Chapter 11 - Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Health Impairments, and Physical Disabilities

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

A diagnostic category of the American Psychiatric Association for a condition in which an individual exhibits excessive inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity.

Other health impairment

A disability category in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act under which a child is eligible for special education; includes diseases and special health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis that affect a child’s educational activities and performance.

Paraplegia

Paralysis of the lower part of the body, including both legs; usually results from injury to or disease of the spinal cord.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

The virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Ataxia

A poor sense of balance and body position and lack of coordination of the voluntary muscles; characteristic of one type of cerebral palsy.

Muscular dystrophy

A group of diseases that gradually weakens muscle tissue; usually becomes evident by the age of 4 or 5 years.

Cystic fibrosis

An inherited disorder that causes a dysfunction of the pancreas and mucus, salivary, and sweat glands. This causes severe, long-term respiratory difficulties. No cure is currently available.

Shunt

A tube that diverts fluid from one part of the body to another; often implanted in people with hydrocephalus to remove extra cerebrospinal fluid from the head and send it directly into the heart or intestines.

Physical therapists (PTs)

A professional trained to help people with disabilities develop and maintain muscular and orthopedic capability and make correct and useful movements.

Myelomeningocele

A protrusion on the back of a child with spina bifida, consisting of a sac of nerve tissue bulging through a cleft in the spine.

Spina bifida

A congenital malformation of the spine in which the vertebrae that normally protect the spine do not develop fully; may involve loss of sensation and severe muscle weakness in the lower part of the body.

Simple partial seizure

A type of seizure characterized by sudden jerking motions with no loss of consciousness. These may occur weekly, monthly, or only once or twice a year.

Generalized tonic-clonic seizure

The most severe type of seizure, in which the individual has violent convulsions, loses consciousness, and becomes rigid. Formerly called grand mal seizure.

Hypertonia

Muscle tone that is too high; tense, contracted muscles.

Diabetes

A chronic disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

A fatal illness in which the body’s immune system breaks down. At present, there is no known cure for this or a vaccine for the virus that causes it. See human immunodeficiency virus.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)

The most common form of muscular dystrophy, a group of long-term diseases that progressively weaken and waste away the body’s muscles.

Occupational therapists (OTs)

A professional who programs and delivers instructional activities and materials to help children and adults with disabilities learn to participate in useful activities.

Assistive technology

Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.

Hypotonia

Muscle tone that is too low; weak, floppy muscles.

Chronic conditions

A long-lasting, often permanent condition; contrast with acute.

Complex partial seizure

A type of seizure in which an individual experiences a brief period of inappropriate or purposeless activity (also called psychomotor seizure). Usually lasts from 2 to 5 minutes, after which the person has amnesia about the entire episode.

Cerebral palsy

Motor impairment caused by brain damage, which is usually acquired during the prenatal period or during birth. Can involve a wide variety of symptoms (rigidity, spasticity, and tremor; see also ataxia, athetosis) and range from mild to severe. Neither curable nor progressive.

Quadriplegia

Paralysis of all four limbs.

Tay-Sachs disease

A progressive nervous system disorder causing profound intellectual disability, deafness, blindness, paralysis, and seizures. Usually fatal by age 5 years. Caused by a recessive gene; blood test can identify carrier; analysis of enzymes in fetal cells provides prenatal diagnosis.

Universal precautions

A set of safety guidelines (e.g., wearing protective gloves, handwashing) that interrupt the chain of infection spread by potential biohazards such as blood and bodily fluids.

Absence seizure

A type of epileptic seizure in which the individual loses consciousness, usually for less than half a minute; can occur very frequently in some children.

Clean intermittent catheterization (CIC)

A clean (not sterile) catheter (tube) is inserted into the urethra and advanced into the bladder; the catheter remains in place until urine is released into a bag.

Epilepsy

A condition marked by chronic and repeated seizures, disturbances of movement, sensation, behavior, or consciousness caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Can usually be controlled with medication, although the drugs may have undesirable side effects. May be temporary or lifelong.

Acute condition

A serious, but not permanent, state of illness or injury; contrast with chronic.

Orthopedic impairment

Impairment of the skeletal system—bones, joints, limbs, and associated muscles.

Sickle cell disease

An autosomal recessive disorder that affects the red blood cells’ capacity to carry oxygen and leads to several complications, including severe pain, infections, organ damage, acute chest syndrome, and stroke.

Asthma

A respiratory condition characterized by recurrent episodes of wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing.

Hydrocephalus

An enlarged head caused by accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cranial cavity; often causes brain damage and severe intellectual disability. A condition present at birth or developing soon afterward. Can sometimes be treated successfully with a shunt.

Neuromotor impairment

Involves the central nervous system, affecting the ability to move, use, feel, or control certain parts of the body.

Individualized health care plan (IHCP)

The individualized education program component for students with special health care needs; specifies health care procedures and services administered by school personnel and a plan for emergencies.