Barrier-Free World
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Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about
18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. Unlike
the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event (such as speaking in public
or a first date), anxiety disorders last at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not
treated. Anxiety disorders commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses,
including alcohol or substance abuse, which may mask anxiety symptoms or make them
worse. In some cases, these other illnesses need to be treated before a person will
respond to treatment for the anxiety disorder.
--National Institute of Mental Health
Anxiety Disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about
18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. Unlike
the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event (such as speaking in public
or a first date), anxiety disorders last at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not
treated. Anxiety disorders commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses,
including alcohol or substance abuse, which may mask anxiety symptoms or make them
worse. In some cases, these other illnesses need to be treated before a person will
respond to treatment for the anxiety disorder.
--National Institute of Mental Health
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| Aspergers Syndrome Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. It's important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the result of "improper parenting". By definition, those with AS have a normal IQ and many individuals (although not all), exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific area. Because of their high degree of functionality and their naiveté, those with AS are often viewed as eccentric or odd and can easily become victims of teasing and bullying. While language development seems, on the surface, normal, individuals with AS often have deficits in pragmatics and prosody. Vocabularies may be extraordinarily rich and some children sound like "little professors." However, persons with AS can be extremely literal and have difficulty using language in a social context. --National Institute of Mental Health |
Autism
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three
years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal
functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and
communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in
verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.
One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each
individual differently and at varying degrees - this is why early diagnosis is so crucial. By
learning the signs, a child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized
intervention programs.
Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental
Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and
pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”
The five disorders under PDD are:
--Autism Society of North America
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three
years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal
functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and
communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in
verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.
One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each
individual differently and at varying degrees - this is why early diagnosis is so crucial. By
learning the signs, a child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized
intervention programs.
Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental
Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and
pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”
The five disorders under PDD are:
- Autistic Disorder
- Asperger's Disorder
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
- Rett's Disorder
- PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
--Autism Society of North America