Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children – Early Signs

Neurodevelopmental disorders in USA

Neurodevelopmental disorders in children affect the developing brain and relate to behavioral, learning, language, and motor impairments. Lot of healthcare providers started offering treatments related to Neurodevelopmental disorders in USA. Neurodevelopmental disorders are impairments in brain development and function that affect learning, communication, behavior, or motor abilities. They range from mild to serious and can benefit from early identification and intervention. Early identification helps in providing the right intervention or support. Below are some of the common neurodevelopmental disorders in children, along with some early signs of each.

Prevalence of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):

Autism Spectrum Disorder is next to mental retardation, the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. The CDC reports that around 1 in 36 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism as of 2023 data. The ratio has been increased due to better awareness and changing diagnostic criteria.

Social Interaction Challenges: Avoiding eye contact, lack of understanding of social cues, or no interest in playing with others.

Delayed speech: Development in initiating conversation and sustaining communication and unable to follow nonverbal communication effectively through gestures or facial expressions.

Repetitive behaviors: Hand flapping, body rocking, and insistence on a specific routine.

Narrow Interests: Has intense interests in specific topics or things, ignoring other activities.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):

Another very common Neurodevelopmental disorders in USA is ADHD. The CDC indicates that about 9.4% of children between the ages of 2-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD is more common in boys than girls and continues into adulthood for many individuals. Here are some of the early signs of ADHD 

Inattention: Failure to pay attention to details, easily distractible, forgets instructions, and makes careless errors in school work.

Hyperactivity: He/ She is always moving, can’t sit still, fidgets, or runs or climbs when inappropriate.

Impulsivity: Not able to wait for a turn, interrupts others, does things on impulse.

Intellectual Disabilities (ID):

Intellectual disability can be defined as a condition that entails limited mental capabilities, thereby severely impairing their ability to learn, reason, problem solve, or adapt to real life. Generally, it starts before age 18 and is described in varying terms of severity. 

Conditions like Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and the like characterize intellectual disabilities involving below-average intellectual functioning as well as adaptive behavior, affecting approximately 1-3% of the U.S. population.

Delayed Milestones: Failure to achieve developmental milestones such as speaking, walking, or potty training.

Learning Difficulty: Unable to grasp concepts, memory problems, or needs more time to learn.

Adaptive Behavior Challenges: Problems of daily living skills, feeding, dressing, personal hygiene, etc.

Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD):

The learning disabilities include SLDs, which have dyslexia (reading), dyscalculia (math), and dysgraphia (writing), among others. It is estimated that 5-15% of school-aged children have some kind of learning disability.

Dyslexia: Difficulty in reading, word recognition, and interpretation of written words.

Dyscalculia: Trouble in comprehending numbers, simple arithmetical operations, or basic mathematics concepts.

Dysgraphia: Handwriting, spelling, or the way of arranging thoughts in writing.

Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Anxiety and mood disorders are some of the most common mental health problems, which have the potential to interfere significantly with the emotional well-being, behavior, and overall functioning of a child. The sooner they are identified and better they can be treated.

Excessive Worry: Experiencing excessive anxiety, fearfulness, or worry about things that usually do not cause anxiety.

Mood Swings: Extreme emotional outbursts, irritability, sadness, or intense frustration.

Social Withdrawal: Avoiding interactions or appearing to be too shy or fearful in social situations.

Final words

Anxiety and mood disorders are very treatable, however, their early identification plays a crucial role in improving the outcome. Neurodevelopmental disorders in USA affect a very large number of children and last through their life as they go into their developmental processes, educational milestones, and wellbeing. A child with an anxiety or mood disorder usually needs a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle support to get better. Consultation with a healthcare provider or mental health professional is the most important first step if you’re concerned about the emotional well-being of a child.

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