Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The goal is to bring awareness about the disabilities, which impair the development of physical, learning, language, or behavior of the individual.
These conditions begin during the developmental period, which may affect day-to-day functioning, and usually last throughout a person's lifetime.
Causes and risk factors
Developmental disabilities begin anytime during the developmental period and usually last throughout a person's lifetime. Most developmental disabilities begin before a baby is born, but some can happen after birth because of injury, infection, or other factors.
- Hearing loss among babies is due to maternal infections during pregnancy, such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection: complications after birth and head trauma.
- Some of the most commonly known causes of intellectual disability include Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder and infections during pregnancy.
- Low birth weight, premature birth, multiple births, and infections during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk for many developmental disabilities.
- Untreated newborn jaundice can cause brain damage. They are more likely to have cerebral palsy, hearing and vision problems, and problems with their teeth.
Living with a developmental disability
People's abilities may be greatly affected by developmental disabilities. Symptoms can vary from one day to the next. Common issues faced may include:
- Individuals suffering from hypervigilance can be easily alarmed and they may find noisy rooms uncomfortable. These also include motivational and behavioural symptoms such as irritability, inability to sit still, reduced self esteem, or an increased anxiety etc.;
- Cognitive issues such as poor short-term memory and limited ability to understand or having a hard time remembering complex routines.
- Their intellectual abilities are reduced, and they may have difficulty understanding complex instructions.
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