.
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Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is known as the influence that humans can have when they are in same age group or social circle particularly on each other’s thoughts, behaviours and actions. It its very common in children, teenagers and young adults as they are always in search of acceptance and approval from their peers. Peer pressure can either be positive or negative based on the behaviour or situation being influenced.

  • Positive Peer Pressure– It is a healthy practice where friends or peers motivate each other to engage in constructive and beneficial activities like studying together, participating in extra-curricular activities, making healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Negative Peer Pressure– Negative peer pressure happens when tandems are engaged in harmful, risky and unhealthy behaviours. For instance, try to use alcohol or drug, involving in dangerous stunts, or taking part in actions that are against to the ethics and morality.

Precipitating factors of peer pressure

  • Desire for acceptance
  • Fear of being judged
  • Lack of confidence
  • Seeking identity
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Substance abuse

Substance abuse among children are increasing now-a-days due to the increase in its availability and exposure. Substance abuse in children is also known as paediatric substance abuse. Substance abuse is defined as the misuse or excessive use of substances like alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco or prescribed medications. It is a concern as it becomes a threat to the entire life of a child by bringing significant physical, emotional and social consequences. Major causative factors of substance abuse are peer influence, family environment, mental health issues, easy access to substance and trauma or stressful life events. Substance abuse can be prevented and managed with a combined interventions of education, open communication and nurturing a supportive environment.

Signs of substance abuse in children;

  • Changes in behaviour, mood or personality
  • Decreased academic performance
  • Irregular to school or other activities
  • Variations in sleep pattern
  • Sudden weight loss or gain
  • Social withdrawal
  • Frequent lying or increase in keeping things confidential
  • Ignoring personal hygiene
  • Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
  • Involvement in risky behaviors or actions
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Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability was known as mental retardation formerly and it indicates prominent limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour. It reflects the delay in language development, problem solving and learning. Levels of intellectual capacities differ in children and prominently intellectually disabled children are slow in meeting their daily needs. It starts before a child turns 18 years and even before birth. The causative factors may be an injury, disease or a problem in the brain and few other known causes are Down syndrome, foetal alcohol syndrome, fragile X syndrome, genetic conditions, birth defects and infections happen before birth.

Signs of Intellectual Disability

  • Perform development milestones like sit up, crawl or walk later than the other children
  • Have trouble in speaking or learn to talk later
  • Difficulty in remembering things
  • Understanding social rules, seeing results of their actions and solving problems become troublesome

Specific Learning Disorder (SLD)

Difficulty in learning and utilizing academic skills in an average or above-average intelligence is known as SLD and the common types of SLD include dyslexia (difficulty in reading), dyscalculia (difficulty in maths/arithmetic skills) and dysgraphia (difficulty in writing).

Communication Disorders

Disorders associated with language, speech and social communications are categorised under communication disorders. Children with this disorder may find it complicated to express themselves or to comprehend others.

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

It is also known as dyspraxia, which affects motor skills and coordination of a child. The very common issues associated with this are difficulty in tying shoelaces, using scissors, riding a bike, etc.

Tourette Syndrome

It involves motor tics that are voluntary and repetitive movements of vocalizations. This begins in childhood, but differs in its intensity over a period of time.

Rett Syndrome

This is mostly associated with girls by leading them into severe impairments in communication, motor skills and cognitive abilities.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)

The incident of CDD is very rare and it notifies with considerable loss of acquired skills in language, socialization and motor development after a period of normal development.

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