Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America, a seizure happens when a brief, strong surge of electrical activity affects part or all of the brain. About three million Americans have epilepsy. Of the 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year, nearly 45,000 are children and adolescents. Following a brief story of a…

"Intellectual disability" is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. Following a brief story about a child with an intellectual…

When a baby is born with Down syndrome, his or her parents should know that there's a lot of help available--and immediately. Shortly after the diagnosis of Down syndrome is confirmed, parents will want to get in touch with the early intervention system in their community. Early intervention is a system of services designed to help infants and…

Cerebral palsy--also known as CP--is a condition caused by injury to the parts of the brain that control the body's ability to use muscles effectively. Often the injury happens before birth, sometimes during delivery or soon after birth. The symptoms will differ from person to person and change as children and their nervous systems mature. This…

Human Needs and Intellectual Disabilities identifies the 12 human needs most relevant to the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, autism and related developmental disabilities. It includes detailed, practical suggestions for caregivers or parents interested in the happiness, quality of life, and self-determination of their loved ones or…

The booklet, written by a parent and psychiatrist, provides basic information on autistic children and their families. Introductory sections touch on the history of the condition, its incidence, and its associated learning problems. Subsequent sections address the following topics: signs and symptoms, basic handicaps, behavior problems (such as…

This pamphlet presents an overview of speech and language disorders including a description of symptoms, possible causes, identification, intervention, and current research. Description of the disorders includes examples of symptoms; the four components and the physical tools of speech; and the role of the brain, including its hemispheres,…

This book is designed to help clinicians and teachers work more effectively with people with learning disabilities and their families. Chapter 1 provides an overview of learning disabilities. It presents commonly accepted medical and educational definitions, prevalence figures, and possible etiological explanations for various disorders. Chapter 2…

This book is intended as a comprehensive source of information on the diagnosis and treatment of Asperger syndrome. Chapter 1 discusses major classification of characteristics and chapter 2 describes prevalence, comorbidity, and causal factors of Asperger syndrome. Chapter 3 examines clinical diagnosis and misdiagnosis and the influence of…