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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term "spectrum" in ASD refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity. Current known risk factors for autism include:

1. Having certain genetic conditions
2. Birthing parent of age 35 and older
3. Premature birth
4. Complications during birth
5. Low birth weight
6. Having a sibling with autism

SIGNS OF AUTISM: Signs usually appear by age 2 or 3. Some associated development delays can appear even earlier, and often, it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months.

1. Your child does not look at you when you call their name or responds inconsistently.
2. Your baby does not smile widely or make warm, joyful expressions by the age of 6 months.
3. Our baby does not engage in smiling, making sounds and making faces with you or other people by the age of 9 months.
4. Your toddler does not say any words by the age of 16 months.
5. Your child often lines up toys or plays with toys the same way every time.
6. Your child has significant sensory aversions, like dislike of loud noises, dislike of how certain clothes fit or feel or very picky eating.

Early intervention leads to positive outcomes later in life for children with autism.

Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. These conditions begin during the developmental period, may impact day-to-day functioning. Developmental delay occurs when a child does not achieve developmental milestones in comparison to the peers of same age group.

Most developmental disabilities begin before a baby is born, but some can happen after birth because of injury, infection, or other factors. These factors include genetics, parental health and behaviors (such as smoking and drinking) during pregnancy, complications during birth, infections the mother might have during pregnancy or the baby might pre-mature birth life, and exposure of the mother or child to high levels of environmental toxins, such as lead. For some developmental disabilities, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, which is caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy, we know the cause. But for most, we don’t.

The degree of developmental delay can be further classified as mild, moderate, and severe. Parents know their children best and are usually the first to notice or be worried about the rate of a child’s development,” she says. A pediatrician can perform some basic in-office screening tests that can help to determine whether it is okay to give the child a bit more time to catch up or if it might be wise to schedule an assessment.

Symptoms include slower-than-normal development of motor, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Treatment includes occupational therapy, speech therapy and / or physical therapy services.

Early intervention makes a big difference for children with developmental delays, so it’s important to identify any problems as soon as possible.

Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles. It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles. A congenital disorder affecting movement, muscle tone or posture. Cerebral palsy is due to abnormal brain development, often before birth.

In some children, the areas of the brain involved in muscle movement do not develop as expected during fetal growth. In others, the damage is a result of injury to the brain either before, during, or after birth.

SYMPTOMS:
Children with cerebral palsy have a varied symptoms and some of then are mentioned below for understanding:

1. Walking on the toes, a crouched gait, or a “scissored” gait.
2. Stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity).
3. Difficulty with precise movements such as writing or buttoning a shirt.
4. Weakness in one or more arm or leg.
5. Shaking (tremor) or random involuntary movements.
6. Delays in reaching motor skill milestones

The mentioned symptoms vary on children at different age group. And likewise there are different types of cerebral palsy like Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy, Ataxic Cerebral Palsy and Mixed Types.

Cerebral palsy cannot be cured, but treatment will often improve a child's capabilities. With early detection and treatment, better will be the chances for the children to overcome developmental disabilities.

Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain characterized by repeated seizures. Epilepsy is also called a seizure disorder. A seizure is usually defined as a sudden alteration of behavior due to a temporary change in the electrical functioning of the brain. Epilepsy may occur because of a genetic disorder or an acquired brain injury such as a trauma or stroke.

Sometimes people with epilepsy may have changes in their behavior. They also may have symptoms of psychosis. The cells in brain send messages to and receive messages from all areas of the body. These messages are transmitted via a continuous electrical impulse that travels from cell to cell. Epilepsy disrupts this rhythmic electrical impulse pattern. Instead, there are bursts of electrical energy like an unpredictable lightning storm between cells in one or more areas of the brain. This electrical disruption causes changes in awareness including loss of consciousness, sensations, emotions, and muscle movements.

SEIZURE TRIGGERS: Below are the commonly reported triggers for seizure disorder:
A. Hormonal changes or menstrual hormonal changes
B. Flashing lights or patterns
C. Not eating healthy, balanced meals or drinking enough fluids; vitamin and mineral deficiencies, skipping meals
D. Dehydration
E. Missed anti-seizure medication doses

SYMTOMS OF SEIZURES:
A. Problems talking or understanding
B. Blank stare or “staring into space” look
C. Changes in hearing, vision, taste, smell, feelings of numbness or tingling
D. Temporary confusion, slowed thinking, problems with talking and understanding
E. Uncontrolled muscle movements, muscle jerking, loss of muscle tone
F. Temporary loss of awareness or consciousness
G. Psychic symptoms, including fear, dread, anxiety, faster heart rate and breathing.

Many types of therapies may be helpful for epileptic children even though they are not specifically focused on epilepsy. Creative arts therapies (music therapy, art therapy, and more) use creative methods to promote self-expression, self-awareness, and make personal change easier. The goal is not to create a masterpiece, but to find an outlet for releasing stress and feelings.

The early identification of social deficits in epileptic patients is crucial for better management and care of patients affected by epilepsy and neurodevelopment disorders.

Down syndrome is a genetic condition that happens when a child is born with an extra chromosome. The extra chromosome affects the way the child’s brain and body develop, leading to developmental delays and intellectual disability. Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability affecting approximately 1 in every 700 children.
Most children with Down syndrome have some level of intellectual disability usually in the mild to moderate range. Many children with Down syndrome can participate in regular classrooms, though they may need extra help or modifications. To help children with Down syndrome reach their highest potential, parents can seek out assistance programs as early as possible.

SOME COMMON VISIBLE FEATURES OF DOWN SYNDROME:
1. Small pinky fingers that sometimes curve toward the thumb
2. Small ears
3. Small hands and feet
4. A short neck
5. A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose
6. Shorter in height as children and adults
7. Poor muscle tone or loose joints

Behavioral problems such as stubbornness, impulsivity, and temper tantrums may be more common in children with Down syndrome. Early intervention is a systematic program of therapy, exercises, and activities designed to address developmental delays that may be experienced by children with Down syndrome so that they can also live the social life to their full ability.

Learning disabilities occur in very young children, yet they are usually not noticed until the child reaches school age. Learning disabilities are disorders that affect the ability to understand, or use spoken or written language, do mathematical calculations, coordinate movements, and direct attention. These disabilities create a gap between the true ability and day-to-day productivity and performance.

These children have average or above-average intelligence. Their eyesight and hearing capacity are in the normal range. They are not physically handicapped, mentally retarded, or emotionally disturbed. They exhibit difficulties in basic psychological processes responsible for listening, speaking, reading, writing and arithmetic. Having a learning disability means that the brain “processes” information differently than most other students does.

The children with learning disabilities looks like any other children and seems to be a very bright and intelligent yet may be unable to demonstrate the skill level expected from someone of a similar age. Children with learning disabilities are referred as “hidden disabilities”.

The most traditional treatment for learning disabilities is special education. Specially trained teachers may perform a formal assessment to understand the child's academic and intellectual capacity. They will also look at the level of academic performance. Once the evaluation is complete, the basic approach is to teach learning skills by building on the child's abilities and strengths while correcting disabilities and weaknesses.

Mental retardation is now referred as “Intellectual Disability”. Intellectual disability is often used to describe problems in a child’s mental development that result in a lack of intelligence or other kinds of physical or learning delays.

Intellectual disability is characterized by difficulties in reasoning, problem-solving, comprehending complex ideas, and other cognitive skills.

The symptoms of intellectual disability begin during childhood. Delays in language or motor skills may be seen by the age two. There are many different causes of intellectual disability. It can be associated with a genetic syndrome, such as Down syndrome or Fragile X syndrome. It may develop following an illness such as meningitis, whooping cough or measles, may result from head trauma during childhood, or may result from exposure to toxins such as lead or mercury. Other factors that may contribute to intellectual disability include brain malformation, maternal disease, and environmental influences (alcohol, drugs, or other toxins). A variety of pregnancy related events, infection during pregnancy and problems at birth, such as not getting enough oxygen, can also contribute.

A formulation of various therapies along with family counselling is being used for many years to shape and enhance social behaviors and to control and minimize aggressive and destructive behaviors in children with intellectual disabilities.

The main goal behind treating mental retardation is to make life better for the patient and improve his / her ability to perform certain activities in daily life. The best that has been possible is to ease those struggles so that the child does not suffer as much as he / she was suffering earlier.